In conjunction with the "Wise Men Fished Here: A Centennial Exhibition in Honor of the Gotham Book Mart, 1920 - 2020" exhibition, the Kislak Center is hosting a conference on the theme of Modernism - Materiality - Meaning.  During its  formative years, the Gotham Book Mart was one of the few book shops in North America to specialize in avant-garde and modernist literature, film, and art. Responding to the growing interest in the concept of the modernist book store, the three day conference will provide a framework to explore the role of the Gotham Book Mart within the larger context of the printing arts, non-commercial publishing, retailing, and the marketing of modernism; as well as, examining the important role of little magazines and small presses; Surrealism; the New York poetry scene; the Beats; Edward Gorey, and much more. The conference will be preceded by a film festival inspired by the Gotham Book Mart promotion of Modernist film. Other events will include a poetry reading, panels and workshops. The key note speaker is Professor Andrew Thacker (Nottingham Trent University).