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The collection consists of selected correspondence, poems, and photographs of Marianne Moore. The correspondence includes seven letters (1941-1966) by Moore to Mrs. Mildred Pressinger Kienbusch, and two related letters to Mrs. Kienbusch from mutual friends; two letters to Otto von Kienbusch, one written in June 1969, in a shaky hand, after Moore had suffered a stroke; one letter to Mrs. Barbara Turner; five letters to Mr. Mass and Mr. T. Tambimuttu about making corrections to her books before printing; eight letters (1944-1952) to José Rodríguez Feo in Cuba regarding publishing poems by her and Elizabeth Bishop in the prominent Cuban literary magazine Orígenes. There is a photograph of Moore taken at Princeton University in front of Nassau Hall in 1968 during a commencement ceremony, and another one taken at Harvard University. Also included are holograph corrections on a printed copy of p. 122 of her translation of The Fables of La Fontaine; a typed and signed poem titled "Nevertheless"; and a typed and signed poem titled "What Are Years?" inscribed to James Lowe and dated Oct. 7, 1968.
Arranged by accession number.
The collection is open for research.
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under
The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.
Seven letters to Mrs. Kienbusch and three letters from others were a gift of Carl Otto von Kienbusch, Princeton Class on 1906, in memory of Mildred Clarke von Kienbusch on
Letters to Carl Otto Von Kienbusch were a gift of Carl Otto von Kienbusch, Princeton Class on 1906, on
"Nevertheless" manuscript was a gift of a Carl Otto von Kienbusch, Princeton Class on 1906, on
"What are Years?" manuscript was a gift of Carl Otto von Kienbusch, Princeton Class on 1906, on
Photograph of Moore in front of Nassau Hall was a gift of Mrs. Daniel Dillon on
Holograph changes to the text of The Fables and letter to Mrs. Turner were purchased on
Letters to Mr. Mass and Mr. T. Tambimuttu were purchased on
Letters to Mr. Rodriguez were purchased on
No appraisal information is available.
Citations should be as follows: Marianne Moore Collection, Box #, Folder #, Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
This collection was processed by Dina Britain on August 3, 2006. Finding aid written by Tenley Eakin on August 4, 2006. Folder inventory added by James Clark '14 in 2012.
American poet Marianne Moore was born in St. Louis, and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1909. She lived mostly in New York City, working first as a librarian and later, from 1925 until 1929, as editor of the literary and cultural journal The Dial. Her poetry is witty, intellectual, and often satirical. Volumes of her verse include Poems (1921), Observations (1924), What Are Years? (1941), Collected Poems (1951, Pulitzer Prize), O to Be a Dragon (1959), and Complete Poems (1967). Among her other works are the translation of The Fables of La Fontaine (1954). In addition to winning a Pulitzer Prize, Moore acquired sixteen honorary degrees and a National Book Award and served as a mentor to younger poets such as Elizabeth Bishop. She attended boxing matches, baseball games and other public events, dressed in what became her signature garb, a tricorn hat and a black cape. Not long after throwing the first pitch for the 1968 season in Yankee Stadium, Moore suffered the first of a series of strokes. She died in 1972.
A lifelong New Yorker, Carl Otto Kretzschmar von Kienbusch (1884-1976) was a successful businessman who collected armor from about 1914 until his death in 1976.