Jan 09, 2026 We Recommend — Small Presses in the Rocky Mountain West

“The literary and private press worlds are small and intertwined wherever they are, and the Rocky Mountain West is no exception.”
— Richard L. Hardesty

Dear Rare Reader,

We hope the year has begun kindly for you. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, we’re still waiting for an acceptable amount of January snow, and the short winter days feel strangely bare. Historically, the Intermountain West has been celebrated for its picturesque winter landscapes, as I’m sure many of you know. In Utah, we even proclaim “The Greatest Snow on Earth” on our license plates, though surely the accuracy of this platitude could be debated.

While the Rare Books Department can’t coax the snow to fall, we can share another kind of distinction for which the Rocky Mountains are celebrated. This week, we’re spotlighting some of the most prolific and renowned fine presses established in the Intermountain West. It may not replace the snowy days we’re all longing for, but we hope it brings a smile to your face or, if nothing else, a renewed appreciation for the mountain range we call home.

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The Fine Press Movement of the twentieth century did not emerge in a vacuum. While today it might seem almost synonymous with cultural epicenters like San Francisco, New York City, and London, the movement’s influence was not limited to these places. Rather, as Richard L. Hardesty claims in his 2025 publication Small Presses in the Rocky Mountain West, the individuals who value books as works of art have always been widespread and far-reaching.

To illustrate his point, Hardesty, a long-time bibliophile and book collector, looks closely at the work of four notable fine presses that, at one time or another, were nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Through interviews, research, and comprehensive bibliographies, Hardesty paints a foundational picture of the prolific fine press community throughout the Intermountain West in the late twentieth century.

Summer Range
Peggy Simson Curry
Story, WY: Dooryard Press, 1981
Z232.5 A1 C876

Dooryard Press:

Hardesty opens his book with a survey of Dooryard Press which was founded in Story, Wyoming, in 1979. Run by Barbara and Tom Rea, Dooryard Press published upwards of twenty publications before closing in 1987. Barbara and Tom met while studying at Casper College in East Wyoming in the early years of the 1970s. After graduating, the couple got married and moved to Missoula, Montana where Tom received his MFA in poetry. In 1979, the Reas relocated once again to Story, Montana where they established Dooryard Press.

In Hardesty’s book, Barbara reflects on that period:

“…we had just recently bought a very thin-walled, tiny, two-bedroom house that happened to have an attached two-car garage with a concrete floor. That’s why we got the house. We put the press in there and made books, had babies. It was a nice time.”

Tom and Barbara published their first book in 1981 in that two-car garage. A slim volume, Summer Range is a collection of poems written by Peggy Simpson Curry, Wyoming’s first poet laureate.

With the help of Tom’s contacts from the University of Montana, the Reas continued to primarily publish poetry, with Tom in charge of printing and Barbara overseeing design. Following Summer Range, came Ripley Schemm’s Mapping My Father and Arizona’s Poet Laureate Alberto Rios’ Sleeping on Fists. The couple continued to publish throughout most of the 1980s but, as their family grew, ultimately chose to close their doors. In 1987, Tom and Barbara moved back to where they met, Casper, Wyoming which is where the still reside today.

Montana Gothic
Missoula, MT: Black Stone Press, 1974-1977
PS301 M55

Black Stone Press:

Black Stone Press was established in Missoula, Montana by Peter Koch and his then wife, Shelley Hoyt-Koch. The couple met at the University of Montana in 1972 when Peter modelled for Shelley’s freshman art class. Peter taught Shelley about the world of printing and in 1974, they embarked on their first collaborative printing endeavor: a literary magazine titled Montana Gothic.

A passion project of both Peter and Shelley, Montana Gothic included the writings and artwork of numerous Rocky Mountain creatives. In total, six volumes were published, each of which printed in a run of 200 copies. The Rare Books Department houses volumes two through six in its collection.

Beyond the literary magazine, which assumingly provided little financial stability, Black Stone Press largely sustained itself by through  awards and grants. One such example being Adam Cornford’s poetry collection Shooting Scripts.

Shooting Scripts
Adam Cornford
Missoula, MT: Black Stone Press, 1978
PS3553 O67 S5 1978

Cornford, born and raised in England, is the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, though the two men’s intellectual pursuits diverged radically. A self-proclaimed surrealist, Cornford’s artistic philosophy is deeply reflected in Shooting Scripts.  The volume was Cornford’s first book of published poetry, though he would go on to publish others while directing the Poetics Program at San Francisco’s New College of California.  Similar in style, design, and form to Montana Gothic, Shooting Scripts was the product of support from a National Endowment of the Arts grant.

Published in 1978, the volume also includes multiple collages from famous Chilean artist, Ludwig Zeller. A fellow surrealist, Zeller’s work is seamlessly interwoven with Cornford’s words and the Kochs’ craftsmanship.

By the time of publication, Peter and Shelley had moved to San Francisco, where they would later divorce and dissolve Black Stone Press. Though, both would go on to have prolific careers in the fine press world and remain renowned artists today.

Color Poems: 23 Poetry Broadsides
Missoula, MT: Calliopea Press, 1978
PS3556 O955 O64 1978

Calliopea Press

Carol Denison founded Calliopea Press in Missoula, Montana in 1978, arriving just after Peter and Shelley Koch had departed. Originally from California, Denison discovered her love for the printing at a young age and studied the craft in Rochester, New York. While on the East Coast, she worked closely with Ariel Press and published under their imprint frequently before making the move to Missoula.

Named after the Greek muse of song and poetry, Calliopea was comprised of four presses, all operated by Denison herself. One of her early projects was a collaboration with Swedish poet, Siv Cedering. Together, Cedering they produced a portfolio of broadsides titled Color Poems, of which fewer than 500 copies were printed. According to Hardesty, Denison often favored the broadside format, arguing that it gave her more freedom to design than the traditional codex.

Following the publication, Denison and Cedering continued to work closely with one another and developed a lasting friendship. For many years, the two would sent a joint Christmas card featuring Cedering’s verse and Denison’s prints. In 1980, Denison moved back to California where she embarked on a career in design. Calliopea Press remained largely inactive until it permanently closed in the early half of the 1990s.

The Bieler Press: A Checklist of the First Ten Years
Tracy Smith
Minneapolis, MN: Campbell-Logan Bindery, 1985
Z232 S65 1985

Kutenai Press:

Emily Mason Strayer learned to print at Bieler Press in Minnesota. There, she published several works while honing her craft. When her husband began graduate school at the University of Montana in 1985, Strayer founded Kutenai Press out of their home. Under the imprint, Strayer published a total of six books. Her first project was a bibliography commissioned by Bieler Press, bound in distinctive purple wrappers.

In 1990, Strayer and her family moved to Connecticut where Kutenai Press continued to operate until 1998. According to Hardesty, in recent years, Strayer has reignited her love of printing. She hopes to reopen Kutenai in the near future.

While Hardesty’s bibliography of Small Presses in the Rocky Mountain West is far from comprehensive, it is a reliable, entertaining, and well-done starting off point for those interested in the region’s fine press history.

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Contributed by Theadora Soter, Rare Books Assistant Curator

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