Papers of Bill Mohr (1947-), poet, founding editor of Momentum Press, teacher, and scholar. The collection contains audiovisual materials of Mohr's television show, Put Your Ears On, as well as many readings and events, correspondence with other poets and artists, writings, and notebooks and journal entries.
Bill Mohr Papers, 1959-2022 (MSS 844)
Extent: 19.1 Linear feet (44 archives boxes, 1 record carton, 2 card file boxes, and 5 oversize folders), + 19.7 GB of digital files
Digital Content
Audiovisual recordings from the collection have been digitized, and additional born digital files are available online.
Bill Mohr was born to Fred and Sylvia Mohr in 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia. As a young adult, Mohr moved to Los Angeles to act with some local theater companies. A small press activist, Mohr's initial foray into editing began with the first two issues of Bachy Magazine, published by Papa Bach Bookstore, in 1972. He was also very active in the California Poets in the Schools program sponsored by the California Arts Council. By 1974, Mohr founded his own small press, Momentum Press (1974-1988). Through this endeavor, Mohr became a leading editor and publisher to emerge from the small press movement in 1970s. Momentum Press utilized grant funds from the National Endowment for the Arts to support publication of many books. Authors published by Momentum Press include: Jim Krusoe, Alicia Ostriker, Kate Braverman, Leland Hickman, Len Roberts, James Moore, Joseph Hansen, Holly Prado, Harry Northup, Deena Metzler, Michael C. Ford, and many others. From 1985-1995 he also worked as a blueprint machine operator and typesetter. His writing career was greatly influenced by this job, as he would stay after hours and write poetry, notes, and journals on the typesetting machine, many pages of which are included in this collection.
In his academic career, Mohr received a Bachelor's degree in Theater Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1970. He then received a Masters degree in Literature in 2000, followed by a Ph.D. in Literature in 2004, both from the University of California, San Diego. Since 2006, he has been teaching at California State University, Long Beach in the English Department advancing from Assistant Professor to Professor.
In the Los Angeles community, Mohr founded and led the Thursday night Beyond Baroque poetry workshop (founded in May 1993). He was also a visiting scholar at the Getty Research Institute in 1996. Mohr's scholarly research during the late 1990's focused on Los Angeles Poetry, and led to his book, Holdouts: The Los Angeles Poetry Renaissance 1948-1992. Mohr is the author and creator of many published works, print and spoken word, including: Hidden Proofs (1982); Penetralia (1984); Vehemence (2003); and Bittersweet Kaleidoscope (2006). He has also edited and published anthologies including: The Streets Inside (1978) and Poetry Loves Poetry (1985).
Bill Mohr is working on a memoir and currently lives and works in Long Beach, California with his wife, Linda Fry.
Papers of Bill Mohr (1947-), poet, founding editor of Momentum Press, teacher, and scholar. The collection contains audiovisual materials of Mohr's show, Put Your Ears On, as well as many readings and events, correspondence with other poets and artists, and notebooks and journal entries. The collection also contains drafts of poetry and prose, professional materials including grant projects with The Getty Foundation and the California Council of the Arts, and teaching materials.
Arranged in nine series: 1) AUDIOVISUAL RECORDINGS, 2) BIOGRAPHICAL, 3) CORRESPONDENCE, 4) NOTEBOOKS/JOURNALS, 5) PROSE, 6) POETRY, 7) READINGS, TALKS, AND INTERVIEWS, 8) PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, and 9) WRITINGS OF OTHERS.
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