Biographical Note
John Edwin Woods (1942- ) has won numerous awards for his translations, including the Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize (1996), the ALTA Translation of the Year Award (1994), the Society of Authors Schlegel–Tick Prize (1991), the PEN Translation Prize (1987 and 1981), and the American Book Award for Translation (1981). Woods has translated all of the major novels of Nobel laureate Thomas Mann.
Scope and Content Note
The collection includes numerous items related to his work as a translator of Arno Schmidt's works. There is a large body of correspondence regarding Schmidt written by Ernst Krawehl and others, as well as manuscripts of Schmidt writings translated by Woods, such as Evening Edged in Gold, School for Atheists and "Lake Scenes with Pocahontas." Also present are an array of published and unpublished manuscripts translated from the writings of such German authors as Thomas Mann, Libuŝe Monikóvá, John Rabe, Christoph Ransmayr, Jan Philip Reemstma, and Ingo Schulze. Most of the manuscripts include the handwritten edits and annotations made by the translator.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into the following series: I. General correspondence; II. Translations; III. Arno Schmidt; IV. Writings by Woods; V. Additions, 2005.
Restrictions
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.
Usage Restrictions:
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.
Indexed Terms
-
Persons
- Krawehl, Ernst, 1909-
- Krawehl, Ernst, 1909- --Correspondence
- Mann, Thomas, 1875-1955
- Monikóvá, Libuŝe.
- Rabe, John, 1882-1950
- Ransmayr, Christoph, 1954-
- Reemtsma, Jan Philipp.
- Schmidt, Arno, 1914-1979
- Schmidt, Arno, 1914-1979 --Translations into English.
- Schulze, Ingo, 1962-
- Woods, John E. (John Edwin) --Correspondence.
-
Subjects
- German literature --Translations into English.
- Literature--translating
-
Genres and Forms
- Translations --20th century.
- Translations --21st century.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Item], Woods mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Acquisition Information
Acquired: 2002, 2005.
Processing Information
Processed by Staff.
Completed in 2013
Collection Inventory
Series:
General Correspondence
Box 1
1979-2002
Physical Description: (34 folders)
Subseries:
Book Translations
Box 1
Mann, Thomas. Doctor Faustus. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A.A. Knopf , 1997)
Physical Description: (6 folders)
Box 1
Mann. The Magic Mountain. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A.A. Knopf , 1995)
Physical Description: (6 folders)
Box 2
Mann, Thomas. The Magic Mountain cont.
Physical Description: (4 folders)
Box 2
Monikóvá. Libuše. Drift Ice. Translated by John E. Woods. Unpublished manuscript.
Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box 2
Monikóvá. Impairment (Schädigung). Unpublished manuscript.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 2
Monikóvá. Pavane for a Dead Princess. Translated by John E. Woods. Unpublished manuscript. , 1991
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 2
Rabe, John. The Good Man of Nanking: the Diaries of John Rabe. Edited by Erwin Wickert. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A. A. Knopf, Notes (faxes) of Wickert. , 1998), 1997
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 2
Rabe. The Good Man of Nanking. Correspondence from Erwin Wickert , 1998
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 2
Rabe. The Good Man of Nanking. Manuscript titled: The Good German of Nanking.
Physical Description: (3 folders)
Box 2
Rabe. The Good Man of Nanking. Manuscript.
Physical Description: (3 folders)
Box 2
Ransmayr, Christoph. The Dog King. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A.A. Knopf, Manuscript titled: The Kitahara Syndrome. , 1997)
Physical Description: (3 folders)
Box 2
Ransmayr. Fatehpur. Speech. , Nov. 10-11, 1996
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 2
Ransmayr. The Unborn.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma, Jan Philipp. And So for the Reason Noted c.Speech. , 1990
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. In Honor of Daniel Goldberg, On the Occasion of His Being Awarded the Democracy Prize Speech. , Mar. 17, 1997
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. More Than a Champion: The Style of Muhammad Ali. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A.A. Knopf , 1998)
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. The Political Semantics of the Concept of 'Torture,' , ca. 1990
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. State Terror , ca. 1990
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. Survivor Memoirs , ca. 1998
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. Terroratio I , ca. 1990
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. Terroratio II , ca. 1990
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Reemstma. Toward a Psychoanalytic Understanding of Human Cruelty , ca. 1990
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Schulze, Ingo. 33 Moments of Happiness: St. Petersburg Stories. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A.A. Knopf , 1998)
Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box 3
Schulze. 33 Moments of Happiness.
Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box 3
Schulze. Simple Stories Translated by John E. Woods (New York: A.A. Knopf , 2000)
Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box 3
Wagner, Richard. Tannhäuser: In Full Score. German, with English interlinear translations by John E. Woods (New York: Dover Publications , 1984)
Physical Description: (bound volume)
Box 3
Wagner. Tannhäuser and the Tournament of Song at Wartburg. Edited and translated by Natalia Macfarren. (New York: G. Schirmer, Annotated for surtitles by John E. Woods , ca. 1990-1995?)
