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John Taggart Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Taggart, John, 1942-
Title: John Taggart Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1965-1974
Quantity: 4 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American publisher, poet, editor of Maps. Correspondence and/or manuscripts relating to Maps by Paul Blackburn, George F. Butterick, Cid Corman, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Theodore Enslin, Clayton Eshleman, Kathleen Fraser, Barbara Guest, Toby Olson, Steven Osterlund, Gary Snyder, Robert Vas Dias, Jonathan Williams, and others.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

John Taggart (1942- ) is an American experimental poet, essayist, and editor.

Born in Iowa, he received his BA from Earlham College, an MA from the University of Chicago, and a PhD from Syracuse University, where he wrote his dissertation on the poetry of Louis Zukofsky. He is the author of more than a dozen collections of poetry, and has been recognized many times for his work including a Pushcart Prize, the Chicago Review Poetry Prize, and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and one from the Ford Foundation.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The John Taggart Papers consist of Correspondence, Memorabilia, and Writings. The Correspondence includes both personal and business letters, most of which relate to the publication of MAPS, a journal which Taggart edited. The Memorabilia comprises miscellaneous items of printed material, including an annotated copy of Walt Whitman's Poems. The Writings contain the editorial files and production records for the first six issues of MAPS. The editorial files feature the original manuscripts of the various contributors to the journal. Galleys, with extensive corrections by Editor Taggart and/or the authors themselves, constitute the journal's production records.

With the explanation, "One draws a map to show where one is," Taggart began publication of MAPS in 1966. The inaugural issue featured a Herbert Bayer cover, and included poetry by Paul Blackburn, Bobby Byrd, Russell Edson, Clayton Eshleman, Gabriel Heilig, Ken Irby, Murray Mednick, Nelson Richardson, Robert Vas Dias, Yorifumi Yaguchi, and Taggart himself. The subsequent issues appeared irregularly, and each centered on a particular person (sculptor David Smith #2, musician John Coltrane #3, and poets Charles Olson, Louis Zukofsky and Robert Duncan, #4-6 respectively). Through the mid-seventies contributors to the journal included Douglas Blazek, William Bronk, Cid Corman, Kenneth Cox, Guy Davenport, Larry Eigner, Theodore Enslin, Jaime Ferran, Barbara Guest, Michael Heller, Hugh Kenner, Joanne Kyger, Jackson Mac Low, Eric Mottram, John Newlove, Toby Olson, George Oppen, Steven Osterlund, and Charles Tomlinson.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by sender. Memorabilia and Writings are arranged alphabetically by type or title.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Bayer, Herbert, 1900-1985.
Bertholf, Robert J.
Blackburn, Paul.
Blackburn, Sara.
Blazek, Douglas, 1941-
Bly, Robert.
Boer, Charles, 1939-
Bowering, George, 1935-
Bronk, William.
Butterick, George F.
Byrd, Robert.
Carruth, Hayden, 1921-2008.
Coltrane, John, 1926-1967.
Corman, Cid.
Cornelius, Colin Jay.
Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005.
Davenport, Guy.
Davey, Frank, 1940-
Davidson, Michael, 1944-
Duncan, Robert Edward, 1919-1988.
Economou, George.
Edson, Russell.
Eigner, Larry, 1927-1996.
Enslin, Theodore.
Eshleman, Clayton.
Ferrini, Vincent, 1913-2007.
Ferrán, Jaime.
Fowler, Gene, 1931-
Franks, David, 1948-
Fraser, Kathleen, 1935-
George, Jon.
Golden, Seán, 1948-
Goodell, Larry, 1935-
Grande, Félix, 1937-
Guest, Barbara.
Hall, Ted.
Heller, Michael, 1937-
Irby, Kenneth, 1936-
Jenkins, Donald.
Johnson, Ronald, 1935-1998.
Kenner, Hugh.
Kimberley, Nick.
Kostelanetz, Richard.
Kyger, Joanne.
La Belle, Christine.
Laughlin, James, 1914-1997.
Lekakis, Michael, 1907-1987.
Lenfest, David.
Lewis, Harry, 1942-
McNaughton, Duncan, 1942-
Mednick, Murray.
Mills, Barriss.
Mottram, Eric.
Newlove, John, 1938-
Olson, Charles, 1910-1970.
Olson, Toby.
Oppen, George.
Ossman, David.
Osterlund, Steven, 1943-
Pearson, Norman Holmes, 1909-1975.
Phelps, Donald, 1929-
Quartermain, Peter.
Quasha, George.
Rackstraw, Richard, -1974.
Rothenberg, Jerome, 1931-
Royet-Journoud, Claude.
Schram, Irene, 1941-
Silliman, Ronald, 1946-
Smith, David, 1906-1965.
Smith, Welton.
Snyder, Gary.
Sobin, Gustaf.
Solomon, Stanley J.
Sorrentino, Gilbert.
Sward, Robert, 1933-
Taggart, John, 1942-
Tagliabue, John, 1923-
Tomlinson, Charles, 1927-2015.
Turnbull, Gael.
Vas Dias, Robert.
Wakoski, Diane.
Weightman, John, 1915-2004.
Weiner, Hannah.
Williams, Jonathan, 1929-2008.
Williams, Martin, 1924-1992.
Wilson, Keith, 1927-
Yaguchi, Yorifumi, 1932-
Zukofsky, Louis, 1904-1978.

