Kelsey Street Press, a nonprofit press in Berkeley, is celebrating its 50th anniversary of publishing experimental feminist poetry. The founders of the press are paving the way for a younger generation of writers as they prepare to move to Bellingham, Washington.
Emgee Dufresne, a member of Kelsey Street Press, discovered transformative books nearly two decades ago while studying fiction at New College of California. She wanted to write like William Faulkner but struggled with traditional linear narratives. Her adviser recommended reading Bhanu Kapil’s Incubation: A Space for Monsters. This led her to The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers, a collection of prose poems arranged around 12 repeated questions, published by Kelsey Street Press.
“I come from this background of constantly arriving,” said Dufresne, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines at age 3. “When I found innovative poetics, it was like, ‘Oh!’ I can arrive again and again on a page, and it doesn’t have to be linear.”
Now, as part of Kelsey Street Press, Dufresne is committed to promoting experimental writing. The press was founded in 1974 to combat the marginalization of women writers by mainstream publishers. Today, it continues to support diverse voices, including those of trans and genderqueer authors. On Saturday, writers, readers, and supporters gathered at Hosfelt Gallery in San Francisco to celebrate the press’s 50th anniversary.
“It’s lovely to continue the work of these women who came together and decided to highlight women’s voices,” Dufresne said. “We still focus on feminist voices, but we also emphasize queer, trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC voices. It’s an extension of their work.”
Kelsey Street Press has thrived despite challenges facing many small presses this year. In March, Berkeley’s Small Press Distribution closed abruptly, causing disruptions for numerous small publishers. Nevertheless, Kelsey Street Press remains resilient and has five new books forthcoming.
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