The John Solt Papers

This collection is comprised of the papers of John Solt, primarily known for his groundbreaking biography Shredding the Tapestry of Meaning: The Poetry and Poetics of Kitasono Katué (Harvard, 1999), which revolutionized the study of the pre- and post-war avant-garde of Japan. A poet, scholar, curator and translator, he served as one of the primary bridges between American and Japanese avant-garde poetry and art from the late 1970s to the present. This archive includes material from his multiform and various activities in the art and poetry worlds in both America and Japan, including manuscripts, translations, photographs, artwork and correspondence from friends and collaborators. Included within Solt’s papers are significant collections of a large number of writers and artists, including key figures in Butoh, the pre- and post-war poets and artists of groups like VOU and GUI, and a wide network of figures associated with counterculture, art, and poetry scenes in the 70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

Prospectus coming soon….