Roof, 1976–79 (ed. James Sherry)

from Roof, No. II, Spring 1977
from Roof, No. II, Spring 1977

Founded in 1976 by James Sherry to anthologize writing by poets working at the Naropa Institute, Roof magazine played a key role in the development of Language poetry. Ten issues were published in New York City between the summers of 1976 and 1979. The magazine was designed by Lee Sherry in uniform white with blocks of delicately askew Antique Olive Black “press type” neatly filling the large format 8.5” by 11” dimensions. As individual poets are given larger portions in successive issues, the reader can follow Roof’s transition from the magazine to the Roof Books platform still publishing great works of poetry today. The cornerstone to Sherry’s Segue Foundation, Roof magazine charts “the best in language” at this crucial turning point in twentieth-century poetry. Edited by Sherry alongside associate and coeditors Tom Savage (Nos. 1–3, contributing throughout), Vicki Hudspith (Nos. 4–5), and Michael Gottlieb (Nos. 6–10). From New York City to the Bay Area and Washington DC, the magazine houses an emerging community of writers in the late ’70s for a fantastic — and remarkably focused — set of poetic explorations. 

Full issues are available for download or browsing below. The index to each issue attempts to retain the formatting of the contents as printed in the magazine, including original pagination. Each PDF is fully searchable and bookmarked for easy navigation to individual pieces within the magazine. This reissue is edited by Danny Snelson with support from Craig Dworkin, James Sherry, and the Kelly Writers House.

This reissue is presented in partnership with the Eclipse archive. For a mirror edition of this reissue including a full hypertext index to the magazine, please follow this link.

The complete set of ten issues is available for download here: [ZIP, 461 MB]. 

Roof: An Anthology, Summer 1976 [PDF, 59 MB]

  Roof I

Contents

Robert Duncan
8         Barbara Schmitz 
51
George Franklin
9
        John Marron 
52
Helen Adam 
11
        William Burroughs Jr. 
54
Steve Hamilton 
12
        Rick Nager 
55
Scott Paul 
14
        Larry Fagin 
56
Michael McClure 
15
        Carl Grundberg 
57
Steve Brooks 
16
        Tom Savage 
58
Alan Ginsberg 
16
        Dana Christian Jensen 
61
Tom Swartz 
18
        Tom Veitch 
62
Leona Foss 
18
        Gordon Hollis 
63
Dick Gallup 
20
        Sparrow 
64
Tom Hoagland 
20
        James Grauerholz 
65
John Ashbery 
21
        Simone Lazzeri 
66
James Sherry 
22
        Miguel Algarin 
67
Anne Waldman 
25
        David Glickstein 
69
Denis O’Donovan 
26
        Michael Brownstein 
70
Diane Wakoski
27
        Alfred Milanese 
70
Jan Garden Castro 
28
        Michael Scholnick 
71
Ted Berrigan 
29
        Ronnie Burk
71
Tapa Kearney 
31
        Bobbie Louise Hawkins
72
Ann Vachon 
31
        Michael Castro 
74
Jack Collom 
32
        James L White 
75
Natalie Goldberg 
35
        Rachael Peters 
76
Paul Portugues 
36
        Sidney Goldfarb 
76
Alice Notley 
36
        Chogyam Trungpa 
80
Richard S Elovich 
39
        Cindy Shelton 
81
Kathryn Van Spanckeren 
40
        Peter Orlovsky 
82
Todd Jailer 
41
        Bonnie Shulman 
82
WilliamS Burroughs 
42
        Richard Dillon 
83
Helen Luster 
43
        Jerome Rothenberg 
84
Cheshire Mahoney 
44
        Robert Creeley 
86
John Giorno 
45
        Afterword: James Sherry
87
Phoebe MacAdams 
49
           
Al Santoli 
49
           
Ed Sanders 
50
           

Roof II, Spring 1977 [PDF, 64 MB]

Contents

Preface 
5         Frank Lima 
44
Bonnie Altascher  
7         Paul Martin 
44
Bruce Andrews  
8         Eileen Myles 
45
Charles Bemstein 
17         Alan Nadler 
47
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge 
25         Atice Notley  
51
Jim Brodey 
26         Bob Rosenthal 
60
Ray DiPalma 
28         Mark Rudman 
65
Ted Greenwald 
31         Tom Savage 
67
Barbara Guest 
33         James Sherry 
72
Marguerite Harris 
34         Jason Shulman 
76
Neil Hackman 
35         Anne Waldman & Reed Bye 
78
Yuki Hartman 
36         Hannah Weiner 
81
Ann Lauterbach 
39         Jeff Wright 
81
Steve Levine 
42         John Yau
82

 Roof III, Summer 1977 [PDF, 32 MB]

Contents

Regina Beck 
7         Bruce Andrews 
50
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge 
8         Charles Bernstein 
56
David Cope 
9         Ray DiPalma 
57
Yuki Hartman 
9         Steve McCaffery 
62
M. LaBare 
12         Ron Silliman 
66
Ed Friedman 
14      
 

