RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

            Francis Harvey Green Library – A diverse group of sixty West Chester University faculty, staff, community members, and students gathered in Special Collections on Wednesday September 19. The occasion that united the patrons in attendance was a publishing craft talk hosted by Dr. Eleanor Shevlin and featuring Dr. Cherise Pollard. Their conversation focused on the details of the publishing process regarding Dr. Pollard’s award-winning poetry chapbook Outsiders (MWC Press, 2016). Dr. Pollard’s collection was recognized as the Mississippi Valley/ Susan K. Collins Poetry Chapbook contest winner for 2015 by Midwest Writing Center.

            “Sharing my creative work with my colleagues and students was gratifying,” said Dr. Pollard. “I felt tremendous synergy in the room.”

            During their conversation, the professors discussed how Dr. Pollard chose the poems for Outsiders. Compiling the collection from a larger group of poems with shared themes, Dr. Pollard drew on experiences throughout her life and career to create Outsiders. She wrote some of the poems for Outsiders while she attended graduate school. Others were published in Daedalus, the annual literary magazine for members of the West Chester University community. The collection also features poems that were published in national literary magazines, such as African American Review. A portion of the collection responds to the African American literature Dr. Pollard teaches. Her poem “Maude’s Lament,” was written in response to “Sadie and Maude” by Gwendolyn Brooks. Dr. Pollard indicated she combined some of her most powerful poems to form Outsiders. Her craft talk with Dr. Shevlin highlighted the perseverance and determination required for poets to find a home for their work. 

            “For aspiring creative writers, this conversation shed important light on how a poet’s work finds its way to a publisher and then readers.  Moreover, just as the event was the result of close, multiple collaborations, so too is the production of any written work,” said Dr. Shevlin. “It can be illuminating to readers to discover the process behind any given book—each will have a distinctive story.  Understanding how a book—whether poetry, nonfiction, a scholarly monograph, or any number of genres—came to be can reveal much not just about a particular work but also the many hands that helped bring it to the public.”

            When the craft talk portion of the program concluded, Dr. Pollard performed a set of poems from Outsiders. The poems she chose covered a wide variety of topics and experiences, from her reflection on what a family experiences when they visit an incarcerated loved one, to the reality of living with an autoimmune disease, to a lighthearted description of Keebler cookies. Dr. Pollard’s poetry displayed an unflinching eye for detail and a keen sense of empathy for the subjects of her poems. She read with passion and energy, which brought the narratives from her collection to life.

             “Even though it is not in the collection, I always enjoy reading ‘Cookie Man’ because the audience is always surprised by its humor and emotional complexity,” said Dr. Pollard. ‘The Kidney’ is one of my favorites, too, because it reminds me of the ways in which doctor/patient relationships develop and evolve. The early prison visit poems have a strong emotional pull--even decades later, they continue to be evocative.”

            Attendees visibly responded to Dr. Pollard’s poetry. Audience members seemed to live the poems along with Dr. Pollard as she read them aloud. Some quietly gasped or covered their mouths in surprise. Moments such as those, when the poet and her audience aligned emotionally, were compelling. The reading was a living example of what the poet CM Burroughs meant when she reviewed Dr. Pollard’s chapbook and wrote, “Outsiders is a marvel of persistence, process, and will call on your empathy as it did mine.” When the reading concluded, Dr. Pollard’s words seemed to linger in the atmosphere of the room and with those who heard her words. The audience buzzed with conversation about the collection and the reading they just witnessed as Dr. Pollard signed copies of Outsiders.

            “Special Collections is the ideal venue for gatherings that celebrate the creative output and scholarship of various campus members, and the room definitely lent a celebratory air to Dr. Pollard’s reading” said Dr. Shevlin. “People feel special in that room—and for many students it was the first time they had been inside its walls, and for still others it was the first time they learned that FHG Library’s Special Collections exist.”

            Many organizations from the campus community united to make the publishing craft talk and poetry reading possible. Those organizations included West Chester University Libraries, Francis Harvey Green Library Special Collections, The West Chester University Graduate Writing Program, and The West Chester University Center for Book History. The spirit of cooperation between organizations added to the sense of accomplishment after the reading.

            “Collaborating with Dr. Shevlin and the English Department on this event was rewarding on so many levels. We love having the WCU community visit Special Collections to see what is surely the loveliest room in the FHG Library,” said Dean of University Libraries Mary Page. “Bring together an amazing poet and an inspiring setting, and you have a successful and worthwhile event.  That there was a large student turnout speaks to how important such programs are to the campus community.”

