Penn State University Libraries Launches Open Access Anthology ‘The Book of Jobs: Poems About Work’

Murphy conceived the anthology and worked with the editors of "ONE ART: a journal of poetry" to initially present the works in a special issue. From 3,600 submissions, she selected 135 poems.

The anthology covers various jobs, including coal miners, caregivers, farmers, flight attendants, and even nonhuman occupations like bees and whales. In her introduction, Murphy mentions themes of unemployment, discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and the humorous and tender aspects of work. She emphasizes the importance of highlighting often unseen labor such as domestic work and caregiving.

Murphy stated, "In the egalitarian spirit of this project, it was important to me that ‘The Book of Jobs’ be free and accessible to all." The anthology is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 license, allowing for wide distribution and reuse as long as proper attribution is given. It is available in both PDF form and on the Manifold platform, which hosts e-books.

The anthology has garnered acclaim from writers and workers alike. Patrick Irwin, a postal worker, described the collection as “outstanding,” noting how it captures the multifaceted experiences of work. Emily Miller, a hospital nurse practitioner who worked during the pandemic, expressed her connection to the poem “Good Friday, 2020” by Rachel Mallalieu, which resonates with the fear felt by healthcare professionals at that time.

Murphy hopes that educators will consider using the collection for courses across various disciplines, including sociology, business, and creative writing, noting its appeal to general readers as well.

John Marsh, a professor of English, called the anthology “absorbing and inspiring,” remarking on how it sheds light on lives that might otherwise remain overlooked.

Open Publishing supports Penn State-affiliated authors and groups in publishing electronic scholarly works. All its publications are freely accessible online, and copyright is generally retained by the authors.