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John Woods Poetry Collection

John Woods (1926-1995), born in Indiana, was an English professor at Western Michigan University from1956 to1992. His first collection of poems The Deaths at Paragon, Indiana , was published in 1955, at the age of 29, and his last volume of poetry, entitled Black Marigolds was published in 1994.

His family donated a collection of his papers and working library. The archive of his papers contain: reviews of his books, magazine and newspaper articles, advertisements for his readings, interviews with him, and photographs both of him and by him. The archive also contains manuscripts by Woods, a video recording from 1979 called, "Turning to Look Back", and a 33 rpm record of Woods reading Deaths of Paragon, Indiana.

Woods wrote with a style that "echoed Whitman." He drew his poetry from his childhood experiences as well as from his time in the Army. In addition to books of his own work, his private collection contains books that have been inscribed by their authors as well.

The John Woods Collection is not only significant because Woods was an American poet living in Kalamazoo, but also because of the extensive library of poetry books he gave to the university which gives us a window to the world of contemporary poetry.