Assistant Professor in Creative Writing, Chris DeWeese is getting ready to have his third book published, but this time, outside of the United States.
The new book, “The Natural Museum,” will be published in September by Periplum, University of Plymouth’s poetry press.
DeWeese’s third book has been in the works since he was in graduate school.
“I had a book manuscript that I had written for my MFA thesis,” DeWeese said. “I touched it up and thought it was a good book to get published now. I sent it out to [Periplum Poetry,] and they had a contest for a book to be published. My book was selected.”
After publishing two other books, DeWeese felt that it was time to revisit his first manuscript, edit it and give it another chance at publication. “The Natural Museum” was the winner of hundreds of entries to the contest.
“The Natural Museum” was the product of scouring libraries in historical research, most of which was for entertainment.
“There are fifty different poems, and each one is in the voice of a different archetype character from history,” DeWeese said. “I was kind of inhabiting different types for each poem and they start 400 years ago and go all the way up to the present.”
Most of the characters tend to be tricksters and con men trying to take advantage of people.
“I was interested in the history of hoaxes and people tricking other people,” DeWeese said. “For example, there is a poem about someone from a medicine show. People used to go around selling snake oil and said that it was the cure for all sorts of health problems that people had. You know, the kind of person that would pretend to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Being published in England is a big honor for DeWeese because he respects the fellow writers that have done work through Periplum and more.
“I felt very pleased and surprised,” DeWeese said. “The press that’s publishing me has published a couple of authors that I really admire, so I’m excited to share a press with them. I’m excited to be able to go give readings in England, have a reason to travel around and participate in literary life there.”
Though “The Natural Museum” will be primarily published in England, students interested in reading DeWeese’s newest work will be able to order it online. DeWeese’s previous works were “The Black Forest” and “The Father of the Arrow is the Thought,” both of which are available through Octopus Books.
