“Have compassion for everyone you meet, even if they don’t want it. What seems conceit, bad manners, or cynicism is always a sign of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen. You do not know what wars are going on down there where the spirit meets the bone.”
Miller Williams
Miller Williams in Arkansas
Miller Williams (1930-2015) was an author, poet, and founder of the University of Arkansas Press. He founded the University of Arkansas Press in the mid-size college town of Fayetteville in 1980 and became its first director. He was selected by President Bill Clinton (pictured above) to read an original poem at the 1997 US Presidential Inauguration. The poem, Of History and Hope, can be found on the www.poetry.org website at http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176494.
Another example of a Miller Williams poem is Going Deaf, which can be found through www.americanlifeinpoetry.org.
Williams was the author of more than 30 books and nearly half were volumes of poetry. Read more about the life and works of Miller Williams at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/miller-williams.
Univesity of Arkansas Press
The mission of today’s University of Arkansas Press is stated as such on https://www.uapress.com: “The University of Arkansas Press advances the mission of the University of Arkansas by publishing peer-reviewed scholarship and literature of enduring value. We curate a list of books by authors of diverse backgrounds writing for specialty as well as general audiences in Arkansas and throughout the world.”
University of Arkansas Library
The University of Arkansas Press is not open to the public but check the University of Arkansas Library Special Collections Exhibit (Fayetteville) at 365 N. McIlroy Avenue for the works and any special exhibits concerning the legacy of Miller Williams.
Due to limited open hours, scheduling appointments in advance with the Special Collections Department is highly recommended.
The Library is the first stop on the Arkansas Author Adventures Trail.
Patricia Smart
You must be logged in to post a comment.