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John Taggart Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: KM
Date: Oct 1988

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.

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.

Arrangement of the Collection

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

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

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.

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.

Table of Contents

Correspondence-subject files

Memorabilia

Writings

Inventory