Contents and Arrangement
Online

Subseries 2B: General, 1928-1996

65 boxes

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

This section covers a formidable range of dates (1924-1997) and correspondents; it is in alphabetical order by correspondent name, with two exceptions: letters pertaining to Kunitz's political activism (against the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War), which Kunitz originally filed and remain under "Activism" and congratulatory letters he received when he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, which are filed under "Pulitzer Prize: Letters of Congratulations." The correspondents in this series include literary figures, colleges and universities, literary institutions, magazines and literary journals, publishers, foundations, and government agencies. Some of the important literary figures include Louise Bogan, Louise Glück, Denise Levertov, Robert (Cal) Lowell, Theodore Roethke, Michael Ryan, Anne Sexton, and Allen Tate. There are letters from the colleges and universities where Kunitz taught, beginning with Bennington College and ending with Columbia University, and where Kunitz was invited to give poetry readings or lectures, such as Sarah Lawrence College and Southern Methodist University. Kunitz's activity within the literary community is also evident, as there is a large amount of correspondence from such institutions as the Academy of American Poets, American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, the Poetry Center (YMHA), New York City, and the Poets House, to name just a few. Kunitz corresponded with magazines and literary journals like The American Poetry Review, The Dial , the New Yorker, Poetry , and Poetry Northwest . The Atlantic Monthly correspondence is filed under the headings "Atlantic Monthly Press" and "Davison, Peter." The correspondence (all of it) from Peter Davison was filed under his name because he is an important literary figure, not simply Kunitz's editor; however, letters from such figures as Stephen Berg and Marianne Moore, (and there are others) are located in at least two (2) places. That is, letters from Berg can be found under "American Poetry Review" and "Berg, Stephen," and Marianne Moore's letters under "(The) Dial" and "Moore, Marianne." Cases such as these are usually noted on the corresponding folders. There are also letters from Kunitz's various publishers, including Little, Brown (see also "Atlantic Monthly Press"), Martin, Secker and Warburg, and Sheep Meadow Press. There is a fair amount of correspondence from Yale University Press relating to Kunitz's responsibilities as editor of the Yale Series of Younger Poets. This sub-series also contains correspondence from various foundations, such as the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (this includes Kunitz's fellowship application materials and letters of recommendation for some of his students) and the New Hope Foundations (see also "Marshall, Lenore G. and James"). Correspondence from government agencies pertain mostly to various cultural exchange programs in which Kunitz participated (for example, see "United States International Communication Agency"). Some other notes of interest include letters from Boni and Liveright, Publishers, whom Kunitz apparently attempted to sway to publish the prison letters of Sacco and Vanzetti, and a letter from Viking Press rejecting Kunitz's Pulitzer-Prize winning book.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Collection History

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Heather A. Shannon and Jennifer Maloney in 1999 , 2003 , and 2004 . Additional materials to the collection were processed by Jill Baron in 2012 with the assistance of Lauren Hoffman '15. Finding aid written by Heather A. Shannon and Jennifer Maloney in 1999 , 2003 , and 2004 . Finding aid written and revised by Jill Baron in 2012 .

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Subseries 2B: General; Stanley Kunitz Papers, C0837, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (mss): Box 29-93