Preserving the Poetic and the Ephemeral: Archiving the Summer Seminar of the Arts

The Summer Seminar of the Arts Papers, housed at the Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) Library, document a lively and eclectic arts festival that took place in Montgomery, Alabama, from 1969 to 1983. The collection brings together correspondence, manuscripts, broadsides, and ephemera, including unexpected items such as a poem typed on aluminum foil, from some of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, including U.S. Poets Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winners. This article explores how archivists managed the unique challenges of processing a small literary collection filled with delicate and experimental materials. By blending standard archival practices with creative problem-solving, the project demonstrates regional collections, like this one, can shed light on broader literary networks and help archivists rethink what’s worth preserving. The article also looks at the Down Funky Street Coffee House, a quirky and vital part of the Seminar that transformed poetry into a living, communal experience.