Rare Treasures

When he tells the story of his origin as a book collector, Jett W. Whitehead, owner of Jett W. Whitehead Rare Books, lights up, still. At the time, he was a graduate student in Creative Writing at CMU attending a party at his professor’s home and was mesmerized by his book collection. It was that fateful evening that started this young poet’s decades-long journey into the world of collecting and dealing rare poetry books. This new journey was also a melding of his burgeoning skill set, with a Bachelor’s in Business from Northern Michigan University, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Central Michigan University.

Now Bay City resident Jett W. Whitehead is not only a specialist in Modern British and American Poetry, but also is regarded as one of the leading national experts in collecting rare poetry materials: books, letters, manuscripts, broadsides, and other materials.

Recently, Whitehead visited English Professor Robert Fanning’s Graduate Seminar in Contemporary Poetry and brought some of the current treasures from his collection including signed copies of first edition books by major poets such as Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, and others.

“Visiting Professor Fanning’s class, I most enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with the students about the lives of modern poets and to share examples of vintage publications of modern poetry books,” said Whitehead. “I believe there is a great benefit to students when they can see—firsthand—true volumes of historically important publications and to learn about the endless world of book collecting.”

As Whitehead walked around the class, holding signed copies of books by famous poets the students had just been studying, their eyes opened wide, and their mouths, too.

“Getting to see Jett Whitehead's collection up close was such a cool experience,” said Megan Monroe, a Senior from Milan, Mich., pursuing an English Major, Creative Writing Minor and Accelerated MA in Creative Writing. “It really brought everything we've been learning to life and it was great to see just how well-loved and valued poetry is,” she said. “It was incredible to see the rare books and manuscripts, and Jett's passion for poetry and his work made it all the more inspiring. I texted my family after class just to brag about what I got to see!”

Lamont Arrington, a second-year student in the MA in Creative Writing program from Grand Rapids, agrees.

"Jett Whitehead showed us the joys of collecting books as objects, highlighting the importance of the authors own engagement with their books and how their personal relationships led to relics that could be appreciated by anyone who ever wondered about the person behind the work,” Arrington said. “These authors never knew that the personality in their signatures and notes they shared intimately would become like gold buried in the depths of auctions and people's personal collections."

It has become a tradition for Whitehead to visit Fanning’s class, as the two have become friends over the years. Fanning has driven to Bay City several times to have breakfast with Whitehead and “to talk poetry.”

“Like his books, Jett is, himself, a rare treasure, as not only an expert in his field, but one who is truly dedicated—down to his soul—to the art of poetry and its importance in our culture, and to the love of books as artistic objects with great value,” Fanning said.

Whitehead’s love for the art is also expressed in his support for CMU students. For several years, he has sponsored a poetry award and recently endowed the newly-named Jett W. Whitehead Poetry Award so that CMU students will benefit from his generosity and support for many years to come.

If you’re ever in Bay City, make an appointment to visit Whitehead, and he will be glad to show you some of his current inventory or his extensive personal collection of Robert Frost books and materials. You’ll feel his love for the books and the art itself, emanating from him. Or, if you can’t make it to his headquarters, you can browse his collection from your couch, and shop for first edition books, signed copies of broadsides, letters, or many other interesting treasures for you or the poetry lover in your life.