What is Darwin’s Children, Comb-bound Anthology of Poetry and Art, published September 2002?

Darwin’s Children was a collaboration of five coeditors: Stephen M. Wilson, Kristen N. Wiles, Roger E. Naylor, Marie J. Ross, and Donald R. Anderson, six other poets, one cover artist Keith Marston, and some public domain illustrations. The five co-editors and some of the poets invested their money into printing up 200 copies of the book through S.J.D.C. who at the time was generously allowing publication through their print shop to Delta students. They even printed extra copies of the book! The book project was worked on countless hours and sessions at Manny’s on Pacific Avenue and at The Caffeine Den, after which the poets deemed themselves “The Caffeine DeniZens,” also due to the fact that that was where they had all met at the Open Mic nights hosted by Joe Brundidge and had taken in Donald’s offer to set them up with printing at Delta similar to the poetry class at Delta’s semesterly publication. The effort involved a lot of joined decision making, a group intro poem, chapter titles, the book title (by first a brainstorming of any possible title in all that we could think of, then a voting elimination process by the coeditors,) an organization to the order of these chapters into a storyline/chronology of life, a back review by each coeditor attributed to a dead poet’s name, working on pasting together public domain illustrations that came from copies of old library books onto a paper version of hard copy after the poems had been printed out, and creative biographies. The poets had an option to decide on the color(s) of the cover card stock of the books which they paid for. Greg was very accommodating and we very much appreciate all the help he had in this past project. The books were sold by word of mouth and at The Caffeine Den and Harding Way Newsstand on consignment.

1. Darwin’s Children © The Caffeine DeniZens 2001-2002. pdf of Darwin’s Children cover (the one we used for 200 copies). (cover concept by Stephen M. Wilson, design art © Keith Marston)
   


2. Darwin’s Children © The Caffeine DeniZens 2001-2002. Darwin’s Children cover (the one we intended to use as a possible sequel, cover concept by Stephen M. Wilson, design art © Keith Marston)
   


3. Darwin’s Children © The Caffeine DeniZens 2001-2002. Darwin’s Children cover (the other one we intended to use as a possible sequel, cover concept by Stephen M. Wilson, design art © Keith Marston)
   


4. Darwin’s Children © The Caffeine DeniZens 2001-2002. Darwin’s Children first design of cover. (cover concept by Stephen M. Wilson, design art © Keith Marston)

Below is a picture of the staircase into the painted walls of the downstairs of the former Caffeine Den. Photo by Melissa and Roger Guindon, who owned the Caffeine Den.