| University of California, San Diego Geisel Library Mandeville Special Collections Library Register of the Susan Howe Papers 1942 1990 MSS 0201 This file created: 01/13/1997 MSS 0201 Susan Howe Papers Inclusive dates: 1942 1990 5.90 linear feet (13 archives boxes, 3 card file boxes, 1 oversize folder) ABSTRACT Papers of Susan Howe, American poet. The papers primarily document Howe's literary correspondence, poetry manuscripts, manuscripts of readings and talks, personal and working journals and art/poetry installations dating from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. A small group of personal and family materials is also included. Prominent correspondents include George Butterick, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Lyn Hejinian, and John Taggart. The bulk of the collection consists of Howe's working manuscripts and journals. Also part of the collection are over one hundred recordings from Howe's late 1970s radio program, "Poetry," at WBAI Radio Station, N.Y. The collection is arranged in five series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS, 3) PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA, 4) TAPE RECORDINGS, and 5) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES. RESTRICTIONS The diaries dated 1981 are restricted; researchers may gain access to these items only with the expressed written permission of Susan Howe. The letters written by Mary Manning Howe are restricted; researchers may gain access to these items only with the express written permission of Susan Howe and Fanny Howe. ACCESSIONS Accession M-1991.011 acquired from Susan Howe on 06/03/1991; Processed by Sherri Williams, 09/01/1991. BIOGRAPHY Born in 1937, Susan Howe's career as a poet grew from a painting and drawing career and began, with the exception of publications of earlier poems in serials, with the 1974 edition of Hinge Picture (New York, Telephone Books). Closely associated with the late 1970s and 1980s Language Poets' movement, Susan Howe's poetry and scholarship are most accurately characterized as language based and experimental. Howe's early training and careers in drama and visual artsshe was an actress and an assistant stage designer at the Gate Theatre in Dublin and graduated from the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts in 1961are reflected in the dramatic sections of her poems, as in The Liberties, and in her attention to the visual aspect of the page. Her mother, Mary Manning Howe, an Irish actress and playwright, and her father, Mark DeWolfe Howe, a Harvard Law School professor, each appear as influences in her poetry. Much of the subject and location of her workher close affinity with Emily Dickinson and early American history, as in Articulation of Sound Forms in Time, her interest in Jonathan Swift's Irish residency in The Libertiesreveals Howe's Irish ancestry combined with hard-biting New England literary heritage and politics. Howe's activities as a lecturer and reader are numerous. In the late 1970s, Howe produced a radio talk show for WBAI radio in which she interviewed and hosted a wide range of American and European poets. In 1980 Howe received the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award for Secret History of the Dividing Line and again in 1987 for My Emily Dickinson. In 1985 she was one of ten American poets at the New Poetics Colloquium in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she returned in 1987 as visiting artist-in-residence. Howe was one of five American poets at the Rencontres Internationales de Poesie Contemporaine in Tarascon, France, 1988, as well as a Butler fellow in the Department of English at SUNY, Buffalo, also in 1988. For more biographical information, see Susan Howe's Singularities, "About the Author" (Hanover, University Press of New England, 1990). SCOPE AND CONTENT The SUSAN HOWE PAPERS contain correspondence, poetry manuscripts, typescripts and notes for readings and talks, personal and working journals, art/poetry installations and a selection of tapes from Howe's WBAI Radio program, "Poetry." Most of the collection dates from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. The exceptions to Howe's work from this period are a few personal journals and some earlier correspondence from Howe's family: World War II letters from Howe's father, Harvard Law School professor Mark DeWolfe Howe, personal journals kept by Howe while visiting Ireland in the 1950s, and a scrapbook documenting Howe's early career as a young actress. The bulk of the collection rests in the working manuscripts of Howe's books ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME (1986), CABBAGE GARDENS (1979), DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE (1983), HINGE PICTURE (1974), THE LIBERTIES (1980), MY EMILY DICKINSON (1985), PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE (1982), and SECERT HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE (1978), along with other poetic experiments, and extensive correspondence from selected poets and critics: Lyn Hejinian, George Butterick, John Taggart, Ian Hamilton Finlay, among others. The extensive collection of working notebooks, comprising forty-seven 4x5 black hardback sketch books dating from 1974-1988, highlight the collection and mark one of the intersections between Howe's careers as a visual artist and as a poet. Also featured in the collection are over one hundred tape recordings of Howe's late 1970s WBAI Radio program, "Poetry," which includes interviews and readings with many of the most interesting poets of the late 20th century. The collection is divided into five