LidNaomiClarkLibrary

The Naomi Clark Library is named for Naomi Clark, who helped establish the first San Jose Poetry Center and acted as its director for five years in the early 1980s. Her 1988 book of poetry, "When I Kept Silence," earned the 1990 Washington Governor's Writer's Award. Her collection "The Single Eye" won the Quarterly Review of Literature international poetry competition. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from San Jose State, and her doctorate in literature from UC Santa Cruz. She taught poetry for 14 years at San Jose State University. She and her husband retired to a home in Port Townsend, Wash., where she died in 1992 at the age of 59. (Information from San Jose Mercury News obituary, 5/23/92).

The Markham House was built in the 1860's and was originally located at 432 South Eighth Street on the San José State University grounds. This Greek Revival home was the residence of the poet Edwin Markham, author of the "Man with a Hoe." Markham's mother purchased the home in the 1870's to be near her son while he studied at San José Normal School. Markham made the house his principal residence until 1889.

The structure was purchased by the Edwin Markham Landmark Association and in the 1920's was used by the University as the health cottage (infirmary). For twenty years before it was moved to History Park in 1987, it served as the home of the San José Center for Poetry and Literature .

In March 2002, the San José Center for Poetry and Literature (SJCPL)returned to the Markham House. The house is used as a writing resource center, offering workshops, open readings, children's writing activities and a library. Downstairs contains an exhibit of Edwin Markham memorabilia, and the second floor is used by the poetry organization for offices.
(Above information and photo from http://www.historysanjose.org/visiting_hsj/buildings/history_park/markham_house.....