Charles Guenther Papers, 1949-1984

Collection Overview

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Correspondence

Box 1

Folder 1

Item 1: Mona Van Duyn to Charles Guenther inviting him - as a St. Louis poet of distinction - to contribute manuscripts and worksheets to Washington University, 1964: June 29

Requests a bibliography of his published works and thanks him for sending her an advance copy of the Library Journal's review of her book. (Typescript [carbon], 1 page)

Item 2: Charles Guenther to Mona Van Duyn replying that he has 30 cubic feet of manuscripts, correspondence and publications, 1964: July 8.

Lists principal correspondents and adds that he hopes to publish more from his collection before reaching a decision. Remarks that he has no bibliography and offers to submit a few drafts later in the summer. (Type Letter Signed, 1 page)

Item 3: Mona Van Duyn to Charles Guenther thanking him for his co-operation and explaining donor's tax benefits and the library's appraisal arrangement, etc., 1964: July 13.

(Typescript [carbon], 2 pages)

Item 4: Charles Guenther to Mona Van Duyn submitting four verse manuscripts and a periodical in which several of his translations appeared, 1964: July 15.

(Typed Letter Signed, 1 page)

Item 5: William Matheson to Charles Guenther inviting him to submit further materials in the future, and thanking him for his recent contribution, 1964: July 28.

(Typescript [carbon], 1 page)

Item 6: Mona Van Duyn to Charles Guenther apologizing for his not receiving Matheson's July 1964 letter and enclosing a copy, 1965: November19.

Requests that he contact the student director in order to give a poetry reading at Washington University.

Item 7: Charles Guenther to Mona Van Duyn thanking her and describing briefly the adult evening class he directs, 1965: November 22.

(Typed Letter Signed, 1 page)

Item 8: William Matheson to Charles Guenther cautioning him about weeding his papers and again inviting him to contribute to Washington University, 1967: June 2.

(Typescript [photocopy], 1 page)

Item 9: Charles Guenther to Elsie Freivogel enclosing an article on Cummings he had written, etc., 1967: June 8.

(Typed Letter Signed, 1 page)

Item 10: Charles Guenther to William Matheson explaining his position on the disposal of his collections, 1967: June 8.

He suggests that if a university awarded academic credit for his work, he would be more inclined to deposit his materials with that university. Expresses his past disappointment in regard to regognition of his achievements. (Typescript [photocopy] Signed, 2 pages)

Item 11: Elsie Freivogel to Charles Guenther explaining the difficulties in obtaining academic credit and proposing more practical alternatives, 1967: June 13.

Discusses the advantages of a library's safekeeping of collections and encourages Guenther to have a professional appraisal made. Advises him also about literary rights, etc. and additional advantages to an author of placing materials in the care of professionals. (Typescript [carbon], 2 pages)

Item 12: Matheson to Charles Guenther offering his services in obtaining appraisal of Guenther's holdings, 1967: June 14.

Thanks him for his recent contributions. (Typescript [carbon], 1 page)

Item 13: Charles Guenther to William Matheson resisting an appraisal with explanation, 1967: June 17.

Declares Washington University is ruled out as a potential recipient and relates instances in which friends destroyed their holdings including letters and manuscripts of Dylan Thomas. Encloses several letters from Marianne Moore. Mentions Coiled Wire group. (Typescript [photocopy] signed, 2 pages)

Item 14: Charles Guenther to Elsie Freivogel with greetings from a writer's conference he is attending, 1967: July 7.

(Autograph postal card, signed)

Item 15: Elsie Freivogel to Charles Guenther encouraging him to look further into the possibilities of a University library job, and academic credit, 1967: September 29.

Requests more detailed information on the Coiled Wire group and their periodicle Chronicle. (Typescript [carbon], 1 page)

Item 16: Eilliam Matheson to Charles Guenther thanking him for issues of Coiled Wire Chronicle and requesting further information on persons to contact in order to document the history of the group, 1967: October 4.

(Typescript, [carbon], 1 page)

Item 17: Charles Guenther to William Matheson enclosing names and addresses of local principals in the former Coiled Wire group; mentions others who have since left St. Louis or died, 1967: October 11.

(Typescript, [photocopy] Signed, 1 page)

Item 18: William Matheson to Charles Guenther thanking him for the Curled Wire information, 1967: October 17.

(Typescript [carbon], 1 page)

Item 19: Charles Guenther to Elsie Freivogel with greeting from a conference he is attending, 1968: July 8.

(Autograph postalcard Signed)

Item 20: William Matheson to Charles Guenther thanking him for the marked copy of The bulletin of the New York public library, 1969: April 29.

