Scope and Contents
The collection consists of writings, correspondence, photographs, audiovisual material, artwork, printed material, computer disks and other papers by or relating to James Merrill and documenting aspects of his work as a poet and writer. Some of the material was created and accumulated by J. D. McClatchy, who served as executor of Merrill's estate and who co-edited several volumes of Merrill's works, including Collected Poems (2001), Collected Novels and Plays (2002), Collected Prose (2004), The Changing Light at Sandover (2006), and Selected Poems (2008).
Dates
- 1944-2015
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 19-25, 63, and 66 (audiovisual material): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Box 49, 54, 64 (computer disks): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies of electronic files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 19-25, 63, and 66 (audiovisual material): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Box 49, 54, 64 (computer disks): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies of electronic files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The James Ingram Merrill Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of J. D. McClatchy, 1991-2015, and purchased from Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, Inc. on the Ezra Pound Archive Fund, 2006.
Arrangement
Organized into nine groupings: December 1991 Acquisition; February 1992 Acquisition; June 2006 Acquisition; July 2006 Acquisition; October 2007 Acquisition; October 2009 Acquisition; December 2010 Acquisition; October 2013 Acquisition; November 2015 Acquisition.
Material within this collection has been organized by acquisition reflecting the fact that the collection has been acquired in increments over time.
Researchers should note that material within each acquisition overlaps with and/or relates to material found in other acquisitions. For instance, writings can be found in all six groupings. In order to locate all relevant material within this collection, researchers will need to consult each acquisition described in the Collection Contents section.
Researchers should also note that similar material can be arranged differently in each acquisition, depending on how the material was organized when it was received by the library.
Material within this collection has been organized by acquisition reflecting the fact that the collection has been acquired in increments over time.
Researchers should note that material within each acquisition overlaps with and/or relates to material found in other acquisitions. For instance, writings can be found in all six groupings. In order to locate all relevant material within this collection, researchers will need to consult each acquisition described in the Collection Contents section.
Researchers should also note that similar material can be arranged differently in each acquisition, depending on how the material was organized when it was received by the library.
Extent
34.98 Linear Feet ((60 boxes) + 1 broadside, 4 art, 1 record album storage)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The collection consists of writings, correspondence, photographs, audiovisual material, artwork, printed material, computer disks and other papers by or relating to James Merrill and documenting aspects of his work as a poet and writer. Some of the material was created and accumulated by J. D. McClatchy, who served as executor of Merrill's estate and who co-edited several volumes of Merrill's works, including Collected Poems (2001), Collected Novels and Plays (2002), Collected Prose (2004), The Changing Light at Sandover (2006), and Selected Poems (2008).
James Ingram Merrill (1926-1995)
James Ingram Merrill was born in New York City on March 3, 1926, and grew up in Manhattan and Southampton. He received his B.A. from Amherst College in 1947. His books of poetry include: First Poems (1951); Nights and Days (1966), which won the National Book Award in Poetry; Braving the Elements (1972), for which he won the Bollingen Prize; Divine Comedies (1976), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize; Mirabell (1978), which won the National Book Award in Poetry; and The Inner Room (1988), for which he won the first Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry awarded by the Library of Congress. His other published works include essays, novels, plays, and a memoir, A Different Person (1993). Merrill died of a heart attack on February 6, 1995.
Processing Information
Collection are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, and competing priorities. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have not been merged and organized as a whole. Each acquisition is described separately in the contents list below, identified by a unique call number and titled according to month and year of acquisition.
Information included in the Description of Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
Formerly classed as: Uncat ZA MS 212, Uncat ZA MS 218, Uncat MSS 885, Uncat MSS 988, Uncat MSS 1222, Uncat MSS 1260
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have not been merged and organized as a whole. Each acquisition is described separately in the contents list below, identified by a unique call number and titled according to month and year of acquisition.
Information included in the Description of Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
Formerly classed as: Uncat ZA MS 212, Uncat ZA MS 218, Uncat MSS 885, Uncat MSS 988, Uncat MSS 1222, Uncat MSS 1260
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- American literature -- 20th century
- American poetry -- 20th Century
- Audiotapes
- Audiovisual materials
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Born digital
- Electronic documents
- McClatchy, J. D., 1945-2018
- Merrill, James, 1926-1995
- Photographic prints
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Videotapes
- Title
- Guide to the James Merrill Papers
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.