Tessera

Wesleyan University Press

@weslpress.bsky.social

Publishing in its current form since 1957, Wesleyan UP focuses on poetry, music, dance, and the arts. See weslpress.org for new poetry! https://linkin.bio/weslpress

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Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 1h ago

Join the NHFPL for a special summer event with Elliott Sharp, a central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene of New York since the 1970s. Elliott will read from and discuss his new book Feedback, which deals with music, AI consciousness, the Improviser's Mind, and much more.

A black background, with faint, sketched music notes and bars. In a fun, white, funky font are the words in all caps (with slashes indicating line breaks) "ELLIOTT SHARP / AUTHOR TALK & PERFORMANCE." The subtitle is written in a white bordered text, transparent in the middle of each letter. Below in a polaroid picture frame is a portrait of Sharp, where the bald man smiles lightly at the camera wearing a button-down black shirt. He is against a filled, colorful bookself, and holds his handmade double neck guitar. The image is brown-toned. On the bottom of the polaroid is the capitalized, black word "FEEDBACK." Below, with a small location point, are the words in white font "IVES MAIN LIBRARY / 2:00 P.M. / 08.15.2026."

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 1h ago

See Sage Ni'Ja Whitson's activation of Transtraterrestrial in their upcoming performance, A Ritual for the Flying: Galactic Etchings at the MoAD next Wednesday! Whitson will be meditating their book in tandem with MoAD's current exhibition Unbound: Art, Blackness, and the Universe.

"A portrait of Sage Ni'Ja Whitson. They stand against a white, brick wall. They stare directly to the camera, with their hair braided in dreads in a half-up-half-down style.
The bottom half of the graphic is an off-white. Large black text in a funky font reads in all caps ""SAGE NI'JA WHITSON."" In a small, serif font below reads in all caps (with slashes indicating line breaks) ""A RITUAL FOR THE FLYING: / GALACTIC ETCHINGS / MUSEUM OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA."" On the left side, again in all caps, ""PERFORMANCE, / READING, RITUAL, / AND STIMULATION."" To the right: ""08/12/2026 / 6:30 - 7:30 P.M. / FREE WITH / MUSEUM ADMISSION."""

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · yesterday

We were very sorry to hear the news of Paul Sanasardo's passing. Committed to breaking set ways of thinking about dance in relation to life, he created intense, often psychologically dark dances with his longtime artistic partner, Donya Feuer.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · yesterday

Thomas M. Pooley's The Land Is Sung was recently reviewed in Anthropos by Louise Meintjes! #ethnography #zulu #dance

"The background of the graphic is a crinkled piece of paper. At the top, in a funky black font, are the words (slashes to indicate line breaks): ""The Land is Sung: / Zulu Performances and / the Politics of Place."" The title is aligned to the right of the page, and the subtitle is aligned to the left. At the top right and bottom left of the words are two sets of quotation marks.
Below, inside of an off-white rectangle with soft edges is an excerpt from the review, in black typeface font. It reads: ""Conducting and writing a multi-sited ethnography that is also reciprocal and dialogic is no easy task and Pooley has put much care into it. Dramatic moments are recounted with lively storytelling; that the land touches him is quietly conveyed; his methods, limitations, and ethical choices are explicitly presented, as are the profiles of his field relationships. This is a respectful text."" Below, centered at the bottom of the box, are the words ""Louise Meintjes, Anthropos"" with Anthropos being italicized. The bottom of the graphic has the words ""BOOK REVIEW"" in all caps and a large font, in a tall serif."

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2d ago

We are greatly saddened to hear about Simone Forti's recent passing. A groundbreaking improvisor, Simone dedicated her life to the art of dance, inspiring many through her unique intersections between visual art, political commentary, and powerful storytelling.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2d ago

Rae Armantrout will be in conversation with John Beer, author of Lucinda, about her new collection, Safe Rooms, on August 17th at Powell's City of Books in Portland, OR! The event will take place at 7 p.m. and is free of charge. Read more about it at the #linkinbio.

