The Trilobite Press was founded by Dr. Richard Sale, Professor of English, University
of North Texas.
Beginning in 1982, the Friends of the North Texas Libraries, in coordination with Dr.
Sale and the then North Texas Department of English, began sponsoring a reading series
entitled Contemporary Poets Reading. Each reading was accompanied by the publication of a
Trilobite Press chapbook with a collection of the reader's poetry.
The series started with a reading and chapbook from Del Marie Rogers and has continued
to host talented, entertaining, and respected poets. Some chapbooks feature early work by
poets who have since achieved great success. These include Naomi Shihab Nye, who has
received awards from the Texas Institute of Letters and the International Poetry Forum;
B.H. Fairchild, winner of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award; and Albert Goldbarth, winner of
the National Book Critics Circle Award.
In 1997, the Friends of the Libraries began sponsoring the Short Fiction Writers
series, which also included the publication of the featured reader's chapbook.
At present, the Friends, with support from the UNT Department of English, host a
fiction reading each fall and a poetry reading each spring. All proceeds from the
chapbooks help to support the UNT Libraries' research collections.
Chapbooks can be purchased separately. If you wish to
receive an annual mailing of chapbook publications and announcements of the poetry and
fiction readings, you may do so by joining the Friends of the UNT
Libraries.