            Patrons who were unable to attend the event will be able to experience Outsiders in the near future. Dean Page indicated that a copy of the chapbook will be added to the general collection at Francis Harvey Green Library. A second copy, which was signed by Dr. Pollard, will be added to the archives in Special Collections.

Banned Books Week

September 24-30 is set aside to celebrate Banned Books Week, an annual event which advocates for the freedom to read. The F.H.G. Library exhibit this year features African American writers whose works are listed on the banned books list. Some such authors include Maya Angelou, Coe Booth, Alice Childress, Nikki Grimes, Carolivia Heron, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Mildred Taylor, and Alice Walker, most of whom are showcased in the exhibit on the 2^nd floor. These books can be taken from the exhibit case and checked out.

It is important to recognize that even now, books are still being challenged by library users. The ALA defines the difference between “challenged” and “banned” on their website at www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks: “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials”. What many people fail to realize is that challenging a book can mean subsequent removal of the item which then restricts the access of information to others. Banned Book Week thus draws our attention to these books that, either in the past or currently, are being challenged in this way.

We, the staff and faculty at F.H.G. Library, encourage you to explore some of these featured authors, as well as check out other challenged and banned books this week! 

Join the University Libraries and the Poetry Center as we celebrate 100 years of Gwendolyn Brooks poetry and life.  A new exhibit on the 2^nd floor of Francis Harvey Green Library features works by Brooks with books available for checkout. The exhibit coincides with a celebration on September 25, 2017 of Gwendolyn Brooks legacy.

Born in 1917 in Kansas, Gwendolyn Brooks moved to Chicago, Illinois at a young age.  Chicago became a rich influence in Brooks' life and poetry; in fact, her book of poetry, Annie Allen, about growing up in Chicago won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1950.  She was the first African American to win this award.  It was one of many honors received during Brooks' illustrious career, which also included serving as Poet Laureate for Illinois.  She taught at several prestigious Colleges and Universities.  Gwendolyn Brooks was also a wife to Henry Blakely III and mother to two children, Henry and Nora.  She passed away in 2000 due to complications with Cancer.

Since the invention of the book, there has always been a fascination to challenge its two-dimensional properties and find ways to re-create the traditional book format. The concept of pop-up books, therefore, have existed for over 700 years as people have experimented with different ways to create that third dimension and makes books come alive in a whole new way. Though it’s not known who invented the first instance of a pop-up book or when, one of the earliest known attempts was made by a 13^th-century mystic Ramon Llull of Majorca. Majorca illustrated his philosophical theories through the use of a “volvelle”, which was a revolving disc commonly used during this time for things like astronomical predictions.   

Until the 18^th century, the use of movable parts and pop-up books were almost primarily for mature and scholarly use, and were not considered for the purpose of entertaining younger audiences, such as children. The late 1700s saw the beginning of “metamorphoses” books, which were designed for children and consisted of sheets folded with flaps that revealed hidden pictures underneath. This style of lift-the-flap books then gave rise to other forms of movable illustration books, most notably peep-show books and the unique inventions of Lothar Meggendorfer’s lever-and-spring-operated pop-up illustrations popular during the 19^th century.

The first pop-up books made in America were created by the McLoughlin Brothers in the 1880s. These books included large, colorfully illustrated plates that folded out to become elaborate three-dimensional scenes that seemed to pop with life. From there the market for American pop-up books grew over the decades into Blue Ribbon Publishing’s Disney and fairytale pop-up books in the 1930s, to the Bennett Cerf’s Pop-Up Riddles series in 1964, to the modern technological pop-up books we know today that include things like sound and lights. Pop-up books have now become extremely popular, and over 200 new books are produced every year in the English language alone. {Mickey Mouse Camelot picture}

One of the many collections maintained in Special Collections is the Uel Combs collection. Uel Combs, who was an English professor at West Chester University, had spent many years collecting pop-up books, and his collection now resides in the Special Collections of the library. It includes a very diverse selection of pop-up books for children and adults alike, spanning a wide range of topics both fiction and nonfiction. There are pop-up books of fairytales and illustrated poems coupled with books detailing the elaborate interiors of castles and the history of Ancient Rome.

 A large majority of the collection consists of children’s pop-up books, though many of them are quite unique. Some of the more remarkable pieces include an antique copy of Mickey Mouse in King Arthur’s Camelot, a book on William Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre with a detailed pop-up replica of the original Globe Theatre, and a book of pop-up Norman Rockwell illustrations. It may seem strange today to consider pop-up books being made for adults, but the Combs collection possesses a decent selection. Among them is a pop-up Kama Sutra book, two parody sex books of life in both the 1890s and the Roaring 20s, and The Pop-Up Wine Book, 

which gives the reader an extensive education on the history, science, and even the process of making wine and includes pop-ups diagrams of vineyard chateaus and a spinning wheels that allows you to match up the type of wine with the right meal to eat with it..