Physical Description: (bound volume)
Box 3
Wagner. Lyric Opera of Chicago Tannhäuser production folder , 1998-1999
Physical Description: 46pp.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Scope and Contents: Includes surtitles program.
Subseries:
Other Translations
Box 3
Döblin, Alfred. Mountain Seas and Giants Unpublished sample. , ca. 1981
Physical Description: 18pp.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Enzensberger, Hans Magnus. Hitler's Wraith [Wrath] Translated by John E. Woods. , ca. 1995
Physical Description: 9pp.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Enzensberger. Inserts for Bosnia - Uganda , ca. 1995
Physical Description: 1p.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Enzensberger. Manhunting in Germany Translated by John E. Woods. , ca. 1995
Physical Description: 6pp.
Physical Description: (1 folder)
Box 3
Fleischhauer, Jan. Victory or Siberia Translated by John E. Woods. , ca. 1999
Physical Description: 24pp.
Box 3
Ganzfried, Daniel. The Borrowed Holocaust Biography Translated by John E. Woods. , 27 Aug. 1998
Physical Description: 15pp.
Physical Description: 10pp.
Physical Description: title: After Auschwitz, Facts Don't Count,
Physical Description: date: 11 Sept. 1998.
Box 3
Glotz, Peter. Forward to Europe: A Manifesto for a New European Left Translated by John E. Woods. T.D. , ca. 1985
Physical Description: Accompanied by copy of German text
Box 3
Pross, Harry. The Grand Reconciliation: Kitsch as a Social Product Translated by John E. Woods. T.D. , Mar. 1985
Physical Description: Accompanied by a photocopy of German text
Box 3
Süskind, Patrick. Perfume Unpublished sample. , Fall 1985
Physical Description: [14]pp.
Box 3
Assorted published reviews , 1983-2001
Subseries:
Correspondence , 1977-1987
Box 3
Ernst Krawehl and John Woods concerning translations of Arno Schmidt.
Physical Description: (17 folders)
Language: Mostly in German
Subseries:
Correspondence , 1978-2002
Box 4
Concerning Arno Schmidt
Physical Description: (19 folders)
Subseries:
Translations of Works by Arno Schmidt
Box 4
Evening Edged in Gold. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, c. , 1980)
Physical Description: [83]pp.
Physical Description: 14pp.
Physical Description: (4 folders)
Physical Description: date: 1977
Physical Description: date: 1978-1979
Physical Description: date: 1980
Physical Description: title: Comments on the Occasion of the Publication of Evening Edged in Gold by Arno Schmidt,
Physical Description: date: 1981
Box 5
Great Cain. Two drafts of manuscript.
Physical Description: 18pp.
Physical Description: 2pp.
Box 5
Lake Scenes With Pocahontas in Collected Novellas Translated by John E. Woods (Normal, IL: Dalkey Archive Press, Manuscript. , ca. 1981, 1994)
Physical Description: 16pp.
Box 5
Scenes from the Life of a Faun: A Short Novel Translated by John E. Woods (London; New York: M. Boyars, Manuscript. , ca. 1980, 1983)
Physical Description: 156pp.
Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box 5
School for Atheists: A Novella-Comedy in Six Acts Translated by John E. Woods (København; Los Angeles: Green Integer, Manuscript. Second version, first draft. , ca. 1999, 2001)
Physical Description: 301pp.
Physical Description: (4 folders)
Box 5
School for Atheists Manuscript. Second version, second draft. , Apr. 1999
Physical Description: 301pp.
Physical Description: (4 folders)
Box 5
Tall Grete in The Collected Stories of Arno Schmidt. Translated by John E. Woods (Normal, IL: Dalkey Archive Press, Manuscript. , 1996)
Physical Description: 3pp.
foliobox 26
Evening Edged in Gold Prepared by S. Fischer for presentation at Frankfurt Book Fair. , ca. 1979
Physical Description: 54pp.
Physical Description: (bound and photocopied)
Series:
Writings by Woods
Box 4
On Translating the Unconventional Prose of Arno Schmidt , ca. 1981
Physical Description: 6pp.,
Box 4
Of Bicycles and Violins Speech. , ca. 1994
Physical Description: 8pp.
Subseries:
Book Translations
Box 4
Mann, Thomas. Joseph and his Brothers. Translated by John E. Woods (New York: Everyman's Library, Books I & II. , 2005)
Physical Description: (4 folders)
Box 5
Mann, Thomas. Joseph and his Brothers, cont. Books III & IV.
Physical Description: (8 folders)
Box 5
Mann. Books I-III. Copy-edited ms.
Box 6
Mann, Thomas. Joseph and his Brothers, cont. Book IV. Copy-edited ms.
Box 6
Mann. Books I-IV. Proofs: First pass , Apr. 15, 2004
Box 6
Mann. Books I-III. Proofs: Author's set , Apr. 23, 2004
Box 7
Mann, Thomas. Joseph and His Brothers, cont. Book IV. Proofs, Author's set
Box 7
Mann. Books I-IV. Proofs: second pass , July 19, 2004