Robert Creeley Papers (MSS031), 1944-1978 | MSS Manuscripts

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Collection Overview

Title: Robert Creeley Papers (MSS031), 1944-1978

Predominant Dates:1951-1972

ID: MSS/MSS/031

Primary Creator: Creeley, Robert (1926-2005)

Extent: 35.0 Boxes

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Series I, Correspondence, 1945-1968, bulking 1963-1968, including letters from Charles Olson, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, W.S.Merwin, Witter Bynner, Louis Zukofsky, Henry Rago, Fred Eckman, others and correspondence among Creeley, Walter Hamady and Henry Wenning on publication of The Charm, Words, For Joel, letters from Creeley to Dudley Wynn, University of New Mexico, others, c. 200 items;

Series 2, Literary manuscripts, inc. those of The Charm, Divisions & other early poems, Eight [single title poem], The Finger, For Joel, For Love, The Island [printer's typescript, see Creeley I] Pieces [Black Sparrow and Scribner's editions] Seven [single title poem] Words [Scribner's and Rob Run editions]; series 2/1, material by other writers, inc. Robert Duncan's A Dancing Concerning a Form of Women [poem] David Galler's Jennings, Justice, Berryman, Creeley [review] Walter Hamady's Plumfoot poems [proof] Charles Olson's review of For Love, William Packard's and Burton' Robie's reviews of For Love, exerpt from Kenneth Rexroth's Assays, essay by Fred Wah titled Linguistic structures in the poetry of Robert Creeley.

Series 3, Essays, articles and reviews by Creeley, including transcription of 1963 Vancouver Conference panel, account of panel with John Cage, Merce Cunningham, others, essays on the experience of writing poetry.

Series 4, Journals and diaries, notebook 1966, given Creeley by Allen Ginsberg, containing drafts of poems later published in Pieces, diary entries; notebook 1968, containing drafts of poems for Pieces.

Series 5, Editorial matter emanating from The Charm, For Joel, For love, New American poetry, Pieces [Scribner's] Selected writings of Charles Olson, Words [Rob Run and Scribner's]

Series 6, Clippings, miscellany, including German language radio scripts concerning Creeley, announcements of readings, conferences, publishers' announcements, clippings concerning Creeley.

Collection Historical Note

Robert Creeley (May 21, 1926 – March 30, 2005) was an American poet and author of more than sixty books. He is usually associated with the Black Mountain poets, though his verse aesthetic diverged from that school. He entered Harvard University in 1943, but left to serve in the American Field Service in Burma and India in 1944-1945. He returned to Harvard in 1946, but eventually took his BA from Black Mountain College in 1955, teaching some courses there as well.

From 1951 to 1955, Creeley and his first wife, Ann, lived on the Spanish island of Mallorca. There they started Divers Press and published works by Paul Blackburn, Robert Duncan, Charles Olson, and others. Creeley wrote about half of his published prose while living on the island, including a short story collection, The Gold Diggers, and a novel, The Island. He traveled between Mallorca and his teaching position at Black Mountain College in 1954 and 1955. They also saw to the printing of some issues of Origin and Black Mountain Review on Mallorca because the printing costs were significantly lower there.

Creeley received an MA from the University of New Mexico in 1960. He began his academic career by teaching at the prestigious Albuquerque Academy starting in around 1958 until about 1960 or 1961. Afterward, he wandered about a bit before settling into the English faculty of "Black Mountain II" at the University at Buffalo in 1967. He would stay at this post until 2003, when he received a post at Brown University. At the time of his death, he was in residence with the Lannan Foundation in Marfa, Texas.

Creeley first received fame in 1962 from his poetry collection For Love. It was hard for many readers and critics to immediately understand Creeley's reputation as an innovative poet, for his innovations were often very subtle; even harder for some to imagine that his work lived up to the Black Mountain tenet—which he articulated to Charles Olson in their correspondence, and which Olson popularized in his essay "Projective Verse," -- that "form is never more than an extension of content," for his poems were often written in couplet, triplet, and quatrain stanzas that break into and out of rhyme as happenstance appears to dictate.

Administrative Information

Repository: MSS Manuscripts

Access Restrictions: Open

Use Restrictions:

Users of the collection must read and agree to abide by the rules and procedures set forth in the Materials Use Policies.

Providing access to materials does not constitute permission to publish or otherwise authorize use. All publication not covered by fair use or other exceptions is restricted to those who have permission of the copyright holder, which may or may not be Washington University.