Associated Titles

Maps (Goshen, Ind.)

Subjects

American poetry -- 20th century.
Periodical editors -- United States.
Poets, American.

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Manuscripts for publication.

Occupations

Editors.
Poets.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

John Taggart Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of John Taggart, 1967-1971, 1973, 1975.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: KM
Date: Oct 1988
Revision history: 16 Oct 2006 - converted to EAD (AMCon); 26 Oct 2012 - extent revised (MBD); 22 April 2016 - bio added (MRC)

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Inventory

Correspondence-subject files
American Literary Anthology
See Ardery, Peter
Box 1 Ardery, Peter 1967-1969, undated
Box 1 Bayer, Herbert 1966-1968
Box 1 Bertholf, Robert J. 1974
Box 1 Blackburn, Paul 1965, undated
Box 1 Blackburn, Sara undated
Box 1 Blazek, Douglas 1966-1967
Box 1 Bly, Robert 1966-1967, 1969, undated
Box 1 Boer, Charles 1971
Box 1 Bowering, George 1968
Box 1 Bronk, William 1966-1967
Box 1 Brown, Robert Edward 1974
Box 1 Butterick, George F. 1969-1974
Box 1 Byrd, Bobby 1966, 1968
Box 1 Carruth, Hayden 1972-1973
Box 1 Corman, Cid 1967-1970 (2 folders)
Box 1 Cornelius, Colin J. 1967-1968
Box 1 Cox, Kenneth 1972
Box 1 Creeley, Robert 1966-1967, 1972
Box 1 Davenport, Guy 1972
Box 1 Davey, Frank 1973
Box 1 Davidson, Michael 1974, undated
Box 1 Duncan, Robert 1972-1974
Box 1 Economou, George 1969
Box 1 Edson, Russell 1965, 1966, 1968
Box 1 Eigner, Larry 1966-1970
Box 1 Emanuel, Pierre 1968
Box 1 Enslin, Theodore 1966-1970, 1972
Box 1 Eshleman, Clayton 1965-1967, undated
Box 1 Ferran, Jaime 1968
Box 1 Ferrini, Vincent 1970
Box 1 Fowler, Gene 1967
Box 1 Franks, David 1968, undated
Box 1 Fraser, Kathleen 1966
Box 1 Galin Press 1965-1967, undated
Box 1 George, Jon 1969, undated
Box 1 Golden, Sean 1974
Box 1 Goodell, Larry 1968
Box 1 Grande, Felix 1968
Box 1 Graves, Bradford 1969-1970
Box 1 Guest, Barbara 1968
Box 1 Hall, Ted 1969, undated
Box 1 Heilig, Gabriel 1964, undated
Box 1 Heller, Michael 1966-1974
Box 1 Irby, Kenneth 1965
Box 1 Jenkins, Donald 1969
Box 1 Johnson, Ronald 1972, 1974
Box 1 Kenner, Hugh 1972
Box 1 Kimberley, Nick undated
Box 1 Knox, Keith 1967
Box 1 Kostelanetz, Richard 1972, undated
Box 1 Kyger, Joanne 1967
Box 1 La Belle, Christine 1966
Box 1 Laughlin, James 1968
Box 1 Lawhead Press, Inc. 1971
Box 1 Lekakis, Michael 1969
Box 1 Lenfest, David 1973-1974
Box 1 Lewis, Harry 1965
Box 1 MacIntyre, Wendy 1973-1974, undated
Box 1 Mac Low, Jackson 1969-1970
Box 1 McNaughton, Duncan 1968
Box 1 Mednick, Murray undated
Box 1 Mills, Barriss 1965, undated
Box 1 Mottram, Eric 1972
Box 2 Newlove, John 1966-1970
Box 2 Olson, Charles undated
Box 2 Olson, Toby 1967-1969, undated
