New Rivers Press
Encyclopedia
New Rivers Press is an American non-profit poetry press located in Moorhead, Minnesota and affiliated with the Minnesota State University Moorhead.
. The first title published by New Rivers Press was So Many Rooms Has a House But One Roof, a poetry collection by Margaret Randall. The press moved to Minnesota
in 1978, joining the thriving literary small press community in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul that includes Coffee House Press
, Milkweed Editions
, and Graywolf Press
. In 1982, the press became the first book publisher to obtain 501(c)(3) nonprofit
status. In 2001, when Truesdale died, the press went into suspension and later that year relocated to Minnesota State University Moorhead
, where it was revived under different management with a dual mission: to publish literature by new and emerging writers, honoring Truesdale's legacy, and to provide learning opportunities for students. Through collaboration New Rivers Press teaches MSUM undergraduate and graduate students the business of publishing
, offering the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Publishing while working as intern
s to gain practical experience. The activities of the press and its related curriculum are integrated into the school’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, and also into accounting, art
and graphic design
, English, marketing
, mass communication
s, promotions, and Web site development classes at MSUM. Cover designs for New Rivers Press by graphic design students were selected as winners in the 2009 and the 2010 American Inhouse Design Awards by Graphic Design USA.
, Richard Hoffman
, Charles Baxter
, and Albert Goldbarth
. New Rivers Press titles have been reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.
History & Mission
New Rivers Press was founded by C.W. “Bill” Truesdale in 1968 out of an old barn in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The first title published by New Rivers Press was So Many Rooms Has a House But One Roof, a poetry collection by Margaret Randall. The press moved to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in 1978, joining the thriving literary small press community in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul that includes Coffee House Press
Coffee House Press
Coffee House Press is a nonprofit independent press based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The press’s goal is to "produce books that celebrate imagination, innovation in the craft of writing, and the many authentic voices of the American experience." It is widely considered to be among the top five...
, Milkweed Editions
Milkweed Editions
Milkweed Editions is an independent, non-profit publishing company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Milkweed's goal is to make a positive impact on society through the transformative art of literature. Milkweed is sometimes called the largest independent, non-profit literary publisher in the United...
, and Graywolf Press
Graywolf Press
Graywolf Press is an independent, non-profit publisher located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded on a dedication to the creation and promotion of thoughtful and imaginative contemporary literature essential to a vital and diverse culture, Graywolf Press publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.Now...
. In 1982, the press became the first book publisher to obtain 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
status. In 2001, when Truesdale died, the press went into suspension and later that year relocated to Minnesota State University Moorhead
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Minnesota State University Moorhead is a four-year, public university located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of nearly 7,500 students and 337 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system...
, where it was revived under different management with a dual mission: to publish literature by new and emerging writers, honoring Truesdale's legacy, and to provide learning opportunities for students. Through collaboration New Rivers Press teaches MSUM undergraduate and graduate students the business of publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, offering the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Publishing while working as intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
s to gain practical experience. The activities of the press and its related curriculum are integrated into the school’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, and also into accounting, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, English, marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, mass communication
Mass communication
Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
s, promotions, and Web site development classes at MSUM. Cover designs for New Rivers Press by graphic design students were selected as winners in the 2009 and the 2010 American Inhouse Design Awards by Graphic Design USA.
Series, Distribution & Funding
New Rivers Press book series include American Fiction Anthologies, American Fiction Series, American Poetry Series, Many Minnesotas Project, Many Voices Project, and the New Rivers Abroad Series. The press offers two national awards, The Many Voices Project Prose Prize, and the Many Voices Project Poetry Prize. New Rivers Press titles are distributed by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. New Rivers Press has received support from the McKnight Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, and individual donors.Notable Authors & Honors
Notable authors include Diane GlancyDiane Glancy
Diane Glancy was born in 1941 in Kansas City, Missouri. She is a Cherokee poet, author and playwright. Glancy was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri in 1964, then later continued her education at the University of Central Oklahoma, earning her a Masters degree in English...
, Richard Hoffman
Richard Hoffman
Richard Hoffman may refer to:* Richard Hoffmann , composer and teacher* Richárd Hoffmann , Hungarian footballer* Richard A. Hoffman , American businessman and politician from New York...
, Charles Baxter
Charles Baxter
Charles Baxter is an American author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.-Life:Baxter was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to John and Mary Barber Baxter. He graduated from Macalester College in Saint Paul, and taught high school in Pinconning, Michigan, for a year. In 1974 he received his Ph.D...
, and Albert Goldbarth
Albert Goldbarth
Albert Goldbarth is an American poet born January 31, 1948 in Chicago. He is known for his prolific production, his gregarious tone, his eclectic interests and his distinctive 'talky' style. He has been a Guggenheim fellow and won the National Book Critics Circle award in 1991 and 2001, the only...
. New Rivers Press titles have been reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.
New Rivers Staff
- Director: Wayne Gudmundson
- Senior Editor: Alan Davis
- Managing Editor: Suzzanne Kelley
- Design Director: Allen Sheets
- Poetry Editor: Thom Tammaro
- Fiction Editor: Elizabeth Severn
- New Rivers Abroad Editor: Kevin Carollo
- Business Manager: Fran Zimmerman
- Marketing Consultant: Liz Conmy