The New York State Waterways Project was an initiative by poetry publishers, who exhibited at the annual New York Book Fair.  More than twenty five New York based poetry publishers joined a consortium to bring poetry book fairs and readings to the New York State waterways.

 

The presses included: Louis Reyes Rivera’s Shamal Books, Stanley and Beebee Barkan’s Cross-Cultural Communications, Virginia Scott's Sunbury Press, The Smith, American Book Review, Red Dust, Bard Press, Contact II, Poetry in Public Places, East River Review, Helen Review, Home Planet News, Ithaca House, Strawberry Press, White Pine, Glassworks, Swamp Press, Boss Books, Box 749,  Patricia Fillingham's Warthog Press, Downtown Poets Co-op,  Greenfield Review, Workman's Circle, Biblio Press, Out and Out Books, Confrontation and chapbooks by Paul Johnston.

 

The program received a seeding grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

After several years, the series moved into the public libraries. Richard Spiegel developed poetry workshops at the Jefferson Market Library, and facilitated them from 1980 to 1995.