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Marguerite Harris Papers

An inventory of her papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: PRB
Date: Aug 1994

Biographical History

American poet and editor (1898 or 9-1978).

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Composed of incoming letters and outgoing carbons from 1955 through 1977, the Correspondence/Subject Files (Boxes 1-2) forms the bulk of the collection. Much of the correspondence centers around Harris' work as an organizer of poetry readings for Dr. Generosity's Poetry Pub and the Woodstock Poetry Festival, and as the editor of a number of poetry anthologies, including Emily Dickinson: Letters from the World (1970), Loves, etc. (1973), and A Tumult for John Berryman (1976). Correspondence of greatest depth and duration includes that with Helen Adam, Carol Berge, James Clifford, Richard Eberhart, Isabella Gardner, Alonzo Gibbs, William Kinter, Wendell Metzger, Joe Rosenblatt, and the Poetry Society of America. Other correspondents include Conrad Aiken, Daisy Aldan, Margaret Atwood, Robert Bly, Louise Bogan, William Bronk, Andrei Codrescu, Robert Creeley, Diane Di Prima, John Duffy, Theodore Enslin, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Barbara Guest, Langston Hughes, David Ignatow, Colette Inez, Jackson Mac Low, William Meredith, Marianne Moore, Walter Quirt, Margaret Randall, William Safire, Stevie Smith, William Stafford, Gerd Stern, May Swenson, Eve Triem, Diane Wakoski, Jonathan Williams, Celeste Turner Wright, and Jean Wrolson. In addition, there is a small amount of family correspondence.

Anthology and periodical appearances, books, letters to editors, speeches, and manuscript and published poems, many of which appeared in Harris' The Risk of the Vine (1965), A Reconciling of Rivers (1972), and Time of the Playback (1977), constitute Writings (Boxes 3-4). Arranged by title, manuscript poems (occasionally interspersed with tear sheets) include holograph and typed worksheets indicating numerous revisions. Several periodical issues and anthologies in which Marguerite Harris' work appears have been retained with the collection, while others have been integrated with the Library's rare book collections.

Memorabilia (Box 5) encompasses artwork for one of Harris' poetry projects, photographs, printed material, and manuscript and published reviews. Printed material includes books, bulletins of the Poetry Society of America, clippings about both Harris and the poetry readings she organized, and programs.

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.

Subject Headings

Persons

Adam, Helen, 1909-1993.
Aiken, Conrad, 1889-1973.
Aldan, Daisy.
Atwood, Margaret.
Bergé, Carol, 1928-2006.
Bly, Robert.
Bogan, Louise, 1897-1970.
Bronk, William.
Clifford, James L. (James Lowry), 1901-1978.
Codrescu, Andrei, 1946-
Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005.
Di Prima, Diane.
Duffy, John.
Eberhart, Richard, 1904-2005.
Enslin, Theodore.
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence.
Gardner, Isabella.
Gibbs, Alonzo, 1915-
Guest, Barbara.
Harris, Marguerite.
Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967.
Ignatow, David, 1914-1997.
Inez, Colette.
Kinter, William Lewis, 1915-
Mac Low, Jackson.
Meredith, William, 1919-
Metzger, Wendell.
Moore, Marianne, 1887-1972.
Quirt, Walter, 1902-1968.
Randall, Margaret, 1936-
Rosenblatt, Joe, 1933-
Safire, William, 1929-2009.
Smith, Stevie, 1902-1971.
Stafford, William, 1914-1993.
Stern, Gerd.
Swenson, May.
Triem, Eve, 1902-1992.
Wakoski, Diane.
Williams, Jonathan, 1929-2008.
Wright, Celeste Turner.
Wrolson, Jean.

Corporate Bodies

Poetry Society of America.

Subjects

American poetry -- 20th century.
Authors, American.
Bohemianism -- United States.
Dr. Generosity's Poetry Pub (New York, N.Y.)
Literature, Experimental.
Poetry, Modern -- 20th century.
Poets, American.
Women editors -- United States.
Women poets, American.
Woodstock Poetry Festival (Woodstock, N.Y.)

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Drafts (documents)
Photographs.
Poems.

Occupations

Editors.
Poets.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Marguerite Harris Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Marguerite Harris, 1966-1977.

Table of Contents

Correspondence/Subject Files

Writings

Memorabilia

Inventory