Charles Wright Papers ca. 1965-2000

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred citation:

Charles Wright Papers, Accession #11437-a, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Summary

Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Charles Wright Papers, Accession #11437-a, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The writings of Charles Wright include one poetry notebook containing original hand-written poetry by Wright, 1994-1999, page proofs and setting copy for his books Appalachia, Negative Blue Selected Later Poems, and North American Bear, typescripts for individual poems "Lost Language," "On Heaven Considered As What Will Cover Us and Stony Comforter," "Night Rider," "Words for Pliny from the Burning Volcano," "Words for Socrates About Birth & Death," "History & the Sea," "The Poet's Gaze," "Letter from the Stone Age," "Star Magic," and "The Night of 10 August." Also present are translations by Charles Wright of three poems by Italian poet Eugenio Montale.

Most of the correspondence consists of letters, cards, and post cards sent to Charles Wright by fellow poets, fans, and colleagues. These letters have been arranged by the last name of the correspondent, with the more frequent correspondents placed in separate folders. Many of the same correspondents found in the original accession of Charles Wright Papers (#11437) are also represented in this addition to his papers.

Correspondence about awards, conferences, workshops, poetry readings and other professional engagements, poems submitted to or accepted by poetry magazines and anthologies, and requests for Wright to judge poetry contests, write recommendations or evaluate candidates for academic positions; greeting cards; post cards; and invitations are all arranged chronologically by topic.

Also present are some news clippings; printed material; contracts and publication agreements; invitations; writings by other authors about Charles Wright and his work, including a list of interview questions answered by Wright and his comments concerning both Dante and a reading he gave in Wise County, Virginia; and published reviews of his work.

including: Tony Abbot, Doug Adams, Leonard Adams, Ai (Florence Anthony), Pam Alexander, George Amabile (1936- ), Jim Amaral (1933- ), Ralph Angel, John [Ashbery]

including: Bachi, Russell Banks, Phyllis Barber, Jim Barnes, Bruce Beasley, Ann [Beattie?], Charlotte Beattie, Dan Becker, Calvin Bedient, Erin Belieu, Joan Puma Benner, Kimber Bentley, David Berman, Leslie Berman, [John Berryman?], Chana Bloch, Michael Blumenthal, Don Bogen, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Vance Bourjaily, Daphne W. Bransten, Elizabeth Brennan, Lucie Brock-Broido, David Brown, Susan Brown, Sharon Bryan, George Butterick

including: Anne Candelaria, Karen Cangialosi, Catherine Carls, A. Carrera, Fred Chappell, Alan Cheuse, Nicholas Christopher, Amy Clampitt, Killarney Clary

including: Michael Collier, Jo Ann Conklin, Harriet Cooper, Matthew Cooper, Alfred Corn, Bonnie Costello, [Fleuri?] Coulette, Steve Coyner, Tony Crunk, Michael Cuddihy

including: Alan DeNiro, Carl Dennis, Annie Dillard, John C. Duffey, Reed Finlay, Chris Forhan, Antonella Francini, Phyllis [Franzels?], Alice Fulton

including: Jonathan Galassi, George Garrett, Gail Ghai, Dana Gioia, Rebecca Givens, Michelle Glazer, Greg Glazner, Louise Gluck, Jorie Graham, Loren Graham, Katharine Gratwick, Arthur Gregor, Shaun Griffin, Thom Gunn

including: Donald Hall, Sam Hamill, [William] Harmon, Henry Hart, Eleanor Heginbotham, Peter R. Henry, William Heyen, Brenda Hillman, George Hitchcock, Hilary Holladay, Gill Holland, Linda Holtslander, Garrett Hongo, Charles Hood, Linda Howe, Mary Hussman

including: Mark Irwin, Rachel Jacoff, Clement Jewitt, Andrew Johnson

including: John Lang, Linda Lappin, Deborah Larsen, Lance Larsen, John Latta, Steve Lautermilch, David Lehman, John Loomis, Lynda Lowe, Tom Lux, Rich Lyons

including: Davis McCombs, Cynthia Macdonald, Robert McDowell, Rex McGuinn, Nellie Miller McNeil, Gerard Malanga, Leni Mancuso, Jacqueline Marcus, Paul Mariani, Peter Matthiessen, Bill S. Merwin, Lenny Michaels, Jane Miller, Marta [Mitiovich?], Heather Moore, Robert Morgan, Howard Moss

including: Shelly Nameroff, Peter Nijmeijer, Dennis O'Driscoll, D. Okula, Linda Orr, John Peck, Susan Perry, William Phillips, John Piller, Robert Pinsky, Donald Platt, Stan Plumly, Reynolds Price

including: John Ridland, Melanie Rehak, John Robbins, Gail Robinson, David Roderick, Bobby Caudle Rogers, Maggie Ross, Paul B. Roth, Mark Rubin, Mark Rudman, Michael Ryan

including: Stephen Sandy, Dennis Schmitz, Bob Schultz, Jim Seay, Charles Seluzicki, Rosa Shand, Robert B. Shaw, Tom Sheehan, Cynthia Shearer, Eugenio De Signoribus, Alex Silberman, Gary Silva

including: David Skeel, Edmund Skellings, Jeffrey Skinner, Anne Slaughter, Arthur Smith, Dave Smith, Jeffery Smith (1961- ), Marcia D. Smith, Ann Snodgrass, Georgia Southworth, Sarah Spence, George Starbuck, George Steele, Lisa Stendig, Camille Jones Strachan, Dabney Stuart, Adrienne Su, Ernest Suarez, David Summers, Larissa Szporluk, Mary Szybist

including: John Tagliabue, Mac Test, Harry Thomas, Alex Thorburn, Richard Tillinghast, James G. Truscott, Chase Twitchell, Jean Valentine, Nance Van Winckel, Patrice Vecchione

including: Sidney Wade, Rosanna Warren, Bruce Weigl, Anne C. Whitehouse, Dara Wier, Corey Wiguil, Richard Wilbur, Ann Williams, John A. Williams, Cynthia Wolfe Wood, Shannon Worrell, C.D. Wright, Jay Wright, Luke Wright, P. Wright, Barbara Wuest, Edith Wylder

including: Mel Yoken, C. Dale Young, Gary Young, John Yount, Chris Yu, Andrew Zawacki, Mary Zeppa

Setting Copy, with author's corrections

with author's corrections

Comments on Dante (TMs)
Comments on a Reading in Early December 1987, Wise County, Virginia (AMs)
Answers to a Typed List of "Questions for Charles Wright (both AMs & TMs)
"Words for Pliny from the Burning Volcano"
"Words for Socrates About Birth & Death"
"History & the Sea"
"The Poet's Gaze"
"Letter from the Stone Age"
"Star Magic"
"The Night of 10 August"
with author's autograph corrections (TMs)

with author's autograph corrections

including Brian Clements, Bonnie [Costello], Pat Cunning, Denham's Notes for Senior Seminar for Appalachiaand Black Zodiac, J. Stuart Frye, Gill Holland, Henry Hart, J.D. McClatchy, John Mulrooney, and Gaetano Prampolini

Biographical / historical:

Charles Wright (1935- ) is an American poet and University of Virginia English professor.

Acquisition information:
This addition to the Charles Wright Collection was acquired by the University of Virginia Library from Charles Wright, Charlottesville, Virginia, on January 20, 2000.
Arrangement:

including: David Kalstone, Karen Kelley, Tim Kendall, Hunter Kennedy, Nancey Kepner, Kerry Shawn Keys, Karl Kirchway, Janet Knepper, Sharon Kubasak

with author's corrections

Physical description:
This collection contains ca. 1,450 items (housed in 8 Hollinger boxes), chiefly manuscripts and typescripts.