series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS, 3) PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA, 4) TAPE RECORDINGS and 5) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES. SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE Howe's correspondence, as represented in the CORRESPONDENCE series, is as noteworthy for its absences as for its inclusions. There are several dozen letters from each of a few notable correspondentsspecifically George Butterick, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Lyn Hejinian, and John Taggartbut complete silence from other poets who are well known as colleagues and peers of Howe's. These absences leave broad room for speculations upon both Howe's and other contemporary poet's attitudes toward the institutionalization of poetic papers. There are also a few novelty letters from Charles Reznikoff, May Sarton, Orson Welles, and John Wheelock, among others, relating to their involvement in Howe's 1970s WBAI Radio program, "Poetry." Over one hundred selections from these broadcasts are included in the collection. A xerox copy of Susan Howe's letter to Richard Sewell, detailing her important speculations about Emily Dickinson's "Master Letters," and Sewell's response, along with some brief correspondence with Ralph Franklin, another Dickinson scholar, add important cornerstones not only to Howe's involvement with Dickinson scholarship but Dickinson scholarship in general. SERIES 2: WRITINGS The WRITINGS series is comprised of four main subseries: "Working Manuscripts," "Readings and Talks," "Journals," "Installations." These are arranged alphabetically with the exception of the sketchbook working journals, which are arranged chronologically. In the case of the working manuscripts, every attempt has been made to maintain the order in which they were received, except for the alphabetization according to the predominant work in a particular folder. This is important because Howe sometimes seems to work on more than one manuscript at the same time. For example, DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE and LIBERTIES manuscripts are often contained in the same folder, as are manuscripts of Chanting at the Chrystal Sea and SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. Notes for many of Howe's "Readings and Talks" from the middle to late 80s are contained in the sub-series by that name. These include talks at New College, at San Jose State's 1986 Emily Dickinson/HD conference, a Duncan Memorial talk, among others. The "Journals" subseries is comprised of two smaller subseries: "Diaries/Personal Journals," and "Working Journals." The "Diaries/Personals Journals" includes some mid-1950s journals kept by Howe during trips to Ireland that document the establishment of her ongoing relationship and pilgrimages to Ireland, along with various working notebooks containing notes for poetry, personal commentary and other daily notation. The "Working Journals" comprise an interesting collection of working poetry sketchbooks dating from 1974-1988 that illustrate Howe's interest in the relationships between poetry and visual arts. The work, exhibition notes, and photographs of some of Howe's installation exhibitions, made up of poetry and photographs, are contained in the "Installations" subseries. SERIES 3: PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA The PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA series contains a scrapbook documenting Howe's early acting career, and a copy of IT GENEVIEVE WATCHING OVER PARIS by Leonard Gontarek that features a cover designed by Howe. SERIES 4: TAPE RECORDINGS Selections from Howe's late 1970s radio program "Poetry" make up the TAPE RECORDINGS series. These recorded interviews and readings represent some of the most interesting and experimental work of poets of this important time period. Included in this group is an interview and reading with Bruce Andrews and Charles Bernstein in which they discuss their serial L A N G U A G E, readings by Bernadette Mayer, Ron Padgett, Robert Creeley, Lyn Hejinian, and Robert Lax, only to name a few of the stellar list. Memorial readings for R.D. Laing and John Wheelright as well as readings by May Sarton, Helen Adam, John Hall Wheelock, and some WBAI Radio archive tapes of readings by Jack Spicer, George Oppen, Charles Reznikoff, and Charles Olson locate the contemporary poets in this series within a poetic tradition. A discussion by William Eric Williams concerning his relationship with his father and their homelife provides important information for William Carlos Williams scholarship. These tapes can be referenced through the ANP Tapes Listening Series, ANP SPL-1014 through ANP SPL-1113. Folder titles reflect predesignated headings in as many cases as are possible. SERIES 5: ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES Brittle and high-acid content materials have been photocopied onto acid-free paper. The copies have been substituted and the originals have been placed in series order in ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES. CONTAINER LIST Box Folder SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE 1 1 Allen, Helen Howe. 2 Butterick, George, 1980 -1983. 3 Butterick, George, 1984 -1988. 4 Finlay, Ian Hamilton, 1973 -1976. 5 Finlay, Ian Hamilton, 1977 -1978. 6 Finlay, Ian Hamilton, 1979 -1985. 7 Hejinian, Lyn, 1976 -1978. 8 Hejinian, Lyn, 1979 -1988. 9 Howe, Mark DeWolfe. 1942-1945 and 1955-1957. 2 1 Howe, Mary Manning, 1955 -1988. Restrictions Apply. 2 Lax, Robert, 1975 -1983. 3 MacLeish, Archibald, 1957. 4 Owen, Maureen, 1981 -1982. 5 Sarton, May, 1977. 