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Six photographs of William H. Gass lecturing, on vacation, and with his wife.
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Holmes Lounge, Olin Library, and Zoom

William H. Gass Centenary Celebration

Join us to celebrate the centenary of William H. Gass (1924-2017), renowned fiction writer, essayist, and Washington University professor emeritus. A panel of former students and colleagues of Gass will discuss his influence on their lives and careers. Then, WashU’s Martin Riker will interview novelist and Conjunctions editor Bradford Morrow to discuss Morrow’s long friendship and professional relationship with Gass. A reception and exhibit viewing will follow these talks.

Free and open to all. Registration is required.

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Watch the Livestream

Schedule of events:

Panel Discussion
3 pm, Holmes Lounge (In-Person, Zoom, Or Livestream (above))

The panelists for “The Legacy of William H. Gass” discussion include:

  • Patrick Davis – Unbound Editions Press
  • Michelle Komie – Princeton University Press
  • Gerhild Williams – Washington University in St. Louis
  • Ted Morrissey, Independent Scholar and Publisher (Moderator)

A Conversation with Bradford Morrow
4:15 pm, Holmes Lounge (In-Person, Zoom, or Livestream (Above))

Bradford Morrow (Bard College) in conversation with Martin Riker (Washington University in St. Louis).

Reception and “Fifty New Acquisitions” Exhibition Viewing
5:30 pm, Olin Library Ginkgo Reading Room (In-person only)

A reception with light hors d’oeuvres and wine follows the celebration’s discussions. An exhibition viewing will be available simultaneously in the adjacent Grand Staircase and Special Collections Reading Room.

A man sitting on a stone bench in the shade.

William H. Gass in the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections at WashU Libraries

Special Collections at WashU Libraries holds the William H. Gass Papers, which consist of Gass’s manuscripts and proof materials for his books, drafts of Gass’s stories, essays, and reviews, an assortment of Gass’s notes and other materials, and an extensive collection of Gass’s professional correspondences. The William H. Gass Centenary will include these materials and more as we celebrate the breadth of the writer’s work and the scope of his influence.

Left Bank Books list of books for Gass readers. Left Bank Books will not be onsite for this event, but you can order books from Left Bank Books for in-store pickup or shipping to anywhere in the world.

Related Celebration Publications & Exhibitions

Accompanying the William H. Gass Centenary is a unique publication for the celebration, a centenary exhibition, and more. Please expand the following selections for details.

To help celebrate the centenary of William H. Gass, WashU Libraries collaborated with the Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Studio for the Illustrated Book to create a broadside of an excerpt from Gass’s celebrated 1976 book, On Being Blue. Joel Minor selected the excerpt and Amelia Johnson designed the broadside, under the direction of Peter Holohan. On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Cassie Brand, Holohan, and Minor hosted two workshops in the Kranzberg Studio where participants printed 150 copies of the broadside, among other activities.

Copies will be available at the October 3, 2024 event, free of charge. If you are unable to make the event or to stop in Special Collections any time we are open to get one, we can mail one to you, also free of charge. Send your name and mailing address to joelminor@wustl.edu to request a copy. One broadside per household please.

While not required to receive a copy of the broadside, please consider supporting the WashU Libraries as a way to honor William Gass’s legacy and his own longtime support of our libraries and special collections.

On September 21, join WashU Libraries for a special collaboration with the Nancy Spirtas Kranzberg Studio for the Illustrated Book. To help celebrate the centenary of the late William H. Gass, participants will be able to set type and print their own broadside of an excerpt from Gass’s celebrated 1976 book, On Being Blue. Participants will also get a short introduction to typesetting and letterpress printing and have the opportunity to view selected broadsides from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections.

Register for either the morning or afternoon session—they are identical. Spots are limited and registration is required.

For those of you who knew Professor Gass or have a fond memory of him at WashU, we invite you to be a part of the celebration by sharing your recollections here.

Fifty New Acquisitions is an on-site exhibition which features examples from the many Gass-related acquisitions in the last eleven years. The Soul Inside the Sentence is an updated digital exhibition from 2013 covering Gass’s life and career and includes the new items in Fifty New Acquisitions.