A dark, grape-colored background. At the top, within a pale orange rule, are the capitalized words (with slashes indicating line breaks) "POWELL'S BOOKS / PRESENTS" in a tall white sans serif font. Below, in larger text, reads "RAE ARMANTROUT / WITH / JOHN BEER," where the word "with" is smaller between the two names. On the center left is the cover of Rae Armantrout's book Safe Rooms, with an oil painting by John Moore to the left. Below the painting is a a dark charcoal-colored rectangle with the text “safe rooms / rae armantrout”. Text all lowercase with safe rooms font color peach and rae armantrout font color teal. Oil painting depicts a glass block wall window. There is a rectangular cutout window on the upper left, cutting through the glass block wall. Looking through the cutout window reveals a secondary window frame and an interior room, which in turn looks out onto a distant city skyline under a soft sky. Aside this image is a black-and-white photograph of Armantrout, as she is appears to be speaking, looking to the left. She has white hair, wearing slightly shaded glasses, and a black collared shirt, unbuttoned at the very top. Below is a portrait of Beer, looking directly at the camera. He wears thin-rimmed glasses and is giving a slight smile; he has a long beard with variations in color. Beneath, separated by a peach colored line, are the capitalized words "POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS / MONDAY, AUG 17 - 7 PM."

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 6d ago

Congratulations to Juliana Spahr whose poetry collection, Ars Poeticas, won the 2026 American Book Award! 🎉🎉🎉 Learn more about the award and this year's winners on Before Columbus Foundation's website: www.beforecolumbusfoundation.com #americanbookawards #julianaspahr #arspoeticas #poetry

The cover of Juliana Spahr's Ars Poeticas is surrounded by the words, "Before Columbus Foundation 2026 American Book Award Winner."

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 7d ago

Benjamin Barson's Brassroots Democracy recently received two glowing reviews in Jazz Perspectives and the Journal of American History! Read them in full at the #linkinbio. #brassrootsdemocracy #bookreview #jazz

A dark beige background picturing the shadow of a plant on a blank wall—leaves are visible, especially to the left side. The cover of Benjamin Barson's Brassroots Democracy is centered at the top of the graphic, picturing a semi-abstract painting of black, blue, yellow-orange, and light pink strokes. Black hands come down from the top, atop a yellow and pink circle resembling the sun. At the bottom of the image is a man with a farming tool in his hands, working at rows on the ground. In the top-center are the words "Brassroots Democracy" in a white serif font. Around this image is a white border with author Benjamin Barson's name in all caps in the top left corner, and at the bottom left is the subtitle, reading (with slashes indicating line breaks): "MAROON ECOLOGIES / AND THE JAZZ COMMONS." At the very bottom is a one-line review in blue serif font, reading "From now on, Brassroots Democracy should be our starting point. — Robin D. G. Kelley.
Beneath the cover image, inside a thin, white border, reads (with slashes indicating line breaks): "New Praise / for / Brassroots Democracy." These words are in a white serif font, with "for Brassroots Democracy" being slightly smaller and italicized.

A similar beige background with blurred shadows of plant leaves. A black, thick quotation mark sits at the top center of the image. Below, in a bolded black serif font centered on the page is a review excerpt, reading: "If the marks of a classic text are that it fundamentally changes our understanding of a particular subject and that it continues to do so with each rereading, then Benjamin Barson's Brassroots Democracy: Maroon Ecologies and the Jazz Commons is an instant classic and, I predict, will remain one in the years to come. The sheer range of the primary and secondary material covered, the social histories presented, the geographies traversed, the musical analyses offered, and the political interpretations suggested, all make it such. All this is to say that this review cannot pretend to capture the richness of Barson's work. One must experience it for oneself." At the bottom, in a thin font is a citation of the author and magazine, reading "— Chris McAuley, Jazz Perspectives"

Another beige background of leaves casting their shadows on a blank wall, with a bold, black quotation mark in the top center. The excerpt of another review, in a bold, black serif font, reads: "In the same way we are trained to read sources against the grain, Brassroots Democracy should serve as a model for approaching music, and all cultural production, with a similar curiosity and care. As Barson demonstrates, music can reshape the world in ways that resonate through the past, present, and future." Beneath this, in a smaller thin font: "— Jessica Dauterive, Journal of American History"

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · last wk.

