Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, writings, printed material, and other papers by or relating to American poet and translator Forrest Gander. The first January 2007 Acquisition consists chiefly of correspondence with other poets, writers, translators, and publishers. Correspondents include James Merrill, Robert Creeley, Clayton Eshleman, Rosmarie Waldrop, Fanny Howe, Ann Lauterbach, Michael Palmer, Michael Ondaatje, Marjorie Welish, David Shapiro, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Charles Bernstein, Cole Swenson, Henri Cole, Peter Cole, Peter Gizzi, and many others. The second January 2007 Acquisition contains additional correspondence, writings by Gander and others, as well as material relating to translations and editorial projects, such as the Mouth to Mouth anthology on Mexican poetry, printed materials, such as publicity and reviews, and personal papers, including photographs and notebooks. The June 2016 Acquisition contains correspondence, family papers, and writings of Gander, including mockups of poetry collaborations with Rikki Ducornet, Sally Mann, Raymond Meeks, and Valerie Mejer. The September 2017 Acquisition contains drafts, proofs, correspondence, publicity files, and other materials related to works written, edited, or translated by Gander.
Dates
- 1849 - 2016
- Majority of material found within 1980 - 2006
Creator
Language of Materials
Chiefly in English; some materials in Spanish and Russian.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 12a, 27, 41, 52 (computer media): Restricted fragile material. Access copies of digital files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 28, 42, 53 (audiovisual material): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Forrest Gander 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 Forrest Gander and C. D. Wright and purchased from Lame Duck Books on various funds, 2007.
June 2016 acquisition: Purchased from Forrest Gander on the Alfred Z. Baker, Jr. Fund, 2016.
September 2017 acquisition: Purchased from Forrest Gander on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 2017.
Arrangement
Organized into four groupings: January 2007 Acquisition. January 2007 Acquisition. June 2016 Acquisition. September 2017 Acquisition.
Extent
45.4 Linear Feet (53 boxes)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
Collection contains correspondence, writings, printed material, and other paper by or relating to American poet Forrest Gander. There is correspondence with other poets, writers, translators, and publishers. Correspondents include James Merrill, Robert Creeley, Clayton Eshleman, Rosmarie Waldrop, Fanny Howe, Ann Lauterbach, Michael Palmer, Michael Ondaatje, Marjorie Welish, David Shapiro, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Charles Bernstein, Cole Swensen, Henri Cole, Peter Cole, Peter Gizzi, and many others. In addition to correspondence, there are writings by Gander and others, as well as material relating to translations and editorial projects, such as the Mouth to Mouth anthology on Mexican poetry, printed materials, such as publicity and reviews, and personal papers, including photographs and notebooks.
Forrest Gander (1956-)
The author of numerous books of poetry, including Redstart: An Ecological Poetics and Science & Steepleflower, Gander is also the author of a novel (As a Friend), essays (A Faithful Existence) and translations. His poems appear in literary magazines in the United States and abroad, and his poems and books of poetry have been widely translated. His own translations include Watchword by Pura López Colomé, Spectacle & Pigsty by Kiwao Nomura, winner of the Best Translated Book Award, and Firefly Under the Tongue: Selected Poems of Coral Bracho, a finalist for the PEN Translation Prize. Other awards include a United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowhip and fellowships from The National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim, Whiting, and Howard Foundations.
Gander was born in Barstow, California, grew up in Virginia, and spent significant periods of time in San Francisco, Dolores Hidalgo (Mexico), and Eureka Springs, Arkansas before moving to Rhode Island, where he is Adele Kellenberg Seaver Professor of Literary Arts and Comparative Literature at Brown University.
Biographical information taken from the author's website at <http://forrestgander.com/bio.html>.
Processing Information
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and in some instances 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 according to month and year of acquisition.
The finding aid for this collection is compiled from individual preliminary lists for each acquisition that were created at or around the time of receipt by the library. As a rule, descriptive information found in the Collection Contents section is drawn in large part 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.
Former call number: Uncat MSS 937.
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
- Audiovisual materials
- Bernstein, Charles, 1950-
- Berssenbrugge, Mei-mei, 1947-
- Born digital
- Cole, Henri, 1956-
- Cole, Peter, 1957-
- Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005
- Ducornet, Rikki, 1943-
- Electronic documents
- Eshleman, Clayton
- Gander, Forrest, 1956-
- Gizzi, Peter, 1959-
- Howe, Fanny, 1940-
- Lauterbach, Ann, 1942-
- Mann, Sally, 1951-
- Meeks, Raymond
- Mejer Caso, Valerie, 1966-
- Merrill, James, 1926-1995
- Mexican poetry -- 20th Century
- Mexican poetry -- Translations into English
- Ondaatje, Michael, 1943-
- Palmer, Michael, 1943-
- Photographic prints
- Poets -- United States -- 20th century
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Shapiro, David, 1947-
- Swensen, Cole, 1955-
- Waldrop, Rosmarie, 1935-
- Welish, Marjorie, 1944-
- Title
- Guide to the Forrest Gander Papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Beinecke staff, Brooke McManus
- Date
- 2007-05-15. Revised: October 2022.
- 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.