2011-05-02

The Soybean Press and the Montage Arts Journal are pleased to announce the winner of the first ever Soybean Prize for Literature and Art, Valerie O’Brien, an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in English and Creative Writing, who has been selected for her poem, “Wind Turbines.”  This award was designed with the purpose of encouraging creative work by undergraduates, furthering the appreciation of fine press printing, and increasing collaboration between creative writers and graphic designers.

As a result of winning this award, the artists of the Soybean Press will work with Valerie to teach her about fine press printing and involve her in the creative process of producing a special edition copy of her poem.  Volunteers are welcome to participate in this process and learn about fine press printing.  Those interested in volunteering should contact Marten Stromberg at mstrombe@illinois.edu for more information.  Copies of Valerie’s poem will be available through the Soybean Press upon completion.

The Soybean Press is a collaborative effort of the School of Art & Design , the Graduate School of Library and Information Science , and The Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Illinois.  Please visit go.illinois.edu/SoybeanPress/ for any announcements related to the award and for more information about the press.

The Montage Arts Journal is a periodical of creative writing and visual art, edited and designed by students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).