Susan Blumberg-Kason reviewed Rachel Tzvia Back's The Dark-Robed Mother in World Literature Today. Read her full piece at the #linkinbio! #poetry #memoir #bookreview

"A light gray-beige background. In small black font at the top-center are the words ""Wesleyan University Press."" In the center left of the page is the cover of Rachel Tzvia Back's The Dark-Robed Mother, which pictures a dark image of a pile of small rocks atop green grass; the background fades into hills and a forest of dark trees blurred and foggy, The author's name is in the top right corner in a green serif font, and the title is in the center-left in a pale pink color. Beneath are the words ""A MEMOIR"" in all caps. Next to the image is an excerpt of the review, reading ""As a memoirist, Back shows a different way to tell a personal story. Her inclusion of her cairns, poetry, and Greek mythology works well and enhances an already layered family story. Depression as a book topic can seem scary, but Back writes about it in an empathetic and relatable way. Her memoir serves as a testament to the strength of motherhood and the destigmatizing of depression and other mental illness.""
Three brown dots are separating the image and excerpt from a gray-brown toned rectangle, boxing in the words ""by Susan Blumberg-Kason on The Dark Robed Mother in World Literature Today,"" written in a round, black font."

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2w ago

In our Wesleyan Poetry series, we are excited to release the covers of new collections coming in Spring 2027 by Mary Leauna Christensen, A. B. Spellman, and Abigail Dembo; The Selected Poems of Barbara Guest; and a chapbook by Edgar Garcia. Learn more at weslpress.org. #poetry #spring2027

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2w ago

Wesleyan University Press, in partnership with the Center for the Study of Guns and Society at Wesleyan University, is proud to present Sight Lines, made to publish important writing on guns and society. The series will focus on short, energetic monographs to reach readers with accessible arguments.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2w ago

Releasing on June 15th, 2027 in our Dance series is Bittersweet: A Queer Black World in the Dances and Films of David Roussève and the REALITY Dance Company! Pre-order is available now at weslpress.org. #dance #choreography

"The cover of Bittersweet: A Queer Black World in the Dances and Films of David Roussève and the REALITY Dance Company, by Alessandra Lebea Williams. It is a black and white photograph with a stark black background, featuring a Black person dancing, raising their arms with an expression that resembles a scream. Their ribs show through their chest, and their clothes are on the ground, pants still around their ankles. The spotlight shines down on them, being the only source of light in the image.

A graphic that looks like a used binder, full of paper that has begun to yellow.
Words:
Top right corner: Alessandra Williams, 06/15/2026
Center:
Description
In this first book-length investigation of choreographer David Roussève and his REALITY dance company, Alessandra Williams theorizes his evening-length choreographies and dance-films as crafting a gay black man's experiences of sexuality, race, gender, illness, and ethnicity beyond the binary of historical traumas versus everyday joys. Williams persuades readers to envision how Roussève reinterprets his personal journey to establish "bittersweet" intersections across difference, such as his choreographic attention to his queer black story of HIV and AIDS alongside the memories of his Creole sharecropper family members in Louisiana. Rooted in dance, gender, and sexuality studies, this book mobilizes ideas regarding the position of queer performance as "black dance" and the role of African American postmodern choreography in narrating experiences of globalization. It further examines the place of multicultural dancing bodies in expressing the intersectional layers of a queer black story and its relation to other livelihoods, especially women of color.
Bittersweet renews attention to scholarship on queer embodiment and African American contributions to U.S. culture through such dance analyses as Roussève's reinvention of his biography and familial stories of the American South, his film of an Indonesian woman's diasporic journey, and his choreographic reimagining of Billy Strayhorn's queer artistic life.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2w ago

