Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, writings, and personal papers documenting the personal and professional life of American poet and editor Harvey Shapiro. Correspondence consists chiefly of letters to Shapiro from American and English-language authors, literary critics, and editors who came of age in the post-WWII period, with the bulk of the letters dating from the 1950s through mid 1980s. There are files for Barbara Gibbs and Francis Golffing and for author and publisher Alan Swallow, but letters can also be found for Charles Bernstein, Allen Ginsberg, David Ignatow, Robert Lowell, George Oppen, and others. Many letters from writers are addressed to Shapiro in his capacity as editor of The New York Times Magazine or The New York Times Book Review. Letters from editors of other journals tend to concern his own literary submissions.
The Writings series contains writings by Shapiro, material relating to work by Shapiro, such as publicity and reviews, and writings by others. Shapiro's writings feature drafts for a number of poetry collections, including Lauds & Nightsounds (1978), The Light Holds (1984), National Cold Storage Company (1988), and This World (1971), as well as shorter works. The writings by others may have been solicited by or submitted to Shapiro in his capacity as editor and separated from accompanying correspondence.
Personal papers include clippings and programs, financial and legal records, and a small number of photographs.
The Writings series contains writings by Shapiro, material relating to work by Shapiro, such as publicity and reviews, and writings by others. Shapiro's writings feature drafts for a number of poetry collections, including Lauds & Nightsounds (1978), The Light Holds (1984), National Cold Storage Company (1988), and This World (1971), as well as shorter works. The writings by others may have been solicited by or submitted to Shapiro in his capacity as editor and separated from accompanying correspondence.
Personal papers include clippings and programs, financial and legal records, and a small number of photographs.
Dates
- 1923 - 2013
Creator
Language of Materials
Chiefly in English; some material in Italian.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Harvey Shapiro 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
August 2009 acquisition: Purchased from Harvey Shapiro on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 2009.
October 2013 acquisition: Purchased from the Estate of Harvey Shapiro on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 2013.
October 2013 acquisition: Purchased from the Estate of Harvey Shapiro on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 2013.
Arrangement
Organized into two groupings: I. August 2009 Acquisition, 1923-1998. II. October 2013 Acquisition, 1946-2013.
Extent
5.67 Linear Feet (10 boxes)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The collection contains correspondence, writings, and personal papers documenting the personal and professional life of American poet and editor Harvey Shapiro. Correspondence consists chiefly of letters to Shapiro from American and English-language authors, literary critics, and editors who came of age in the post-WWII period. There are files for Barbara Gibbs and Francis Golffing and for author and publisher Alan Swallow, but letters can also be found for Charles Bernstein, Allen Ginsberg, David Ignatow, Robert Lowell, George Oppen, and others. Many letters from writers are addressed to Shapiro in his capacity as editor of The New York Times Magazine or The New York Times Book Review. The Writings series contains writings by Shapiro, material relating to work by Shapiro, such as publicity and reviews, and writings by others. Shapiro's writings feature drafts for a number of poetry collections, including Lauds and Nightsounds (1978), The Light Holds (1984), National Cold Storage Company (1988), and This World (1971), as well as shorter works. The writings by others may have been solicited by or submitted to Shapiro in his capacity as editor and separated from accompanying correspondence. Personal papers include clippings and programs, financial and legal records, and a small number of photographs.
Harvey Shapiro (1924-)
Harvey Shapiro, an American poet, was born in Chicago, Illinois on 27 January 1924. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1943 to 1945 and was educated at Yale University (BA, 1947) and Columbia University (MA, 1948). Shapiro taught briefly as an English instructor before embarking on a career as an editor, first with Commentary (1955-1956) and The New Yorker (1956-1957), and later with The New York Times Magazine (1957-1975, 1983-) and The New York Times Book Review (1975-1983). Shapiro's collections of poetry include This World (1971), Lauds & Nightsounds (1978), The Light Holds (1984), and National Cold Storage Company (1988). Shapiro married Edna Lewis Kaufman in 1953 and has two sons.
- American literature -- 20th century
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Bernstein, Charles, 1950-
- Editors -- United States -- 20th Century
- Gibbs, Barbara, 1912-1993
- Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997
- Golffing, Francis
- Ignatow, David, 1914-1997
- Lowell, Robert, 1917-1977
- Oppen, George, 1908-1984
- Photographic prints
- Poets -- United States -- 20th Century
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Shapiro, Harvey, 1924-2013
- Swallow, Alan, 1915-1966
- Title
- Guide to the Harvey Shapiro Papers
- Author
- by Michael L. Forstrom
- Date
- May 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2020-10-20: Updated by Rosemary K. J. Davis to add recent acquisition.
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.