Join the West Virginia and Regional History Center for an evening with poet and publisher Jeffrey Cyphers Wright at 6:30 p.m. April 9 in the Milano Room in West Virginia University’s Downtown Library. He will talk about his fascinating and multifaceted career and read from his latest volume of poetry.
Wright is an artist,
critic, eco-activist, impresario, editor and publisher, and is best known as a
poet. He graduated from WVU in 1974. He received his MFA in Poetry from
Brooklyn College where he studied with Allen Ginsberg and also taught. He
served on the Poetry Project Board of Directors at St. Mark’s Church and taught
there too. From 1987 to 2000 he ran Cover
Magazine, the Underground National,
which featured many of the biggest names in arts and culture of that era. The
magazine’s archives are in the Fales Collection at NYU.
Musician and songwriter Lou Reed on Cover Magazine, 1994
Wright is the author of 20 books of verse, including most recently “Fuel for Love” which won the James Tate Award, and “Doppelgängster” from MadHat Press. Other titles include “Blue Lyre” from Dos Madres Press, “Party Everywhere” from Xanadu Press, “Radio Poems” from The Operating System, and “Fake Lies” from Fell Swoop. He also contributes criticism regularly to American Book Review and ArtNexus. His poems have appeared in a vareity of journals. Wright received a Kathy Acker Award in 2021 was artist-in-residence at Howl! Happening. Currently, he produces literary events and publishes Live Mag!
The WVRHC is the home of Wright’s poetry archives.
“Jeffrey Cyphers Wright’s collection presents researchers with insight into his writing and publishing activities,” WVRHC Director Lori Hostuttler said. “The collection is inspiring and creative and it is clear why Jeff earned the nickname, ‘Uncle Fun.’ I am delighted that we can host this program. It is guaranteed to be an enjoyable evening!”
A selection of Cover Magazine covers will be on display on the second floor of the Downtown Library in conjunction with this event. For more information about the program, contact Hostuttler, lori.hostuttler@mail.wvu.edu, or 304-293-1116.