Collection inventory

Special Collections home page
printer friendly version

Alejandrino G. Hufana Papers

A description of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Hufana, Alejandrino G.
Title: Alejandrino G. Hufana Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1962-1971
Bulk Dates: 1968-1970
Quantity: 2 linear ft.
Abstract: Filipino poet, writer, librarian and teacher. Collection contains correspondence, artwork, galleys, manuscripts, printed material.
Language: Majority of collection materials are in English, some items in Spanish and a few in Tagalog.
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

Alejandrino G. Hufana (1926-2003) was a Filipino poet and author.

Born in San Fernando, La Union, Philippines, on 22 Oct 1926, Hufana earned his A.B. in English from the University of the Philippines, Quezon City in 1952. In 1957 he married Julita Quiming, with whom he had four daughters. He went on to received graduate degrees in comparative literature (MA, 1961) and library science (MS, 1969).

Hufana spent most of his professional career as a professor of English, comparative literature, and creative writing at the University of the Philippines, where he also served as director of the library and the Creative Writing Center. He was founder, editor, and/or co-editor of numerous literary magazines and journals at UP and elsewhere, including Pamana, Lahi, Signatures, Comment, University College Journal (later General Education Journal), and Heritage, and briefly served as managing editor of the University of the Philippines Press.

Hufana was a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley (1961) and received a John D. Roosevelt III Fellowship in Art Librarianship at Columbia University (1969-1970) and a Research Fellowship of the National Library's Special Research Project (1974-1978). Other awards and recognitions include an outstanding Ilocano Writers and Journalists Award from the National Press Club (1980), the Tawid Awards for Arts and Letters from the Ilocano Heritage Foundation (1981) and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (1995).

Return to top

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Alejandrino G. Hufana Papers consists of artwork, correspondence, galleys, manuscripts and printed material. Hufana's work, both literary and artistic, is heavily influenced by his travels, with New York City receiving especial attention as the site of his graduate studies at Columbia University. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the creative work tends to be quite autobiographical with the recurring character of "the poet" appearing across several works.

Artwork contains a variety of mostly letter-sized works in a number of different media. Subjects are occasionally abstract while others are figurative and, in some instances, portray real-life locations visited by Hufana. Of particular note is Hufana's drawings of the New York City subway. Media used include pen and ink, crayon, watercolor, and acrylic. Many of the works are untitled and undated. Also included here are several three-prong cardstock binders, originally containing correspondence, which are highly-decorated with a variety of abstract sketches, drawings, and designs.

Correspondence includes both handwritten and typed correspondence between Hufana and his colleagues, friends, and family. Much of it centers on Hufana's travels to academic and cultural heritage institutions in the United States and Europe on behalf of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Correspondents include F. Sionil Jose, Filipino author and owner of Solidaridad Publishing; author Harold Heifetz; and Benito Lim, influential scholar and professor at the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, and at the Confucius Institute in Makati. The correspondence was originally in three-prong covers which were heavily decorated, presumably by Hufana; these covers have been removed and filed under Artwork (above).

Galley proofs include first and second galley proofs of works that were subsequently published by Hufana. One of the galley proofs includes original drawings by Hufana.

Manuscripts contains original manuscripts of both unpublished and published works. Works represented include plays, poetry, and an introduction written by Hufana for a chapbook of poems by fellow poet Celedonio G. Aguilar.

Printed material contains a published edition of the chapbook, entitled This Season and Night.

Return to top

Arrangement of the Collection

Artwork is arranged alphabetically by type. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Galley proofs, manuscripts, and printed material are arranged alphabetically by title.

Return to top

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.

Return to top

Subject Headings

Persons

Bonifacio, Manuel Flores.
Heifetz, Harold.
Hufana, Alejandrino G.
JoseĢ, F. Sionil (Francisco Sionil), 1924-
Lim, Benito.
Marcos, Imelda Romualdez, 1929-
Veneracion, Jaime B. (Jaime Balcos)

Corporate Bodies

Cultural Center of the Philippines.
JDR 3rd Fund.
University of the Philippines.