If you wish to publish or license Special Collections materials, please contact Special Collections to inquire about copyright status at (314) 935-5495 or spec@wumail.wustl.edu. (Publish means quotation in whole or in part in seminar or term papers, theses or dissertations, journal articles, monographs, books, digital forms, photographs, images, dramatic presentations, transcriptions, or any other form prepared for a limited or general public.)

Acquisition Source: Purchase and Gift

Acquisition Method: Accessions numbers: 750, 769, 782, 813, 821, 893, 900, 901, 941, 963, 1051, 1044, 1078, 1275, 1282, 1294

Preferred Citation: Name of the Collection, Washington University Libraries, Department of Special Collections

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Correspondence, 1951-1972],
[Series 2: Literary Manuscripts],
[Series 3: Essays, Articles, Reviews by Robert Creeley],
[Series 4: Journals, Diaries, Notebooks],
[Series 5: Personal Papers],
[Series 6: Clippings, Announcements, Miscellany],
[Series 7: Audiovisual],
[All]

Series 2: Literary Manuscripts

Includes poems and fiction.

Sub-Series 2.1: Literary Manuscripts by Creeley

Box 19

Folder 144: The Charm, Madison: The perishable press, 1967. Early and uncollected poems.: Typescript. Typescript [carbon] and typescript [xerox] early draft. Manuscript title, acknowledgments, additions, revisions of text. Includes preface, text photocopied from previous typescript drafts, submissions, or printed pages. Titles, text, correspond to published text, though order varies slightly. 72 pages.
Folder 145: The Charm, Madison: The perishable press, 1967. Early and uncollected poems.: Typescript [xerox] text, titled in Creeley's hand The Charm: Early and uncollected poems, on page with poem titled Return. Does not include preface, acknowledgments, other front matter, corresponds with one omission to text [1] above. Manuscript revision [xerox]. 65 pages.
Folder 146: The Charm, Madison: The perishable press, 1967. Early and uncollected poems.: Typescript [xerox] text, duplicating [2] above, with printer's markings in Hamady's hand. 65 pages.
Folder 147: The Charm, Madison: The perishable press, 1967. Early and uncollected poems.: Proofs of front matter, text through p. 8 of published version. Two sets fold for pp. 4,5,7,8, one uncut. Printer's markings, on book stock., 6 sheets3
Folder 148: The Charm, Madison: The perishable press, 1967. Early and uncollected poems.: Proofs of front matter, entire text, labeled author's proofs. Heavy printer's marking, comments in ms. by Creeley, letter to Walter Hamady on proof stock. Includes four sets of contents, other front matter, occasional duplicate sheets of text, some uncut. Book stock., 47 sheets.
Folder 149: The Charm, Madison: The perishable press, 1967. Early and uncollected poems.: Entire book, no cover, sewn on book stock, no markings, 26 sheets.

Box 20

Folder 150: A Day Book: Typescript [photocopy], 33 pages.
Folder 151: A Day Book: Typescript [photocopy], 95 pages.
Folder 152: Divisions & Other Early Poems, Madison: The perishable press, 1968: Typescript [xerox] printed [xerox] with manuscript [xerox] notations indicating original publication, order, poem to be used. Complete text of published work, including other poems appearing on the same page with previously published poems selected for this volume. No revision of text. Manuscript [xerox] note on first page, Manuscript for Divisions & other poems, in Creeley's hand, 18 pages.
Folder 153: Eight [poem], Included in collection, Pieces.: Manuscript draft, varying considerably from published version. Written on verso of envelope, c.1 page.
Folder 154: The Finger, Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, with collages by Bobbie Creeley, 1968: Typescript and manuscript [xerox] draft. Includes introductory history of poem, with note to William Matheson. Manuscript first page, labeled by Creeley first beginning, includes first three stanzas and one line of text. Full text begins on second page, continues in manuscript through first 12 stanzas of poem with 2 manuscript revisions. Manuscript note laid in. Original manuscript owned by Neil Williams, 5 pages.
Folder 155: The Finger, Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, with collages by Bobbie Creeley, 1968: Typescript and manuscript [xerox] draft. Entire text of poem with several manuscript revisions. Repeats text as in [1] above in typescript, with two manuscript revisions. Continues in typescript to end of poem, Dated in manuscript last page, Oct. 17, 1967, 7 pages.
Folder 156: The Finger, Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, with collages by Bobbie Creeley, 1968: Notes, 3 pages.
Folder 157: The Finger, Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, with collages by Bobbie Creeley, 1968: Proof cover, 1 page.
Folder 158: The Finger, Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, with collages by Bobbie Creeley, 1968: Dust jacket, 1 page.
Folder 159: For Joel and Helen Oppenheimer, Madison: The perishable press, 1966: June 6: Typescript, no manuscript revision, corresponding to printed text. Signed, 1 page.
Folder 160: For Joel and Helen Oppenheimer, Madison: The perishable press, 1966: June 6: Proofs, on varicolored book stock, (last in Creeley's hand). Heavy manuscript comment by Creeley, letters to Hamady verso first proof, note on fifth proof. Hamady's markings show 2nd proof, 4th 6th and 7th proofs or states, dated July 11,1966 - July 22, 1966, 7 sheets.
Folder 161: For Love, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962: Typescript, marked for printer. Includes preface, table of contents with pages numbered in pencil, galley references. No revision of text. Included also is single sheet, additional instructions for composition, typescript [xerox], two layout transparencies, 155 pages.
Folder 162: For Love, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962: Galley proofs, includes preface, contents, other front matter, text. Manuscript printer's markings only, 48 sheets.

