Marc Harshman, Poet Laureate of West Virginia, Papers, 1970/2023

Access and use

Location of collection:
West Virginia and Regional History Center
West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Restrictions:

No special access restriction applies.

Researchers may access born digital materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department.

Audiovisual recordings must be digitized for research access. Researchers must contact the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department.

Terms of access:

The donor of this collection has transferred rights to some of the intellectual property they created to the Center. Marc Harshman retains coppyright to his published works. For more information regarding permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the West Virginia and Regional History Center.

Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Marc Harshman, Poet Laureate of West Virginia, Papers, A&M 4379, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
23.13 Linear Feet 15 record cartons, 15 in. each; 6 document cases, 5 in. each; 2 document cases, 2.5 in. each; 1 flat box, 3 in.; 4 flat boxes, 1 in. each; 1 letterbox, 5.5 in.; 1 rolled storage box, 5 in.; 1 oversize folder, 0.1 in. and 6.19 Gigabytes 18 files, formats include .iso, .tif, .docx, .cue, and .md5
Creator:
Harshman, Marc, Poet Laureate, 1950- and Harshman, Marc, Poet Laureate, 1950-
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Marc Harshman, Poet Laureate of West Virginia, Papers, A&M 4379, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Professional and personal papers of Marc Harshman, Appalachian author and poet laureate of West Virginia.

Collection largely contains papers regarding Marc Harshman's professional career as an author, storyteller, and teacher. There are some family papers as well. Formats include journals, manuscripts, letters, programs, and others. Papers related to his activities as a poet include drafts, correspondence with publishers, galleys, and other material.

Addendum of 2021 includes correspondence, public relations and promotional materials, and papers related to Marc Harshman's children's books and his appearances related to this aspect of his work. (circa 1970-2021)

Addendum of 2022 includes awards, manuscripts, correspondence, and miscellaneous printed materials. (circa 1976-2022)

Addendum of 2023 July 12 includes posters, drafts of published and unpublished work, publications by Harshman and others, and correspondence. (circa 1976-2023)

Addendum of 2025 February 19 includes drafts for assorted works and for Harshman's 2025 book published by WVU Press, manuscripts and notes for books and publications sent to Harshman for review, programs for the Ohio County Public Library Wheeling poetry series events, correspondence, and other material regarding Harshman's work. (circa 2000s-2020s and undated)

Series includes awards, an autobiographical sketch, a childhood handwrting workbook, and clippings, among other materials regarding Marc Harshman.

This series includes newspaper clippings, magazines, book catalogs, and other record types in which Marc Harshman or his work is mentioned. These materials inlude announcements of public appearances, book reviews, sales listings, etc.

This series contains materials regarding work by librarian and author Cheryl Harshman, Marc Harshman's wife. Includes drafts of her writing, clippings featuring her and her work, and other materials.

This series includes cards, letters, funeral notices, photos, pamphlets, and other records regarding Marc Harshman's extended family.

Series includes handwritten and typed letters to and from Marc Harshman, with related material such as manuscripts, postcards, and photos. Topics include family gatherings, story advice from Marc Harshman, and other subjects.

This series contains handwritten and typed letters to and from Marc Harshman with related materials such as manuscripts, article clippings, and thank you notes. Topics include story critique, arrangements for workshops and appearances, and other subjects.

This series contains Marc Harshman's correspondence with publishers and publishing houses regarding his work. Includes manuscripts, letters, and other materials. Topics include publication rejection, publication acceptance, draft revisions, etc.

This series contains handwritten and typed manuscripts of Marc Harshman's works. Drafts and completed copies are included, among other materials.

This series contains publications of Marc Harshman's work. Poetry collections, books, and letters to the editor are included, among other materials.

This series includes material from Marc Harshman's career as a teacher. Items include class photographs, assignment handouts, Harshman's resume, student publications, and more.

This series includes programs, playbills, newspaper clippings, and other materials documenting events that Marc Harshman attended. Events include church assemblies, theatre plays, art galleries, workshops, etc.

This series contains oversized items from Marc Harshman's collection, including newspaper clippings, galleys, and printed publications, among other materials. Topics include news from Harshman's hometown in Indiana, the West Virginia flood of '85, printed publications by or about Harshman, etc.

This addendum contains materials collected by Marc Harshman and includes but is not limited to personal and professional correspondence, materials related to Marc Harshman's children's books, newspaper clippings, publication drafts, and other items related to his work and personal life.

This sub-series includes personal and professional correspondence with other authors, poets, and artists, including Gael Turnbull, Maggie Anderson, Cynthia Rylant, Jim Burns, and Robert Morgan. Also included is professional communication with various publishing company representatives, fan mail, and personal notes, letters, and cards from family and friends. Some newspaper clippings, photos, and draft publication materials are included.

This sub-series is a collection of miscellaneous materials arranged by Marc Harshman that are related to his children's books, appearances at schools and children's events, and communication with individuals related to this aspect of his work.

This sub-series includes newspaper clippings, periodicals, publication and event flyers, and images used as promotional material for Marc Harshman.

This addendum contains materials collected by Marc Harshman and includes but is not limited to printed materials, awards received by Marc Harshman, poems and stories produced by Harshman and others, correspondence to and from the Harshman family, as well as professional correspondence between Marc Harshman, publishers, and other authors.

This addendum contains items collected by Marc Harshman and includes but is not limited to posters, drafts of published and unpublished work, publications, correspondence with Anna Egan Smucker, and materials related to Marc Harshman's involvement in local activism.

This sub-series contains a selection of PR materials including posters, newspaper clippings, and event flyers.

This sub-series contains manuscripts of published and unpublished work, printed magazines, literary journals, and local publications in which Marc Harshman's works were published, including his first professional publication in the June 6, 1976 edition of The Disciple.

This sub-series contains correspondence related to Marc Harshman's personal and professional life, including materials related to his work to prevent the closure of Mount de Chantal school and the construction of I-68, correspondence with literary peers, and a letter of recognition from Senator Joe Manchin.

Biographical / historical:

Marc Harshman was born and raised in Randolph County, Indiana. He first moved to West Virginia to attend Bethany College in 1969 and from there onto Connecticut and Pennsylvania for graduate degrees from Yale Divinity School and the University of Pittsburgh. He returned to West Virginia in 1979 where he taught at various elementary schools. He began publishing poetry in 1975 and published his first children's book in 1989. He was appointed the seventh Poet Laureate of West Virginia in 2012. He and his wife, artist Cheryl Ryan, reside in Wheeling, WV.

Marc has published 14 children's books, the first of which was published in 1989, as well as several poetry collections and chapbooks. He has been the recipient of many awards for his work, including the 20th Annual Blue Lynx Prize for his most recent poetry collection, Woman in Red Anorak. His work Believe What You Can, published in 2016 by West Virginia University Press, won the 2017 Weatherford Award from the Appalachian Studies Association and was named the Appalachian Book of the Year by the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival in Tennessee. He was also recently named co-winner of the 2019 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award. More information about his publications, awards, and current activities can be found on his website, marcharshman.com.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Harshman, Marc, 2018, 2021-2023
Physical location:
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: West Virginia & Regional History Center
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard