Scope and Contents
The collection consists of correspondence, sketchbooks, notebooks, photographs, audiovisual materials, and other papers that document the work and social circle of poet Don Byrd. Notable correspondents include Charles Bernstein, Clayton Eshleman, Susan Howe, Gerrit Lansing, Paul Metcalf, and Jed Rasula. Photographs include color and black and white portraits of Byrd and other poets. Audiovisual materials consist of audiorecordings made by Byrd of poets including John Ashbery, Charles Bernstein, Gerrit Lansing, Paul Metcalf, Charles Olson, and others.
Dates
- 1953-2010
Creator
Language of Materials
In English.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 14-16 (audiovisual materials): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Granary Books, Inc. on the Alfred Z. Baker, Jr. Fund and the Donald Windham-Sandy Campbell Collection Endowment Fund, 2014.
Arrangement
Organized into five series: I. Correspondence, 1953-2002. II. Sketchbooks and notebooks, 1967-2010. III. Photographs, 1970s-1980s. IV. Other papers, 1970s-2010. V. Audiovisual materials, 1960s-1990s.
Extent
11.22 Linear Feet (16 boxes)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Biographical / Historical
Don Byrd is an American poet, sound artist, and professor of English at the State University of New York at Albany.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections as they are acquired, 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.
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.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- American poetry -- 20th Century
- Audiovisual materials -- United States -- 20th Century
- Bernstein, Charles, 1950-
- Byrd, Don, 1944-
- Lansing, Gerrit
- Metcalf, Paul C., 1917-1999
- Photographic prints -- United States -- 20th Century
- Poets -- United States -- 20th century
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Sketchbooks -- United States -- 20th Century
- Sketchbooks -- United States -- 21st century
- Title
- Guide to the Don Byrd Papers
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- November 2014
- 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.