Box 2 Oppen, George 1967, undated
Box 2 Ossman, David 1966
Box 2 Osterlund, Steven 1968-1970, undated
Box 2 Pearson, Norman Holmes 1972-1974
Box 2 Phelps, Donald 1970, undated
Box 2 Quartermain, Peter 1972
Box 2 Quasha, George 1974
Box 2 Rackstraw, Richard 1969
Box 2 Richardson, Nelson 1965
Box 2 Rothenberg, Jerome 1969
Box 2 Royet-Journoud, Claude 1972
Box 2 Schicker, Stephen 1968
Box 2 Schram, Irene 1967
Box 2 Sedam, Malcolm undated - ms. poems
Box 2 Silliman, Ronald 1974
Box 2 Smith, Welton 1965
Box 2 Snyder, Gary 1966
Box 2 Sobin, Gustaf 1967
Box 2 Solomon, Stanley J. undated - ms. poems
Box 2 Sorrentino, Gilbert 1972
Box 2 Sward, Robert 1966
Box 2 Tagliabue, John 1966-1967
Box 2 Tomlinson, Charles 1966-1967, 1972
Box 2 Turnbull, Gael 1972
Box 2 Vas Dias, Robert 1965-1969, undated
Box 2 Wakosi, Diane 1967
Box 2 Weightman, John 1966
Box 2 Weiner, Hannah 1966-1967, undated
Box 2 Williams, Jonathan 1967-1973
Box 2 Williams, Martin T. 1968
Box 2 Wilson, Keith 1967-1969
Box 2 Yaguchi, Yorifume 1966-1967
Box 2 A-Z
Box 2 First names, unidentified
Memorabilia
Box 2 Walt Whitman's Poems (with annotations by John Taggart)
Box 2 Miscellaneous printed material - flyer; clipping
Writings
Box 2 Maps (edited by John Taggart) - miscellaneous notes (1 folder)
Maps #1
Editorial files
Box 2 Manuscripts (1 folder)
Paul Blackburn
Russell Edson
Clayton Eshleman
Gabriel Heilig
Kenneth Irby
Welton Smith
Robert Vas Dias
Yorifumi Yaguchi
Maps #2
Editorial files
Box 2 Manuscripts (1 folder)
Douglas Blazek
William Bronk
Rene Char
Larry Eigner
Theodore Enslin
Clayton Eshleman
Joanne Kyger
John Newlove
George Oppen
Jerome Rothenberg
Charles Tomlinson
Hannah Weiner
Box 2 Cover art (1 folder)
Production records
Box 4 Galleys
Maps #3
Editorial files
Box 2 Manuscripts (1 folder)
Fernando Arbelaez
J.G. Cobo-Borda
George Economou
Larry Eigner
Theodore Enslin
Jaime Ferran
Robert Foster
David Franks
Barbara Guest
Ted Hall
Michael Heller
Robert Kelly
Jackson Mac Low
John Newlove
Toby Olson
Steven Osterlund
Stephanie Rowan
John Taggart
Box 3 Manuscripts (2 folders)
Cid Corman
Theodore Enslin
Robert Foster
Toby Olson
Steven Schicker
John Taggart
Box 3 Miscellany (1 folder)
Production records
Box 4 Galleys
Maps #4
Editorial files
Box 3 Manuscripts (4 folders)
John Cech
Cid Corman
Vincent Ferrini
David Melnick
Charles Olson
John Scoggan
Box 3 Miscellany (1 folder)
Oversize 1 Production records
Maps #5
Editorial files
Box 3 Manuscripts (2 folders)
Cid Corman
Kenneth Cox
Guy Davenport
Theodore Enslin
Jonathan Greene
Michael Heller
Hugh Kenner
David Melnick
Eric Mottram
Production records
Box 4 Galleys
Maps #6
Editorial files
Box 3 Manuscripts (3 folders)
Robert Duncan
Ronald Johnson
Ron Silliman
Wendy MacIntyre
Production records
Box 4 Galleys

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