Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Kinnell, Galway, 1927-2014, Bell, Charles G. (Charles Greenleaf), 1916-2010, Crosby, Anne Buchanan, 1929-, and Hall, Donald, 1928-
- Abstract:
- The Kinnell mss, 1936-1980, consists of the correspondence, writings and other papers of poet and professor Galway Kinnell, 1927-2014.
- Extent:
- 22 Boxes
- Language:
- Materials are in English
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Kinnell mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Galway Kinnell, 1927-2014, was an American poet and professor. Kinnell was born in Providence, Rhode Island, received his BA from Princeton University and his MA from the University of Rochester in New York. His teaching career began at Alfred University in New York where he taught English. He also held professorships at universities throughout the world, from Columbia University to the University of Grenoble in France and from the University of Iran, Teheran to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. He was a visiting professor or poet at such distinguished universities and colleges as Sarah Lawrence, Queens College of CUNY, Brandeis University, Skidmore College and the University of California, Irvine. He was visiting writer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and resident writer at Deya Institute, Mallorca, Spain. In addition to his teaching duties, Kinnell traveled extensively giving poetry readings.
Kinnell's poetry began appearing in poetry magazines and anthologies in 1953. In 1960 his first volume of poetry, What a Kingdom It Was, was published. By 1980 ten books of his poetry had been published. Although most prolific as a poet, Kinnell's other published works include: a novel, Black Light; a children's book, How the Alligator Missed Breakfast; illustrations for a book of poetry by Pati Hill; and translations of such writers as Yvan Goll, Rene Hardy, and Francois Villon.
The quality of his work over the years brought Kinnell many awards and prizes, such as the Ingram Merrill Foundation award, an Amy Lowell traveling fellowship, the London Translation Prize, and the Shelley Prize from the Poetry Society of America. Not least among these is the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his work Selected Poems. Kinnell died on October 28, 2014 at his home in Sheffield, Vermont.
- Scope and Content:
Among Kinnell's papers are many drafts of the poems found in his volume Selected Poems, for which he won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. In general, the correspondence concerns Kinnell's teaching and poetry readings. Through the exchange of writings, advice and criticism was sought among peers, and this relationship with his colleagues is also reflected in the letters.
The collection includes countless drafts and worksheets of his writings as well as page proofs, galleys, book production material and printed reviews of his published works. There is also a large section of writings by other poets and authors.
Present also are writings from Kinnell's childhood years, as well as class notes, papers, and lecture material covering his academic career.
The collection concludes with a miscellaneous section which contains, among other items, material concerning his activities with both the civil rights movement and anti-war protests of the 1960s and early 70s.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchase: 1980
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized into the following series: I. Correspondence; II. Illustrations by Kinnell; III. Writings by Kinnell; IV. Writings by Others; V. Memorabilia; VI. Miscellaneous. An index of titles is located at the end of the collection.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility)
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Kinnell mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu