Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to John M. Bennett Mail Art, circa 1975-2018, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.bennjohn
Creators:
Bennett, John M.
Luna Bisonte Prods (Publisher)
Dates:
circa 1975-2018
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.6 Linear feet
Repository:
John M. Bennett mail art measures 0.6 linear feet and dates from circa 1975-2018. This is a very focused collection of Bennett's TLPs, or "Tacky Little Pamphlets," a term devised by mail artist Blaster Al Ackerman and widely among the mail art audience. TLPs feature John M. Bennet's poetry and are largely self-published including on his Columbus, Ohio imprint Luna Bisonte Productions.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
John M. Bennett mail art measures 0.6 linear feet and dates from circa 1975-2018. This is a very focused collection of Bennett's TLPs, or "Tacky Little Pamphlets," a term devised by mail artist Blaster Al Ackerman and widely among the mail art audience. TLPs feature John M. Bennet's poetry and are largely self-published including on his Columbus, Ohio imprint Luna Bisonte Productions.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size, the collection has been arranged into one series:
  • Series 1: John M. Bennett Mail Art, circa 1975-2018 (0.6 Linear Feet: Boxes 1-2)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
John M. Bennett (1942-) is a poet, educator, and mail artist in Columbus, Ohio. Bennett studied English and Spanish at Washington University in St. Louis where he completed a master's degree in 1966, followed by a Latin American Literature PhD in 1970 from UCLA. From 1969 to 1976 Bennett worked as Assistant Professor of Spanish at Ohio State University, and since 1998 has served as curator of the Avant Writing Collection, the William Burroughs Collection, and the Cervantes Collection at the Library of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Bennett served as editor and publisher of Lost and Found Times from 1975 to 2005.
John M. Bennett has published over 500 books and chapbooks of poetry and other materials and contributed to numerous other publications. He has also exhibited and performed his works internationally in thousands of venues. In 1993 he began making "Tacky Little Pamphlets" (TLPs), a term devised by mail artist Blaster Al Ackerman and widely among the mail art audience. They are small, cheap publications that are dispersed in random locations and mailed to artists and strangers. Bennett's works, publications, and papers are collected in several major libraries and institutions including Washington University in St. Louis. State University of New York, Buffalo, The Ohio State University, and The Museum of Modern Art Library.

Administration

Author
Ryan Evans
Immediate Source of Acquisition
John M. Bennett mail art was donated in 2018 by John M. Bennett.
Processing Information
John M. Bennett mail art was processed by Ryan Evans in 2021.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Preferred Citation
John M. Bennett Mail Art, circa 1975-2018. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Related Materials
John M. Bennett Papers, 1956-2014, with an extent of 177 linear feet, is held at the Washington University Libraries in Saint Louis, Department of Special Collections.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Mail art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Visual poetry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Poets -- Ohio -- Columbus Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- Ohio -- Columbus Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mail artists -- Ohio -- Columbus Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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