(Typescript [carbon], 1 page)

Item 21: Charles Guenther to Will Wharton thanking him for his generous review of Guenther's book of Paul Valery translations, 1970: Apr. 27.

Encloses translation of Caesar [poem] with explanation for changes. Brief comparison of Valery with Mallarme. (Typescript [carbon] Signed, 1 page)

Series 2: Translations

Box 1

Folder 2-4

Item 1: Cemetery by the sea [poem] Translated from the French of Paul Valery, 1949.

A literal translation into English. (Manuscript, 12 pages)

Item 2: Cemetery by the sea [poem] Translated from the French of Paul Valery, 1949.

Final draft, Manuscript, heavily revised and corrected. 12 pages.

Item 3: Cemetery by the sea [poem] Translated from the French of Paul Valery, 1949.

Final draft, Manuscript, heavily revised and corrected. 12 pages.

Item 4: Cemetery by the sea [poem] Translated from the French of Paul Valery, 1949.

Typescript draft. Moderate revision. Typescript [carbon] 9 pages.

Item 5: Cemetery by the sea [poem] Translated from the French of Paul Valery, 1949.

Typescript. Minor revision, some in the hand of Will Wharton, St. Louis poet and reviewer. Typescript, 8 pages.

Item 6: Caesar [poem] Translated from the French of Paul Valery, no date, [1970], April 27, 1970.

Heavily revised [1970] Enclosed with letter to Will Wharton. Typescript, typescript [carbon]. 2 drafts. 2 pages.

Item 7: Suddenly day distended [poem] Heavily revised, [1940], [1960]

Appended note by Guenther states that poem inspired by Baudelaire's pantoum. Minor correction. Typescript [carbon], one draft, 1 page.

Item 8: The strawberries [poem] Translated from the French of Tristan Derme, [1947], [1955]

Published in [1955] in Western Humanities Review. Minor correction. Typescript, one draft, 1 page.

Item 9: Avec ton parapluie [poem] Translated from the French of Francis Jammes, [1939]

Heavy revision and correction. Appended note by Guenther states poem published, but time and place unknown. (Typescript, one draft, 1 page)

Item 10: The clown; Interior portrait [poems] Translated by Charles Guenther, [1940]

The clown from the French of Paul Verlaine; Interior portrait from R.M. Rilke's Vergers. Published in unknown Canadian magazine, Contact(?) (Typescript, 2 drafts, 1 page)

Item 11: Six poems of Paul Valery and a sonnet of Edgar Degas, translated by Charles Guenther, [circa 1953-1955]

Valery poems entitled, Cemetery by the sea, Helen, Orpheus, The caress, Bather, The poetry lover, and the Degas poem called The dancer. Typescript, bound, and distributed to friends in the Curled Wire group. 22 pages

Series 3: Printed Materials

Box 1

Folder 5-7

Item 1: What makes a poet? by Charles Guenther, 1960, April 3, 1960, March 1961

Extracts from an address given at St. Louis University April 3, 1960, reprinted in Missouri Library Association Quarterly (vol. xxii, no 1, March 1961). Duplicated. 6 pages. (3 copies)

Item 2: An early St. Louis poet: Pierre Francois Regnier by Charles Guenther, 1965.

Reprinted from The French in the Mississippi Valley, edited by John Francis McDermott, (University of Illinois Press). 19 pages. (4 copies) Includes three brochures from The French in the Mississippi Valley conference, February 13-15, 1964.

Item 3: I was sitting on the prose; and To American Negro soldiers [poems] by Leopold Sedar Senghor, translated by Charles Guenther, [1965]

Printed in Focus/Midwest (Vol. III, No. 8 and 9) 1 page, 1 item.

Item 4: Three letters of Paul Verlaine by Charles Guenther, October 1960.

Reprinted from Discourse, October 1960. (1 item)

Item 5: Bulletin of the New York Public Library, October 1968.

1 item

Item 6: Poetry Center Speaking, Volume VIII:4, January 1971

(1 item)

Item 7: Curled Wire Chronicle, Volume II, Number 1, September 1954.

(1 item)

Item 8: Curled Wire Chronicle, Volume II, Number 4, December-January 1954-1955.

1 item

Item 9: Now Take This Rose: Three sonnets and an ode by Pierre de Ronsard, 1983.

Translated from the French by Guenther.1983. (1 item)

Item 10: Even the Rose...: A sonnet by Garcilaso de la Vega, 1984.

Translated from the Spanish by Guenther. (1 item)

Item 11: Retreat Among the Roses by Juan Ramon Jimenez, 1984.

Translated from the Spanish by Guenther. (1 item)

Series 4: Personal Papers

Box 1

Folder 8

Item 1: Webster College commencement program, May 1974