Start getting excited for our upcoming Fall 2026 releases, featuring brand-new releases, revised editions, and our highly anticipated Ibis Edition launch! All books are available to pre-order or research further at weslpress.org. #newbooks #fall2026 #ibiseditions #forthcoming

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2w ago

Our first Spring '27 cover reveal: Marianna Ritchey's Academic Practice for the End of the World! Her newest book, which is a deep and hopeful critique of, and from within, musicology, will be the latest addition to our Music/Culture series. Pre-order is available now!

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 3w ago

Nine of Rae Armantrout's poems have recently appeared in Poetry Magazine, The Atlantic, and Granta, ahead of the release of her newest collection, Safe Rooms. Pre-order is available now at weslpress.org. #poetry #writing #newbook #raearmantrout

"A black and white image of Rae Armantrout with a windy graphic with roses and vines in the top left corner. Text: Poems by Rae Armantrout have recently appeared in...""
A little black bird sits at the bottom right corner, and above it is a curling white arrow prompting a swipe to the right.

Text boxes:
""A room is like a mind, but whose? A poem by Rae Armantrout,"" published in the Atlantic
From top to bottom: ""Settlers; Supervision; Apocrypha; Then Again, by Rae Armantrout"" published in Poetry Magazine
In Granta, ""Four Poems: Rae Armantrout.""
The dark green background is fenced in by more swirly, nature-inspired lineart.

Text: Her upcoming collection, Safe Rooms, is available to pre-order on weslpress.org.
Graphics (circling from top left to bottom left): All are black line art. A bell hanging from metal. A Flowery corner. A typewriter. Another flowery graphic, but slightly more defined."

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 3w ago

Huge congrats to Sage Ni'Ja Whitson whose Transtraterrestrial: Dark Matter and Black Divinities made DSA's 2026 de la Torre Bueno®, First Book Award Shortlist! #dance #bookaward

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 3w ago

Happy 80th birthday, Pierre Joris! 🎂 Celebrate Joris's work and his legacy by reading Poasis II: Selected Poems 2000–2024 or In Between Keep Moving: A Pierre Joris Reader, or by visiting his exhibition at Poets House which will run for the next three months.

"The words ""Remembering Pierre Joris on his 80th birthday."" Minimalist graphics of a book and a cake with a candle.

The cover of ""In Between Keep Moving: A Pierre Joris Reader""

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 4w ago

Join Liz Lerman at Politics and Prose at Union Market for a conversation, Q&A, and signing with Diana Ayton-Shenker! The two are excited to trace Lerman's most recent work, Shape and Momentum, and to discuss the aliveness of the space between ""shape"" and ""momentum."

"Liz Lerman with Diana Ayton-Shenker
Celebrate Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac's Guide for a World in Constant Motion
7/11, 6pm. Politics and Prose at Union Market
Conversation and Q&A followd by a signing"

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 4w ago

Join us in celebrating the opening of Pierre Joris’s Notebooks exhibition, featuring remarks along with readings of Pierre’s poetry from fellow poets and translators. The occasion is especially meaningful, as it falls on Pierre’s birthday and honors his enduring legacy following his passing in 2025.