Box 21

Folder 163: For Love, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962: Galley proofs, marked duplicate [of 1 above] Page markings in red manuscript pencil, printer's markings. Two memos, typescript [xerox], Viola Sperka to [printer] enclosed, 48 sheets.
Folder 164: For Love, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962: Galley proofs, including title page, all front matter, text. Pages numbered in type, printer's markings only, 53 sheets.
Folder 165: Four stories: The Musicians, The Book, The Suitorm and The Conversation: Typescript, 13 pages.
Folder 166: The Gold Diggers: Notes, 1 page.
Folder 167: I Want: Auto, 1 page.
Folder 168: The Island, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1963: Typescript, marked for printer. Includes all front matter, text and pasteup proof of half-title and title pages, and typescript text of copyright page. Galley indications. No revision, 176 pages.
Folder 169: The Island, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1963: Typescript, 111 pages.

Box 22

Folder 170: The Island, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1963

Typescript, 172 pages.

Folder 171: The Island, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1963

Notes, 13 pages.

Folder 172: The Island, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1963

Notebooks, 3 items.

Folder 173: Listen

Typescript [photocopy], 30 pages.

Folder 174: Listen

Auto [photocopy], 37 pages.

Folder 175: Listen

Typescript corrections, 9 pages.

Folder 176: Listen

Typescript, 3 pages. Includes typed letter signed, 1 page from John Martin to Creeley (1972: October 6).

Folder 177: Listen

Typescript, radio script version, 34 pages.

Folder 178: Mary's Fancy

Typescript, 1 page.

Folder 179: New American Poetry, Donald Allen, editor. New York: Grove Press, 1960

Galley proof, cut to include only Creeley poems. Explanatory manuscript note by Creeley, signed, 7 sheets.

Folder 180: Prices [collection of poems], Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1968

Collages by Bobbie Creeley.

Typescript. One manuscript insertion, manuscript indications for spacing, one manuscript revision. Information note with typescript in Creeley's hand, identifying typescript, 7 pages.

Box 23

Folder 181: Pieces [collection of poems], New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, see also series 4, 1969

Manuscript, typescript, typescript [carbon] drafts of poems for Pieces, apparently gathered as a collection. Includes two or more versions of Kates, A step, Many titles show previous place of publication or date of writing. March, 1967-June 1968. 64 pages.

Item 182: Pieces [collection of poems], New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, see also series 4, 1969

Typescript, typescript [carbon] manuscript inserts, complete text. Includes manuscript ink list of journals. Typescript [carbon] acknowledgments, dedication. For you, The boy, 3 in 1 added at end as inserts, first 10 stanzas of Gemini missing from typescript. They omitted from typescript, typescript draft, manuscript revision of A Voice [poem] also included, not in published text (translation of German poem). A Woman [poem] also included on separate page in typescript, not included in text. Manuscript indications for spacing, typescript indications for stanza breaks, c.71 pages.

Item 183: Pieces [collection of poems], New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, see also series 4, 1969

Setting copy, 67 pages.

Folder 184: Pieces [collection of poems], New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, see also series 4, 1969

Notes, 1 pages.

Item 185: Pieces [collection of poems], New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, see also series 4, 1969

Galley proof, some revision, pages 10 and 14 missing, no front matter. Notation at top of first galley, "Read by Creeley," 27 sheets. Located in oversize mss boxes.

