Room 3o2 Books

Ottawa, ON

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Founder

jwcurry is the founder of Room 3o2 Books.

How did you start?

by accident: i had accumulated enough duplicates of what’d become rare books that i could begin issuing catalogues. from there, the publication of random significances along the way followed.

Who are your influences, in Canada and beyond?

as contributive booksellers: Marty Ahvenus, Nelson Ball, Nicky Drumbolis, Bill Hoffer, Jim Lowell (USA), Larry Wallrich

What is your mission?

not exactly a mission but a delight in participating as a cultural factotum & dedication to preserving facets of the canadian avant garde that’ve tended to be elided

What about small press publishing is particularly exciting to you right now?

the same thing as always: the lack of imposed restrictions that allows for more fully explorational publishing procedures

How does your press work to engage with your immediate literary community, and community at large?

besides the primarily mercantile material, Room 3o2’s publications are motivated entirely by the whim of the proprietor, provoked often enough by occasion of some sort. print catalogues have been replaced by an online presence & E-mailed by HitList to anyone who’d like to be on it.

Tell us about three of your publications. What makes them special, needed, and/or unique?

SILENCE, Barbara Caruso (2o18): a reprint of the extremely private publication from presspresspress (199o), homage to bpNichol.

CATALOGUE OF THE TRAVELLING EXHIBITION, edited by jwcurry (1995): during 1994 & 1995, a series of 7 (growing) collages of “caboose photography” (“of, from, or including”) were installed in working cabeese across the country. this is the collection of 1o9 photographs by Jennifer Books, curry, Lance LaRocque, Gustave Morin, Brian Sale, Gio Sampogna & Kim Thompson that collage #3 in CP caboose 4343o9 was composed of (+ the cover shot of the collage).

what? (fuckan theory), by jwcurry (2oo6): a brief essay as programme for the first ever reading by bill bissett of his 197o “study uv language”, “RUSH what fuckan theory”. it was this event that sparked the interest that resulted in BookThug’s 2o12 reprint.