Rare Books is a regular column on the Poetry Center Blog showcasing items from the L.R. Benes Rare Book Room. The L.R. Benes Rare Book Room features artist books, first editions, chapbooks, and broadsides, among many other treasures of literary significance. These holdings are searchable in the Poetry Center catalog and may be viewed by the public upon request during our open hours, Monday through Friday.

Today's rare book is m e x i c o c i t y by Dawn Pendergast.

Created specifically for the Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Reimagine exhibit here at the Poetry Center and published by Macaw Macaw Press, this book is made completely of recycled materials like wrappers, paper bags, and soda cans. It's also hand painted in bright, inviting colors. 

Inside, the pages are printed carefully, sometimes transparent due to the nature of the material. The short poems are striking and amplified by their medium.

With our Climate Change + Poetry series underway, it seems apt to highlight works of art that change our perception of materials that would normally be thrown away and instead are repurposed to make an impact.