Folder 186: Poetry and Magic

Typescript, 60 pages.

Folder 187: Presences, 1971: December 19

Typescript, 46 pages.

Includes autograph card signed, 1 page from D. Anderson to Creeley (1971: December 19).

Folder 188: A Step

Auto, 1 page.

Folder 189: [Moved to Sub-Series 2.2, Folder 230.1]

Folder 190: Seven [poem], Included in collection, Pieces. One folder., 1968: January 17

Manuscript, ink, with sketches. Includes complete text of poem as it appears in Pieces, with additional sections not included. Draft of Zero also included. Written on twice-folded printing stock of Black Sparrow Press, with Black S Sparrow colophon., 4 pages.

Typescript, heavy manuscript addition. Includes complete text of poem. January 17, 1968. 1 page

Folder 191: Untitled collection of poems

Typescript [photocopy], 22 pages.

Folder 192: Whitman

Whitman, Typescript, 25 pages.

Box 24

Folder 193: Whitman: Whitman, Proof, 237 pages. Includes separate photograph of Creeley.
Folder 194: Words, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1967: Typescript [xerox] partial text, marked for spacing. Typescript includes poem Bits not included in Scribner's text, does not include Dancing, Tally, Oh my love and Fragments in published version. Omits front matter, 91 pages.
Folder 195: Words, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1967: Galley proof. Printer's markings only, 46 sheets.
Folder 196: Words, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1967: Galley proof, revised by Creeley. Manuscript notes from Creeley indicating changes. Includes layout transparency for contents, typescript of contents, marked for printer, galley proof on galley stock of title page, credits, 41 sheets.
Folder 197: Words, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1967: Galley proof, stamped Master proof, including revisions indicated in proof [2] above, 31 sheets.
Folder 198: Words, Rochester, Michigan: Rob Run Press, 1965: Typescript, no revision, including dedication, half title, 11 pages.
Folder 199: Words, Rochester, Michigan: Rob Run Press, 1965: Proof of colophon on book stock. Including 1 blank sheet, folded twice, 1 page colophon, 2 sheets.

Box 25

Folder 201: Words, Rochester, Michigan: Rob Run Press, 1965: Typescript, 105 pages.
Folder 200: Words, Rochester, Michigan: Rob Run Press, 1965: Typescript, 121 pages.
Folder 202: Words, Rochester, Michigan: Rob Run Press, 1965: Typescript, Galley proof.

Sub-Series 2.2: Manuscripts by Others

Manuscripts, typescripts, proof of writers other than Creeley.

Box 25

Folder 203: André, Michael, Two Weeks With Creeley in Texas, n.d.: January 12

Includes typed letter signed, 1 page from André to Creeley (n.d.; January 12). 8 pages.

Folder 204: Bartlett, Jennifer

Cleopatra I-IV, 89 pages.

Folder 205: Berkson, Bill

Total Media, 15 pages.

Folder 206: Berrigan, Ted

Scorpion, Eagle & Dove, 1 page.

Folder 207: Bloom, Danny

The Cosmic Bliss of Antoine de Supermann, 4 pages.

Folder 208: Callahan, Bob

An Afternoon With Carl Ortwin Sauer, 4 pages.

Folder 209: Clark, Tom

Item 1: Notes, 1 page.
Item 2: Scenes Along the Road, 1 page. Also includes Going Downtown.
Item 3: Zoom 2 pages.

Folder 210: Cox, Kenneth

Address and Posture in the Poetry of Robert Creeley, 7 pages and offprint.

Box 26

Folder 211: Creeley, Sarah

Various articles in the Apple Tree Times, 7 pages.

Folder 212: Dawson, Fielding, The Mandalay Dream, galley proofs, 1971: July 25

40 pages. Includes typed letter signed, 1 page from Dawson to Creeley (1971: July 25).

Folder 213: Duncan, Robert, A Dancing Concerning a Form of Women [poem], 2006: February 20

1 page. Typescript., no revision. Initialed R.D. Searching for as of 2006: February 20

Folder 214: Faas, Ekbert

Irving Layton & Robert Creeley: the complete correspondence, 1953-1978, 315 pages.

Folder 215: Faas, Ekbert

Irving Layton & Robert Creeley: the complete correspondence, 1953-1978, 315 pages.

