In conjunction with Wise Men Fished Here: A Centennial Exhibition in Honor of the Gotham Book Mart, 1920-2020, the Kislak Center is hosting a conference from February 28 to March 2 on the theme of Modernism - Materiality - Meaning. The Conference will be held in the Libary’s Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.

During its formative years, the Gotham Book Mart was one of the few book shops in North America to specialize in avant-garde and modernist literature, film and art. Responding to the growing interest in the concept of the modernist book store, the three-day conference will provide a framework to explore the role of the Gotham Book Mart within the larger context of the printing arts, non-commercial publishing, retailing and the marketing of modernism; as well as, examining the important role of little magazines and small presses; Surrealism; the New York poetry scene; the Beats and Edward Gorey. The conference will be preceded by a film festival inspired by the Gotham Book Mart promotion of Modernist film. Other events will include a poetry reading, panels and workshops. The keynote speaker is professor Andrew Thacker, from Nottingham Trent University. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Jay Kislak Endowment, the conference is free and open to the public. Registration is required; seating is limited. Register by February 15 at https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/modernism