Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Heim, Michael Henry.
- Abstract:
- The Heim mss., ca. 1975-2001, consist primarily of correspondence, in Czech, between author Milan Kundera, 1929- , and UCLA Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Michael Henry Heim, 1943-2012.
- Extent:
- 6 Boxes (6 custom)
- Language:
- Materials are in Czech .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Heim mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Michael Henry Heim, 1943-2012, was Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature at UCLA for 40 years. A prolific and respected translator, he was fluent in Russian, Czech, Serbian/Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, and Romanian. He translated into English works by notable authors such as Chekhov, Thomas Mann, and Günter Grass. He made the work of Czech author Milan Kundera accessible to English-speaking audiences, having translated many of his works including The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, and The Joke.
- Scope and Content:
The letters relate to Heim's translation of Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (A.A. Knopf, 1980) and of The Joke (Harper & Row, 1982). Enclosed in one of Kundera's letters is his introduction for Heim's translation of The Joke, accompanied by Heim's translation of the introduction. Also present in this file is an exchange between Heim and author Philip Roth about Kundera in November 1979, and Heim's reader's report for The Unbearable Lightness of Being, the translation of which he published with Harper in 1984. Other items in the collection are Heim's translation of "Maria: A Play in Eight Acts by Isaak Babel," accompanied by a photocopy of the original Russian printed version; and photocopies of four articles written by Heim about translation as well as one of a Los Angeles Times, story about him.
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired: 2002
- Custodial history:
Michael Henry Heim. Los Angeles, CA.
- Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into the following series: I. Correspondence, II. Writings, and III. Printed Articles.
- Physical location:
- Lilly - Stacks
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], Heim 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