Folder 216: Galler, David, Jennings, Justice, Berryman [Creeley]

4 pages. Essay in the Sewanee Review, v. 69, no.11, Winter, 1961. Manuscript, light manuscript addition, revision. Unsigned, includes on Creeley portion.

Folder 217: Gerstman, Eric Lee

Item 1: Estimated Reading Time 5 Minutes, 8 pages.
Item 2: Untitled collection of poems written on envelopes, 10 pages.
Item 3: Untitled, 2 pages.

Folder 218: Goldfard, Sidney

Item 1: Death Sentences, 2 pages.
Item 2: Ars Poetica: First Take, 1 page.
Item 3: Ars Poetica: Second Take, 2 pages.
Item 4: Ars Poetica: Third Take, 1 page.
Item 5: Moving In, 4 pages.
Item 6: A Ten Minute Walk, 6 pages.

Folder 219: Grenier, Robert

Starting Times, 15 pages.

Box 27

Folder 220: Grossinger, Richard

Item 1

Spaces Wild and Tame, galley proofs, 41 pages.

Also includes typed letter, 1 page from Eileen to Creeley (1971: July 20).

Item 2

The System of Economics, offprint, 12 pages.

Folder 221: Hamady, Walter, Plumfoot Poems [collection]

6 sheets.

Written and printed by Hamady at the perishable press, Madison Wisconsin, 1967. Unbound proof on book stock. No corrections, revisions. Includes complete text, front matter and colophon.

Folder 222: Humphrey, James, Poems From the Poetry Writing Workshops

31 pages.

Poems from South Braintree Junior High.

Folder 223: Kaufman, Robert F., The Poetry of Robert Creeley

15 pages and offprint.

Includes typed letter sent, 1 page from John Ashbery to Creeley (1971: January 6) and autograph letter signed, 1 page from Gilbert Wheat to Creeley (n.d.).

Folder 224: Kicknosway, Faye, Untitled selection of poems

26 pages.

Includes typed letter sent, 1 page from Kicknosway to Creeley (n.d.).

Folder 225: Levertov, Denise

Staying Alive, 16 pages.

Folder 226: Linenthal, Mark

The Teachers' Strike and the Trustees, Offprint, 8 pages.

Folder 227: Mazzaro, Jerome

Integrities, 7 pages.

Folder 228: McAdams, Lewis

Life After Death, 3 pages.

Folder 229: McClure, Michael

Item 1

We, 11 pages.

Item 2

Xes, 22 pages.

Originally contained A World Awash with Fascism & Fear by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Transferred to Rare Books.

Folder 230: Olson, Charles, For Love [review]

4 pages.

Revised version appeared in Village Voice. Typescript, 1 correction. Unsigned.

Folder 230.1: Olson, Charles, Selected Writings, circa 1966

Galley proof, lightly revised, including contents, acknowledgments, dedicatory poem. Identifying note in manuscript, by Creeley, on galley, 1 sheet.

Folder 231: Packard, William, For Love [review]

2 pages.

Typescript, no revision. Unidentified appearance. Unsigned.

Folder 232: Power, Helen

Creeley family history, 4 pages.

Folder 233: Prunty, Wyatt

Item 1: Lyrics For a Season, 1 page.
Item 2: Consider, 1 page.
Item 3: Renewal, 1 page.

Folder 234: Ranta, Jerrald, Form in Creeley's For Love, Words and Pieces

37 pages.

Includes typed letter sent, 1 page from Ranta to Creeley (n.d.).

Folder 235: Renfro, Stan

Item 1: Dionysus, 6 pages.
Item 2: The Eagle Sings, 17 pages.

Folder 236: Rexroth, Kenneth, Excerpt on Creeley from Assays

1 page.

Norfolk, Conn: J. Laughlin, 1961 Typescript, one manuscript insertion, unidentified hand.

Folder 237: Robie, Burton A, For love [review]

2 pages.

Library journal, April 1, 1962. Typescript [carbon] on Library Journal copy paper. No revisions.

Box 28

Folder 238: Surette, P.L.

The Historical Pattern in Ezra Pound's Cantos, offprint, 11 page.

Folder 239: Unidentified

4 pages.

Becoming Solstice, 2 pages.

Folder 240: Wah, Fred, Linguistic Structures in the Poetry of Robert Creeley

8 pages.

Typescript [carbon] essay, apparently written as a course requirement at the University of British Columbia. No revision.

Folder 241: Wieners, John

Playboy [collection of poems], 13 pages.