More on the Breman Collection

While I was pleased to see the article in the fall 2012 magazine about my late husband’s collection of black poetry and related material coming to the Chapin Library of Rare Books (“Beyond Words”), I am puzzled that there is no mention of how the acquisition was made. One assumes that the books were bought from an auction house or an anonymous source, when in fact Williams owes a great debt to my old and valued friend, Darra Goldstein, for their arrival at the library. Darra saw the collection while visiting me in London and introduced me to Bob Volz, custodian of Chapin, with the result that the Paul Breman Collection came to the library as part purchase, part gift. I am delighted that the collection has found a good home and that there is such enthusiasm for the books among the faculty at Williams, and I hope that Darra’s part in this story will not be overlooked.

—Jill Norman, London, England