"Text reads (from top to bottom):
10 River Terrace, NYC
Celebrating Pierre Joris
The opening of Pierre Joris's Notebooks exhibition, featuring readings and remarks
7-9pm in person or zoom
Poets House NYC"

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 4w ago

RO Kwon gave a shoutout to The Hell of That Star by Kim Hyesoon, translated by Cindy Juyoung Ok, in Maris Kreizman's Literary Hub article, ""40 Great New Books You May Have Missed!"" Check it out now at the #linkinbio. #poetry #translation #lithub

"The words ""A book I've particularly admired is a recent edition of poetry by Kim Hyesoon, a wonderfully feminist and preeminent poet: The Hell of That Star, translated from the Korean by Cindy Juyoung Ok. Ro Kwon, author of Exhibit and the Incendiaries""
The text is on a beige paper square, with crumpled bits of newspaper in the background. "

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · last mo.

Annie Wenstrup has been longlisted for The 2026 Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection! The Forward Prizes will be announcing their shortlists in mid-July — in the meantime, all of our congratulations to Annie! 🥳 #poetry #forwardprizes #firstcollection

A gradient background, going from an ocean blue to a much darker blue. In a thin white box are the words "Longlist for the 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry"

Atop the same gradient background is the cover of Annie Wenstrup's The Museum of Unnatural Histories.

The blue gradient background with a thin white lined box. In the rightmost corner are the words "2026 Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection Longlist." Beside it are the names and presses of the longlisted authors.

Dean Browne - Pickador
Poppy Cockburn - If a Leaf Falls Press
Breige Duffaud - Tuba Press
Sophia Dumont - Corsair
Roshni Gallagher - Bloodaxe Books
Cathy Galvin - Bloodaxe Books
Jake Wild Hall - Broken Sleep Books
Roma Havers - Carcanet Press
Matt Haw - Shearsman Books
Dillon Jaxx - Nine Arches Press
Jennifer Lee Tsai - Bloodaxe Books
Natalie Linh Boldorston - Liverpool University Press
Simon Maddrell - Out-Spoken Press
Shauna M. Morgan - Peepal Tree Press
Catherine Redford - The Emma Press
Sarah Stewart - Tapsalteerie
Ellora Sutton - VERVE Poetry Press
Nur Turkmani - Hajar Press
Annie Wenstrup - the87press
Sarah Wedderburn - Green Bottle Press

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

On June 22nd at 2:00 p.m. PDT, Camille Dungy will be interviewed by Lynne Thompson. Keep an eye out for the video, which will be posted to Poetry.LA's website and YouTube channel! #poetry #interview #books

A black, starry background. In the center is a photo of Camille T. Dungy, who is smiling past the camera to the right, wearing dark red glasses and a red shirt against a white background. Her dark hair lays over her shoulders, and she dons a gold necklace. Next to this is the cover of her book: a starry background with the words "Camille T. Dungy. America, A Love Story in yellow lettering. Mimicking this is the text on the post, using the same muted yellow and "Camille T. Dungy" in a brighter yellow. Words: An Interview with Camille T. Dungy. June 22nd, 2pm, Hosted by Poetry LA, with Lynne Thompson

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Ed Roberson will receive the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Fuller Award for his lifetime achievements in writing this Thursday! The event is free of charge, and will be hosted at the Poetry Foundation. Register for this celebration at the #linkinbio! 🥳💫 (Artwork by Faisal Mohyuddin) #poetry #art

Black and white illustrated poster featuring the Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement. The center prominently displays the name Ed Roberson. Surrounding the text are intricate decorative patterns, with mentions of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, Poetry Foundation, Columbia College Chicago, Guild Literary Complex, American Writers Museum, and Northwestern University. June 18, 2026, at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC will be hosting a book launch and celebration for Liz Lerman Projects's Shape and Momentum on June 25 at 6 pm! She will be in conversation with Wendy Perron, which will be followed by a signing. #dance #choreography #booklaunch

The words "Shape and Momentum: An Insomniac's Guide for a World in Constant Motion, by Liz Lerman with Wendy Perron" are a sky-blue shade on a green background.