6 Sewell, Richard, 1976. Includes a photocopy of Howe's letter to Sewell. 7 Taggart, John, 1980 -1982. 8 Taggart, John, 1983 -1984. 9 Taggart, John, 1985 -1986. 10 Taggart, John, 1987 -1988. 11 Taggart, John, 1989 -1990. 12 Von Schlegell, David, 1975 -1980. 13 WBAI Radio, N.Y., 1976 -1978. 14 Welles, Orson, 1956. 15 Wheelock, John, 1976 -1977. 16 Miscellaneous correspondence. SERIES 2: WRITINGS 2A: Working Manuscripts 17 ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME, 1983 -1984. 3 1 ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME. Part 1. 2 ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME. Part 1. 3 ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME. Part 2. 4 ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME. Part 2. 5 ARTICULATION OF SOUND FORMS IN TIME. Correct final version. 6 BOSTON HARBOR. 7 Buffalo, Just the play before Pythagorean Silence, not published. 8 CABBAGE GARDENS, scratch. 9 CHANTING AT THE CHRYSTAL SEA. Final draft. 10 CHANTING AT THE CHRYSTAL SEA. Drafts, including materials from CABBAGE GARDENS. 4 1 CHANTING AT THE CHRYSTAL SEA. Drafts, including materials from SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. 2 CHANTING AT THE CHRYSTAL SEA. Drafts, including materials from SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. 3 CHANTING AT THE CHRYSTAL SEA. Drafts, including materials from SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. 4 CHANTING AT THE CHRYSTAL SEA. Drafts, including materials from SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. 5 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. Manuscript - Part 1. 6 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. Manuscript - Part 2. 5 1 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. Manuscript - Part 3. 2 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. Drafts, including materials from PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE. 3 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. Drafts, including materials from LIBERTIES, ideas for covers and other notes. 4 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. General, scratch for Cordelia and Stella piece. 5 DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE, 1981 -1982. Manuscript. 6 Dublin 1982, some went into DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE, 1982. 7 EIKON. Copy. 8 EIKON. Remains of. 6 1 ENCLOSURE. Original. 2 FEDERALIST 10, 1987. Drafts, including materials from Abacus. 3 FEDERALIST 10. Drafts, including materials from HELIOPATHY. 4 FEDERALIST 10, 1987. Drafts, notes, work and quotations and materials from SCATTERING. 5 FEDERALIST 10. Poems that went into FEDERALIST 10 6 First poems, 1970 -1972. 7 FRAGMENTS OF LIQUIDATION. 8 Guilford - Early unpublished writing. 9 Guilford - First poems, 1970 -1971. 10 HABERMONE, odd poem. 11 HELIOPATHY. 12 HINGE PICTURE. Drafts. 13 HINGE PICTURE. Additional work. 14 Ireland - LIBERTIES, scratch work, 1978. 15 Ireland, 1980. 16 Ireland - Notes and work that would become CABBAGE GARDENS. 7 1 Ireland - LIBERTIES and Stella. ca. 1979? 2 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Additional work. 3 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Early stages. 4 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Early stages. 5 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Early stages. 6 MY EMILY DICKINSON. First faltering attempts. 7 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Later stages. 8 MY EMILY DICKINSON, 1982 -1983. Manuscript - Parts 1 and 2. 9 MY EMILY DICKINSON, 1982 -1983. Manuscript - Parts 1 and 2. 8 1 MY EMILY DICKINSON, 1982 -1983. Manuscript - Part 3. 2 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Master letters, stuff and general beginning. 3 MY EMILY DICKINSON. With latest corrections added. 4 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Work on. 5 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Work on. 6 MY EMILY DICKINSON. Work on. 7 Notes, Cambridge summer 1981, Mother's illness, time alone in her apartment. 8 OLIVER. 9 Proofs for book, unidentified. 10 PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE. Drafts - Part 1. 9 1 PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE - Drafts - Part 2. Drafts - Part 2. 2 PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE - And other stuff, play part not finally worked out. And other stuff, play part not finally worked out. 3 PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE. Original. 4 ROWLANDSON, original. 5 Sandycove/keel - Part 1. 6 Sandycove/keel - Part 2. 7 SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. Scratch. 9 SECRET HISTORY OF THE DIVIDING LINE. Part 2, work for. SPINOZA'S CLOAK. 10 Susan Von Schlegell. 11 THOROW. Final draft. 12 Took on a [P suddenly.... 13 TURTLE ISLAND (Irish work). Manuscript sent to and New England/CABBAGE GARDENS. 14 Unidentified manuscripts. 15 Unidentified manuscripts. 16 Work in Progress. 2B: Readings and Talks 17 DICKINSON, early talk. 18 Duncan memorial. 19 First Inclosure, Hartford talk. 10 1 First New College talk. 2 Hartford convention narratives, 1988. October 22. 3 Langton Street - Reading EIKON, 1988. 4 Langton Street - Talk. 5 Manuscript for readings. 6 P.E.N. talk, New York City, 1986. 7 PYTHAGOREAN SILENCE reading. 8 Reading. 9 San Jose talk (on my book). 10 SECRET HISTORY reading. 11 Taking Captivity Captive, second lecture at New College. 12 U. of V. talk. 13 Vancouver talk, 1985. 14 Women and Their Effect in the Distance - Original, corrected, New College, 1985. 15 Women and Their Effect in the Distance - Third lecture, New College. 16 Women's conference, ROWLANDSON, San Francisco State, 1985. 