Charles North 
18       Legend 75
Howard Lindh 
20         Andrews & Silliman
76
Paul Pines 
21         DiPalma & McCaffery
85
Gregg Rutter 
22         Bernstein & McCaffery 90
Tom Savage 23         DiPalma & Silliman 82
Michael Scholnick 
24         Silliman & Andrews & Bernstein 93
Simon Schuchat 
28            
Peter Seaton 
36            
James Sherry 
37            
Michael Slater 
40            
Tony Towle 
41            
Paul Violi 
43            
John Yau
44            

Roof IV, Fall 1977 [PDF, 57 MB]

Contents

Charles Bernstein 7    
Washington D.C. Forum: Introduction 49
Ted Berrigan, “To Himself” with George Schneeman
9         Tina Darragh
50
Andrei Codrescu
12         Lynne Dreyer
54
Clark Coolidge
13         Peter Inman
57
Ellen Zweig 14         Doug Lang
61
Allen Ginsberg  15         Kirby Malone
65
Ted Greenwald  16         Douglas Messerli
68
Anselm Hollo
22         Marshall Reese
70
Bernadette Mayer
28         Phyllis Rosenzweig
72
Steve McCaffery
30         Diane Ward
73
Opal L. Nations
36         Bernard Welt
76
Lisa Nuñez
37         Terence Winch
79
Peter Seaton 38            
James Sherry 40       Graphics:
 
Anne Waldman 41         Porfirio DiDonna
47
Tony Towle 42         Lee Sherry 81
Lewis Warsh 43            

Roof V, Winter 1978 [PDF, 52 MB]

Contents

Sandra Binion
48       San Francisco Forum:
 
William Burroughs
7         Rae Armantrout
52
Ray DiPalma
8         Steve Benson
55
Larry Eigner
19         Alan Bernheimer
59
Michael Gottlieb
24         Carla Harryman
59
Dick Higgins 25         Lyn Hejinian
61
Vicki Hudspith
28         Bob Perelman
66
Michael Lally
29         Kit Robinson
74
James Sherry
35         Ron Silliman
78
Hannah Weiner
40         Barrett Watten
86
               
          Graphics:
 
            Jim Huntington
5
            Alan Uglow 49
               

Roof VI, Spring 1978 [PDF, 63 MB]

Contents

Bruce Andrews
6         Nick Piombino
74
Charles Bernstein
13         Phyllis Rosenzweig
75
William Corbett
19         Michael Scholnick
77
Alan Davies
21         James Sherry
80
Ray DiPalma
26         John Wellman
81
Michael Gottlieb
37         John Yau
85
Ted Greenwald
41            
Robert Grenier
43       Graphics:
 
P. Inman
55         Brenda Goodman
3
Christopher Knowles
58         Lee Sherry
59
Jackson Mac Low
64         Louisa Chase
61
Eileen Myles
69         Ann Christopher 63

Roof VII, Fall 1978 [PDF, 50 MB]

Contents

  Michael Lally
“On the Scene" 5    
  John Taggart   “Inside Out” 20    
  Ted Greenwald
  “Earth Angel” 38    
  Ron Silliman     
  “Sunset Debris” 57    
                                          Plates:
            
  Stuart Shedletsky
  “Print #6” from Six Moments for Matisse
19    
  Lee Sherry   “Turkey Run, Illinois” 37    
  John Torreano
  “Marks Are Jewels” 56    

Roof VIII, Winter 1978 [PDF, 55 MB]

Contents

Octavio Paz
7       Plates:
 
Eliot Weinberger (translation)
7         Susan Laufer
13
Diane Ward
8         Ron Janowich
37
Larry Eigner
14         Rae Berolzheimer 61
Peter Seaton
38            
Bruce Andrews
62            

Roof IX, Spring 1979 [PDF, 29 MB]

Contents

Kit Robinson 7       Graphics:
   
Alan Davies
19         Harvey Quaytman
Adam I 18
P. Inman
24         Judy Pfaff
  23
Lynne Dreyer
42         Stephane Mallarme
from Le Livre 41
Charles Bernstein
59         Stephane Mallarme from Le Livre 58

Roof X, Summer 1979 [PDF, 25 MB]

Contents

Ray DiPalma
7     Graphics:  
Hannah Weiner
10    
Howard Buchwald
“Sides Collapsed to a Line: A Topology” 21
James Sherry
22      
Lee Sherry   38
Barbara Baracks
28    
Jean Feinberg   54
John Yau
32    
Charles Wuorinen
p. 16 from the Second Piano Concerto 65
Ted Greenwald
39    
Howard Buchwald “Sides Collapsed to a Line: A Topology” 71
Lyn Hejinian
45            
Dick Higgins
55            
Rosmarie Waldrop
56            
Bruce Andrews/Steve McCaffery
61            
Robert Grenier/John Batki
64            
Brita Bergland
66            
Alan Nadler
67            
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge
68            
Michael Gottlieb
72            

 

 

 

Special thanks to James Sherry and Craig Dworkin for supplying the magazine, to Ben Filreis for his scanning work, and to the Kelly Writers House for their constant support.