Each of the books in the Uel Combs collection are unique, and help demonstrate how diverse the world of pop-up books can be and the many different functions they serve. Whether the goal is to entertain, inform, or simply for artistic expression, this collection shows us that pop-up books are not just for mindless children’s amusement; they come in many forms, can be quite sophisticated, and can be enjoyed by all ages. 

Blog post written by: Melissa Mulreany, Class of 2017, Special Collections Spring 2017 Intern and English Major.    

Early in West Chester's history, writing poetry was regularly featured in the yearbook, which often included silly verses such as this one from the first yearbook, the 1910 Pathfinder on page 175, attributed to K.S.:

             The Mascots of '10

There were once some rodents pedantic, 
Who rendered the students quite frantic, 
When they came to the classes, 
The terrified lasses
Were sure that each mouse was gigantic. 

Cried the teacher in accents distracted, 
"Pray cease your gyrations protracted, 
Keep your eyes fixed on me, 
And then you won't see
The pranks by these torments enacted."

"They are seeking the crumbs of true learning, 
That you are continually spurning. 
If you'd work as do these, 
You be just 'the cheese'
And ever keep wisdom's lamp burning." 

The literary publications tended to cover more serious topics. The Moore Literary Society was organized shortly after the Normal School opened in 1871, and its rival the Aryan Society began in 1879. Virtually every student at West Chester was a member of one or the other literary societies. The Moore Literary Society published the Moore Literary Gazette, in which the following poem appears in volume sixteen, issue one, published on February 4, 1888 on page 1. It includes fairly typical themes: nature, death, and religion. 

              The Day Has Fled

Into the West fades the golden sun, 
   Tinting the clouds with a softer red. 
Moonlight,--
                    Starlight,--
                                      Quiet and sleep,--
   Night has come, and day has fled. 

Passing from earth like the golden sun, 
   Treading the path that angels tread, 
Kisses,--
                  Sighs,--
                                    Flowers and tears,--
Death has come and life has fled. 

Into a land where the sun ne'er sets, 
   Entered alone through the gates of the dead. 
Joy,--
                Peace,--
                                   Eternal rest,--
   Life has come, and Death has fled. 

Francis Harvey Green was born May 19, 1861 to Sharpless and Mary Booth Green in Booth’s Corner, a small town in Bethel Township, Delaware County, PA. In 1911, he married Gertrude Heritage, a graduate of Bryn Mawr College. He attended West Chester Normal School, earning his BA in 1882. After spending time at Amherst College and Harvard University, he earned an MA from Dickinson College in 1893. He began his career in Juniata College’s English Department, and was head of the department from 1884 to 1888.

In 1888, Green joined the English Department at West Chester Normal School, and became head of the department in 1890, a position he held for the next thirty-three years. 

Green edited several books of quotations, and also wrote poetry himself; he once submitted an annual report of the Historical Society in verse. He wrote school songs for West Chester, one of which can be seen to the left. He was a popular lecturer on literature, with engagements all along the Eastern seaboard and in the Midwest, and continued to give lectures up to his death.

He was a devout Christian, and encouraged West Chester students in their Christianity, serving as president of the YMCA for many years. He was also active in local organizations, particularly the Historical Society of Chester County, of which he was president.

Green left West Chester in 1922 and became headmaster of the Pennington Seminary for Boys in Pennington, New Jersey. He was evidently a popular administrator, since in May 1941 a three-day tribute was held in Green’s honor at the Pennington School. In 1943, he retired from Pennington after 21 years of service there. He still had a reputation at West Chester, and in 1947 a building was dedicated to him: the Francis Harvey Green Library.

At the ground-breaking ceremony for a public school named after him in Bethel Township, Green wielded the shovel himself. He didn’t live to see the dedication of the Francis Harvey Green School, however, as he passed away January 31, 1951. He was interred at Siloam Cemetery, in his hometown Booth’s Corner.
 

References

Scrapbook. Francis Harvey Green Collection, Special Collection and Archives, West Chester University.

Serpentine, 1910. West Chester University.

“West Chester Normal School Hymn.” 1919. Series 2, Subseries 2, Folder 7. Francis Harvey Green Collection, Special Collection and Archives, West Chester University.

Another notable woman to include in West Chester University’s Women’s History Month is Dorothy Ramsey, Assistant Professor of English, West Chester State College, 1928-1961.