2C: Journals 17 Personal diaries - Diary, 1956. 18 Personal diaries - Diary - And memo, 1955. September 6 - December 30. 11 1 Personal diaries - Diary - Of Susan Howe, Summer 1959. 2 Personal diaries - Dreams. Ca. 1981-1982? 3 Personal diaries - Interview with Jonathan Williams notebook. 4 Personal diaries - Ireland, 1980. 5 Personal diaries - Journals, 1977. 6 Personal diaries - Journals, 1978 -1980. 7 Personal diaries - Journals, 1981. Restrictions Apply. 8 Personal diaries - Journals, 1981. Restrictions Apply. 9 Personal diaries - Notebook. ca. 1989 10 Personal diaries - WBAI Radio - Yale University notebook. ca. 1980? 11 Personal diaries - WBAI Radio - Green notebook I. 12 Personal diaries - WBAI Radio - Green notebook II. ca. 1979? 13 Personal diaires - WBAI Radio - Notebook. ca. 1978-1979? 14 Workshop notebook. ca. 1989? 12 1 Working Sketchbook Journals, 1974. April - July. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1974. April 26 - July 15. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1974. May 30 - October 7. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1974. July 30 - October 27. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1974. September - December. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1974. October 15. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1975. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1975. February. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1975 -1976. September 1975 - December 13, 1976. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1976. January 14. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1976. April 3 - July 12. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1976. July 12. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1976 -1977. October 1976 - February 1, 1977. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1977. February 2 - April. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1977. April - August. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1977. August 18 - November 12. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1977 -1978. November 17, 1977 - May 1, 1978. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1978. May 2 - Sept 22. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1978 -1979. September 23, 1978 - February 11, 1979. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1979. February 11 - June 30. 13 Working Sketchbook Journals, 1979 -1980. July 10, 1979 - January 1, 1980. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1980. January 7 - May 21. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1980 -1981. January 17, 1980 - May 17, 1981. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1980. May 21 - July 30. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1980. July 30 - October 9. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1980. October 9 - January 17. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1981. May 20 - October 2. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1981 -1982. October 2 - February 8. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1982. February 8 - June 1. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1982. June 1 - August 16. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1982. August 16 - November 4. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1982 -1983. November 6, 1982 - May 9, 1983. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1983. May 10 - August 11. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1981 -1982. 14 Working Sketchbook Journals, 1983. August 11 - November 26. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1983 -1984. November 26, 1983 - March 5, 1984. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1984. March 10 - June 29. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1984 -1985. June 29, 1984 - February 14, 1985. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1985. February 15. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1985 -1986. October 5, 1985 - January 24, 1986. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1986. January 24 - June 24. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1986. June 25 - December 31. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1987. March 22. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1987. January 1 - March 22. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1987. March 22. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1987. April 10 - June 5. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1987 -1988. June 5, 1987 - January 1988. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1987 -1988. December 30, 1987 - June 21, 1988. Working Sketchbook Journals, 1988. June 21 - August 22 2D: Installations 15 Long away lightly. 2 Installation notes. 3 Installation notes. 4 On the highest hill. 5 Photographs of Walls and Work. 6 Wall piece. (Oversize: MC-048-01) 7 Wand flowers at the window. 8 Wind-shift/frost smoke/malachite. . .. SERIES 3: PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA 9 IT GENEVIEVE WATCHING OVER PARIS. By Leonard Gontarek, cover design by Susan Howe 16 1 Scrapbook. SERIES 4: TAPE RECORDINGS 2 Tape Recordings - SPL-1019-1148. These recordings have been added to the ANP Tapes listening series. For a descriptive listing to the contents of these tapes, please consult the ANP Tape Recording Index SERIES 5: ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES 3 Originals of Preservation Photocopies. 4 Originals of Preservation Photocopies. 5 Originals of Preservation Photocopies. | |
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