Subjects

Authors, Filipino.
Poets, Filipino.

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Drawings (visual works)
Galley proofs.
Manuscripts for publication.
Sketches.

Occupations

Authors.
Poets.

Return to top

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alejandrino G. Hufana Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Alejandrino G. Hufana, 1970-1971.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 6 Apr 2010
Revision history: 24 Nov 2020 - processed (DS)

Return to top

Inventory

Artwork
Box 1 Mixed media 1968-1970, undated (2 folders)
Box 1 Correspondence folders - 3-prong covers that originally contained correspondence; highly decorated
Curtain Raisers illustrations
See Galleys : Curtain Raisers.
Correspondence
Family
Box 1 Parents and uncle 1968-1970 - includes both Hufana's parents and his wife's parents
Box 1 Daughters 1969 - Aleta, Leny/Leni, Zayda/Zaida, and Sharon ("Sha-sha")
Box 1 Siblings 1968-1970 - Nino, Bebing, son Edmund; most are signed "Manong" (uncle)
Box 1 -----, Pic and Mellie / Mely 1968-1970
Box 1 Bonifacio, Manuel F. 1968-1970 - Hufana addresses him as Manoling; includes family Amel/Amelle, Amihan/Ami
Box 1 Columbia University 1968-1969
Box 1 Felipe, Abe 1968-1970
Box 1 Gonzalez, N.V.M. 1970 - professor
Box 1 Gunasinghe, Siri 1969-1970
Box 1 Heifetz, Harold 1970
Box 1 JDR 3rd Fund 1968-1970 - Miki Klein Wheeler, Porter McCray, Alan Campbell
Box 1 Lim, Benito (Ben) 1968-1970 - includes wife Aurora (Roxy), children Jade and Dusky
Box 1 Marcos, Imelda 1969, undated - outgoing only; includes clipping
Box 1 St. James Press 1969 - relating to Hufana's contribution to a poetry anthology
Box 1 Saint Louis Quarterly 1968-1969
Box 1 Solidaridad Publishing House 1968-1969 - F. Sionil Jose (Frankie)
Box 1 University of California, Berkeley 1970
Box 1 University of the Philippines 1968-1970
Box 1 Veneracion, Jaime Balcos (Jimmy) 1968-1970
Box 1 Yale University Library 1969-1970
Box 1 A-Z, miscellaneous 1968-1970 (2 folders)
Box 1 First name only 1968-1970
Box 2 Unidentified 1968-1970
Galley proofs
Box 2 Curtain-Raisers, a five-act play undated - first proof
Box 2 Curtain-Raisers, a five-act play undated - second proof, incomplete (2 folders)
Box 2 Mena Pecson Crisologo and Iloko Drama 1962 - first proof (6 folders)
Box 2 Mena Pecson Crisologo and Iloko Drama undated - second proof
Box 2 This Season and Night, by Celedonio G Aguilar undated - introduction by Hufana
Manuscripts
Box 2 [Essay on librarians, untitled] undated
Box 2 Memento Mori undated - poetry collection (3 folders)
Box 3 Oratorios: A Poet's Progress Abroad 1966-1969 - first draft; includes hand-illustrated covers
Box 3 Oratorios: A Poet's Progress Abroad undated - revised typescript (3 folders)
Box 3 Poems, miscellaneous undated - typescript with revisions and corrections
Box 3 Salidom-ay, A Play in Verse 1969 - typescript with revisions and corrections
Box 3 This Season and Night by Celedonio G. Aguilar 1968 - revised/corrected typescript, signed and inscribed by Aguilar to Leonard Casper
Printed material
Box 3 This Season and Night by Celedonio G. Aguilar 1968 - chapbook; introduction by Hufana

Return to top