Molly Tamarkin
Bio
Hi! I'm a writer, librarian, technologist, and indexer based in Durham, North Carolina.I've worked mostly in higher education and have enjoyed living in Brooklyn (NY), Hebron (CT), South Newfane (VT), Gig Harbor (WA), and Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, though I've spent most of my adult life here in Durham.I grew up in St. Louis until high school, when my family moved to Storrs, CT. I have degrees from the University of Chicago (AB), the University of Missouri (MA), and the University of Florida (MFA).
Writing
I've loved reading and writing poetry since I was a kid but didn't study it formally until graduate school at the University of Florida, where I studied with Debora Greger, William Logan, and Donald Justice and received my MFA.My poems have been published in many literary magazines; see the full list with text here.I'm currently finishing my first novel inspired by my time in Saudi Arabia and working on a biography of Donald Justice's "unknown poet" Robert Boardman Vaughn, as well as editing a collection of his poems.
Published poems
"Introduction to Field Theory" in the Jacaranda Review W/S 1992"Cold-Hardiness of Monarch Butterflies" and "This is an Ode" in Sou'wester Winter 1993"Visiting Hours" and "The Island" in National Forum Fall 1994"The Colonists" in Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review Spring/Summer 1995"The Common Robusta" and "Pastry" in Poetry August 1995"Introduced to the Florida Keys" in Gulf Coast Summer/Fall 1995"House Rules" and "The American Investigation" in New England Review, Vol. 28, No. 3, 2007""Auto-Complete 2010," "The Day Bernice Changed Her Ringtone," and "The Evolution of the Poem" in The Chariton Review, Spring 2012"Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable," "Commemorating Venus," and "Regarding the Boar," in The Sewanee Review, Spring 2016"Small Silver-Plated Rhinoceros Statue on Felt-Bottomed Wooden Base" in acumen, Sept 2023"Prime Time" in First Literary Review-East, Sept 2024
IT & Library
I've enjoyed working in both libraries and information technology for some great institutions (CV is here).I got my start in libraries as a work-study student at the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago. After getting my MLS, I had stints at the St. Louis Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library before becoming the assistant librarian at Marlboro College, Vermont, where I was the sys admin for the new library ILS. This IT experience led me to be the first IT Director at Marlboro College where I managed the College's web, mail, and file servers among other systems.New opportunities at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina lured me south. I directed IT for the Nicholas School of the Environment and eventually became the Assistant Dean for IT at the College of Arts & Sciences. I left Duke to be the first Chief Technology Officer at the University of Puget Sound in Washington, but couldn't resist the opportunity to blend IT and library work back at Duke as the Associate University Librarian for Information Technology.I was offered the chance of a lifetime to direct the library at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, which was a fabulous experience. I especially enjoyed creating and supporting open access policies and digital repositories in the Gulf area as well as collaborating with other regional libraries.I continue to consult, advise, and manage library and IT projects from my home office in Durham. My areas of expertise include digital repository creation and evolution, library software development and evaluation, staff assessment, strategic planning, and open access policies and procedures.
Indexing
I've indexed books off and on for decades. It's a labor of love given the time I spend, but I enjoy learning as I organize concepts and categories. Below are covers from a few favorite indexing projects.
Contact Me
Looking forward to hearing about your project and how I might be of help.
Thank You
I'll be in touch soon. --Molly