Kickstart Public Access Poetry!

Remember when we told you about Public Access Poetry? "PAP programs featured half-hour readings by a wide range of poets and performers who could roughly be categorized as “downtown,” more often than not linked in one way or another with the Poetry Project. The cable TV series lasted two seasons (one live, the other recorded for later airing) and was produced with little-to-no broadcasting experience by the PAP personnel."

The Poetry Project and PennSound have hooked up to digitize and host 31 of the 46 open-reel tapes originally donated to the Project. (Currently, these are all viewable via The Poetry Project's website.) And now there's a Kickstarter campaign to preserve and format the remaining 15 tapes. More:

The Poetry Project is currently seeking $3,500 in funding to have the remaining 15 open-reel tapes (approx. $250/tape) of Public Access Poetry preserved and digitized through The Standby Program at MercerMedia. The digital transfer of the 15 remaining tapes will not only complete this project, but will make the entirety of this valuable archive available and accessible to the public for the first time.

What's in it for you? You can start at $1, but $25 will get you a copy of the literary journal The Recluse, $50 a subscription to the Newsletter, and on up to membership and admission deals. Feeling spendy: "All Rewards included for pledges $500 or more, plus your choice of 'Howl' (DVD, 2010) or 'William S. Burroughs: A Man Within' (DVD, 2010), grateful public acknowledgement and all of The Poetry Project's undying love and gratitude, of course." As of today, they've got 42 days to reach their goal, or all funding received thus far is lost. Donate here, and watch the campaign's video below.