About this collection

The Poetry Center's unparalleled 1950s collection documents at close hand the world-renowned "San Francisco Renaissance" movement, centered on new poetry, alongside the presence of more 'mainstream' figures. This collection features many of the earliest recordings of the voices and works of outstanding poets engaged in the San Francisco scene, along with other poets from across the country. Of special note are recordings from landmark Poetry Center-organized West Coast appearances by celebrated literary giants William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore, and Langston Hughes. Founding director Ruth Witt Diamant was assisted, briefly, by Robert Duncan as assistant director from Fall 1956–57, with Ida Hodes as secretary. Photo by Harry Redl, left to right: Ida Hodes, Jack Spicer, Ruth Witt Diamant, and Robert Duncan, at The Poetry Center, SF State College.