The cover of Lerman's book is in the bottom left. It is dark and light blue, with the focus centered on a single dancer wearing purple leggings, a tight shirt, and a sheer, flowing white top above it. Next to it, on the right, are portraits of Lerman and Perron.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Elias Eells from Bar Cart Bookshelf just released an episode of Cocktail Recipe & Book Review on Samuel R. Delany's Tales of Nevèrÿon! His commentary, along with a delicious drink recipe, is available to watch on Youtube. #linkinbio 🥂 #bookreview #drinks #youtube

The cover of Samuel R. Delany's Tales of Nevèrÿon. The text is a reflective gold, and a sliver of the rightmost side pictures a body of water with a mountain behind it. The sun is setting, and the sky and reflection on the water is a soft pink.
this image sits atop an off-white background with two blurred circles—on the top left is a dark, muted purple, and the bottom right circle is a dark green-blue with pink at the bottom.
text: Cocktail Recipe and Book Review.

A recipe for a mixed drink inspired by the book. At the bottom of the graphic are an old-fashioned glass containing an orange drink, and "cheers" written in orange.
Text: Kolhari by Elias Eels. 1.25 oz. aged rum; .75 oz. lime juice; .5 oz. red wine syrup; .5 oz. velvet falernum; 2-4 dashes aromatic bitters. Rim the edge of an old fashioned glass with kosher salt. Add remaining ingredients to your cocktail shaker, then ice. Shake for 15 seconds and strain into the prepared glass. Top with fresh crushed ice... and enjoy!

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Carol Ann Davis, author of Songbird, will be joining Susan Lewis for a reading at Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Cambridge, MA on June 18 at 7 pm EDT. Sign up now at the #linkinbio to hear the reading either in person or virtually—seats are limited, so secure your spot now! 📖 #reading #poetry

A pure white background. Two images of the authors are side-by-side towards the bottom left of the post.
Words: Grolier Poetry Book Shop presents Carol Ann Davis and Susan Lewis. June 18, 2026. 7pm

Morgan Johnson @poormojo.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This is a great series. Also, way more gay fucking than I expected going in.

Elias Eells- Bar Cart Bookshelf@eliaseells.bsky.social · 2mo ago

NEW VIDEO ALERT! Today on Bar Cart Bookshelf we're talking about TALES OF NEVÈRŸON by Samuel Delany. A sword-and-sorcery classic, this first volume of the landmark saga sets the stage with five tales of a mythic past. Grandly expressive, deeply queer, intensely thoughtful, our drink is the Kolhari.

TALES OF NEVÈRŸON by Samuel Delany alongside a deep red drink with a salt-crusted rim in front of bright garden greenery.

Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social · 2mo ago

If you're an ebook reader, the whole Neveryon series is available in omnibus form: openroadmedia.com/ebook/return...

Return to Neveryon: The Complete Series

A four-volume “postmodern sword-and-sorcery” epic from a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author (The Washington Post Book World). Tales of Nevèrÿon: After his parents a

openroadmedia.com

Elias Eells- Bar Cart Bookshelf@eliaseells.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Wesleyan University Press is excited to announce that The Lamp and Other Sources of Shadow by Abigail Dembo is the winner of the 2026 Cardinal Poetry Prize! Her manuscript will be published in the acclaimed Wesleyan University Press Poetry Series in the Spring of 2027. 🥳

The words "Cardinal Poetry Prize / Wesleyan University Press / Winner" are written in black and red above an image of Abigail Dembo, winner of the Poetry Prize. She looks into the camera with a slight smile; her brown hair is cut short into a bob, and she wears a sleeveless black turtleneck. She stands in front of a blurred background of trees with a wooden fence in the distance.

Wesleyan University Press @weslpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

David Henderson (1942–2026)—poet, scholar, and Hendrix biographer—helped found the Society of Umbra, a pioneering Black literary collective based in the East Village. He is included in the forthcoming 2-volume collection The Umbra Galaxy, out in the spring of 2027 from Wesleyan. Rest in power.