91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø's CMDC Program and Clark County Historical Museum Announce Opening of The Brautigan Library

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VANCOUVER, Wash. - A partnership between Washington State University Vancouver's creative media and digital culture program and the Clark County Historical Museum has resulted in the opening of The Brautigan Library.

The Brautigan Library is a unique collection of nearly 400 unpublished manuscripts inspired by the renowned Washington author, Richard Brautigan. The Brautigan Library will be unveiled during the First Thursday Museum After Hours program at the Clark County Historical Museum Oct. 7 from 5 – 9 p.m. Admission is free.

In his 1971 novel, "The Abortion: A Historical Romance," Brautigan envisioned a library where anyone could deposit a copy of their self-authored book. Brautigan's imaginary library inspired Todd Lockwood, a Brautigan fan in Burlington, Vt., to start The Brautigan Library in 1990. For several years The Brautigan Library collected manuscripts, but lack of sustained funding forced the library to close in 1995. Between 1995 and 2000, the Brautigan collection was on display, but was not collecting new manuscripts.

John F. Barber, faculty member in the CMDC program, spearheaded the effort to bring the collection from Vermont to Vancouver. An expert on Brautigan, Barber believes the library will fulfill Brautigan's vision as a welcoming space for writers of all levels.

"The Brautigan Library is not about book publishing or even literature. Instead, it provides everyday writers a public shelf where their unpublished manuscripts, free of restrictions on content or quality, can reside. It is a public and democratic home for personal narratives," said Barber.

Susan Tissot, executive director of the Clark County Historical Society, is pleased to be working with the CMDC program on a collection of such local and historical importance.

"This is a very exciting addition to our permanent collections in that it highlights our mission of collecting, preserving and interpreting the culture and history of the Pacific Northwest. Richard Brautigan is a native son, a rather famous one, and we look forward to promoting his vision for a public library through this interactive partnership with the CMDC program at 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø," said Tissot.

To celebrate the arrival of The Brautigan Library, The Clark County Historical Museum is hosting a special exhibit, "Autumn Trout Gathering," until the end of January. The exhibit features sound and video installations, photographs, posters and memorabilia of Brautigan and his readings in San Francisco.

Brautigan, born in Tacoma in 1935, moved to San Francisco in 1956. He rose to international prominence as an author who captured the zeitgeist of the counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He is best noted for his novel, "Trout Fishing in America," his poetry collection, "The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster," and his collection of stories, "Revenge of the Lawn."

For more information about The Brautigan Library, visit .

The Clark County Historical Museum is located at 1511 Main Street in Vancouver's 1909 Carnegie Library. Regular museum hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission is charged. The museum is free from 5 - 9 p.m. during the First Thursday Museum After Hours program. For more information call 360-993-5679 or visit .

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