Miss Ramsey was born in New York City on December 29, 1896 to her parents, Rebekah Evans Roberts, and noted artist Milne Ramsey.  Miss Ramsey received her Bachelor’s degree (1919), and later her Master’s degree, from the University of Pennsylvania.

She began her teaching career at West Chester State Normal School in 1928 as an English professor.  During her 33-year distinguished career at West Chester, Miss Ramsey was the faculty advisor to the student literary magazine, ”The Purple and Gold.”  Later, she was the faculty advisor to the new student newspaper, the “Quad Angles,” which is now known as “The Quad.”

Dorothy Ramsey was also very active in the college’s dramatic programs.  She wrote, directed, designed, and made costumes for many student shows.  She was also a distinguished author, playwright, and poet.  Several of her works can be found in the stacks of the Francis Harvey Green Library.

A Shakespearean scholar, in 1952, Professor Ramsey became the curator of the college’s recently acquired Shakespeare Folios.  She wrote a very informative guide for the college’s Shakespeare Folios that is still used today.

1961, Miss Ramsey retired from the college.  She was one of the most respected and popular faculty members among colleagues and students alike.  In honor of her outstanding work and devotion to West Chester State College, Miss Ramsey was awarded the title Professor Emeritus in 1966.

 In 1967, a new dormitory on campus was named in her honor.  Ramsey Hall stood on the grounds where the Student Recreation Center now stands.

Dorothy Ramsey died at her home in West Chester on April 30, 1974.  Her home was just one block from the dormitory named in her honor.

Her survivors included her adopted daughter, Mary Dietrich.

Blog post written by Neal Kenney, Interlibrary Loan and Special Collections Library Assistant.

Grace Dietrich McCarthy was a member of WCU’s English Department for thirty-four years from 1910 to 1944, served as the Chairman of the English Department, and was the first Dean of Women.

Born in Calvert, Texas, in 1879, she grew up in New York City and Carthage, Missouri with two sisters. After studying at the University of Missouri, where she was elected to the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, she began her teaching career in the Carthage public schools. She traveled around the US and Europe, at some point studying at the University of Geneva.

It was through her travels that she serendipitously wound up at the West Chester State Normal School, as WCU was called then. During a return trip from Europe, she decided not to head back to Missouri but to give the East a try. She disembarked at Philadelphia, and soon was hired to teach English at West Chester.

In the 1915-1916 school year, she took a leave to acquire her B.A. at the University of Michigan. By attending summer school, she earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1921. She also trained at the Columbia University’s Teachers’ College and did special work at the University of Pennsylvania.

Her dedication to her own education and to her work at West Chester led to her being appointed the first Dean of Women in 1919. She was apparently popular with the students – the class of 1923 dedicated their yearbook to her. Cora E. Everett, a member of that class, wrote a laudatory biographical article about McCarthy in the 1923 Serpentine, praising her “firm, sensible, appreciative guidance” of the women students of West Chester (pg. 9). Everett characterizes McCarthy as a person who gets things done, crediting her for obtaining for the students a “much prized lobby [and a] long-hoped-for students’ laundry” as well as enabling “the actual accomplishment of the earnestly desired student government experiment” (pg. 10).

As Dean of Women, McCarthy was also responsible for developing and upholding rules of conduct for the students, and so had a disciplinarian side as well. Everett hints at this when she describes how “a pang may pierce a guilty heart on receiving the official slip signed G.D. McC.” (pg. 10). Similarly, the Daily Local News described her as a “firm disciplinarian.”

Still, McCarthy’s dominant trait as Dean of Women seems to have been supportive and encouraging of individual students and of student organizations. In addition to being instrumental in developing the Women’s Student Government Organization, she spent several years as the faculty editor of the student publication Amulet and was the faculty advisor to the Book Club.

In 1927, she traded her position as Dean of Women for the Chairmanship of the English Department, and continued to provide leadership in that capacity until her retirement in 1944. Although she moved to Oklahoma after her retirement to be closer to her family, she remained connected to West Chester, regularly returning for Alumni Day. In 1960, a new women’s dormitory, McCarthy Hall, located on Sharples Street between High Street and Church Street, was dedicated to her. A portrait of her hung in the Hall. She passed away in 1967 at the age of 88.

References

Daily Local News. “Former Dean of Women at College Dies.” Tuesday July 11 1967

Everett, Cora C. “Grace Dietrich McCarthy, A.M.” Serpentine, 1923. Pg. 8-10.

Untitled. Serpentine, 1914. Pg. 43