In addition to a checklist and bibliographies of work by and about Joe Brainard, this exhibition catalog includes published and unpublished writings by Mr. Brainard, interviews, letters and the essays, "Joe Brainard" by John Ashbery, "Acts of Generosity" by Constance Lewallen and "Joe Brainard's Quiet Dazzle" by Carter Ratcliff. Ms. Lewallen chronicles Joe Brainard's formative years in Oklahoma and moves to New York City and Boston, his involvement with Pop Art, assemblage and painting, and his literary and artistic associations. She writes: "His collaborations with writers [including Ted Berrigan, Kenward Elmslie and Frank O'Hara] took many forms, from comic strips to book covers and illustrations... . Not since the nineteenth century can we find such a rich joining of poetry and art." "Joe was a creature of incredible tact and generosity. He often gave his work to friends but before you could feel obliged to him he was already there, having anticipated the problem several moments or paragraphs earlier, and remedying it while somehow managing to deflect your attention from it."