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Katharine Sergeant White papers
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Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]Bryn Mawr College Library, 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr 19010
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Bryn Mawr College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Katharine Sergeant White was the first fiction editor of The New Yorker magazine and one of the most important figures of the twentieth-century American literary world. Katharine Sergeant was born in Winchester, Massachusetts in 1892, the youngest of Bessie and Charles Spencer Sergeant's three daughters. In 1914, White graduated from Bryn Mawr College, where one of her older sisters, Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, had received a degree in 1903. She married her first husband, Ernest Angell in 1915, and with him she had two children, Nancy and Roger. Katharine and Ernest were divorced in 1929, and in the same year Katharine married her second husband, New Yorker staff writer E. B. White (author of Charlottes' Web and co-author of Elements of Style).
White's career at The New Yorker began in 1925, when she was hired as a part-time reader of manuscripts for the then-fledgling magazine. Six months later, she was promoted to editor of the Fiction Department, a position she held until her retirement in 1961. As the first fiction editor of the magazine, White not only exerted an unparalleled influence on the course of the development of the magazine, but on contemporary American literature itself. Katharine Sergeant White has been credited with "discovering" many of the great writers of the century, such as John O'Hara and Vladimir Nabokov. She was also an ardent sponsor and promoter of the work of new writers, among them Mary McCarthy, John Cheever, John Updike, Irwin Shaw, Ogden Nash, Theodore Roethke, and Shirley Hazzard.
White died in 1977 at the age of 84.
The Katharine Sergeant White Papers contain the papers of Katherine S. White, Bryn Mawr class of 1914, first fiction editor of the New Yorker, and wife of E.B. White. The collection, which ranges from 1928 to 1977 (with the bulk of the materials coming from 1945-1977), consists of correspondence and other materials which document White's career at The New Yorker (as well as the history of the magazine) and her retirement years in Maine.
The collection is organized into two series: "Series I: Correspondence" and "Series II: Other Materials."
"Series I: Correspondence" is organized into four subseries: "The New Yorker Correspondence," "Garden Correspondence," "Personal Correspondence," and the "Linda H. Davis Correspondence." The first of these subseries, "The New Yorker Correspondence," contains Katherine White's incoming and outgoing correspondence with contributors, editors, and staff writers for the New Yorker. It is organized alphabetically by correspondent. This subseries documents nearly 50 years of her personal and professional relationships with E. B. White (her husband), William Maxwell, James Thurber, Harold Ross, Vladimir Nabokov, Ogden Nash, John Updike, Marianne Moore, Jean Stafford, May Sarton, Clarence Day, Elizabeth Bishop, Janet Flanner, and John Cheever, and many others. The letters within this collection reveal the writers: family life, work in progress, illnesses, luncheon dates, friends met, travels, and holidays enjoyed, and add up to a unique history of The New Yorker, as well as a superb record of White's own career. Her correspondence with the writers whose work she edited shows her as a nurturing and maternal friend, not merely critic and editor. The second subseries, "Garden Correspondence," relates primarily to White's gardening series, Onward and Upward in the Garden, which appeared occasionally in The New Yorker between 1958-1970, after she had retired as an editor. This correspondence is organized by date and comprises letters White received from hundreds of readers responding to Onward and Upward articles, many of whom received a personal response. As such, the subseries contains both incoming letters and carbon copies of many of White's responses. These letters document white's passion for gardening, including correspondence with gardening supply stores, seeking seeds and gardening supplies of all sorts for her gardens at her Maine home. These letters preserve the latest period of White's life and provide a detailed glimpse into her retirement years in North Brooklin, Maine. The third subseries, "Personal Correspondence," has been divided into "Callie Angell Correspondence," "E.B. White Correspondence," "Charles S. Sergeant Correspondence," and "Bryn Mawr College Correspondence." Callie Angell was White's granddaughter, and their correspondence provides insight into White, the grandmother, rather than White, the New Yorker editor. "E.B. White Correspondence" consists of a large number of letters between White and her second husband, E.B. This group of correspondence represents only a small portion of the private correspondence between K.S. and E.B. Most of their private correspondence is in the E.B. White Collection at Cornell University. "Charles S. Sergeant Correspondence" consists of a few letters written by Katharine Sergeant to her father, Charles S. Sergeant Esq. during her undergraduate years at Bryn Mawr College (1910-1914). These letters paint the portrait of a studious young woman, already passionate about writing, especially poetry, and seeking intellectual and creative challenges. The letters in this group are organized chronologically. "Bryn Mawr College Correspondence" comprises a relatively large group of letters from various people associated with Bryn Mawr College. White was devoted to her alma mater, and she frequently communicated with the Alumnae Association, the Friends of the Library, and the Marianne Moore Fund, to each of which she contributed financially. The Bryn Mawr College Correspondence also contains the extensive correspondence between herself and the library staff of Canaday Library, which documents the gift of her correspondence and papers to Bryn Mawr College. All of the letters in "Personal Correspondence" have been organized chronologically. "Linda H. Davis Correspondence" contains the correspondence of Linda H. Davis, author of Onward and Upward: A Biography of Katharine S. White. The letters in this subseries are further divided between Davis' correspondence with E.B. White, Katherine S. White's husband and noted author. These letters are in response to Davis' inquiries and span a period of seven years, from 1977 (the year Katherine S. White died) to 1984. These letters are organized chronologically. "Linda H. Correspondence" further contains Davis' correspondence with prominent New Yorker writers and staff that had a close relationship with White. The letters have been arranged alphabetically by correspondent's last name. Among these correspondents are John Cheever, sometimes called the "Chekhov of the suburbs"; Nadine Gordimer, South African writer and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature; Pauline Kael, New Yorker film critic; Mary McCarthy, writer and political activist; Joseph Mitchell, best known for his portrait of homeless man Joe Gould; and Mollie Panter-Downes, an English novelist and New Yorker columnist. Also notable are Elizabeth Lawrence, a fan of Katharine White's New Yorker gardening column who began a correspondence with White which spanned 150 letters; and Vera Nabokov, wife, editor, and translator of writer Vladimir Nabokov. "Series II: Other Materials" is arranged into four subseries: "Writings by Katharine Sergeant White," "Miscellaneous Garden Materials," "The New Yorker Photographs & Drawings," and "Miscellaneous New Yorker Materials." The first of these subseries, "Writings by Katharine Sergeant White," contains mostly materials related to White's New Yorker column, Onward and Upward in the Garden. It also contains an original, incomplete manuscript containing unpublished short stories and lists of personal books to be donated to Bryn Mawr. "Miscellaneous Garden Materials" contains various reference materials on gardening topics collected and used by Katherine White while researching for and preparing her Onward and Upward in the Garden pieces. The subseries includes newspaper clippings, photographs, pamphlets, garden catalogs, and printed articles. "The New Yorker Photographs & Drawings" contains photographs of New Yorker writers and staff, John Cheever, Marianne Moore, Vladimir Nabokov, James Thurber, and E.B. White. This subseries also contains original artwork by New Yorker artists, including several cartoons referring to Bryn Mawr College, including one by James Thurber, and an original wash drawing caricature of Katherine S. White by Peter Arno. "Miscellaneous New Yorker Materials" contains various materials related to White's time at the New Yorker, including editorial department internal memos, clippings and reviews, and obituaries of writers, contributors, and staff of The New Yorker.
Katherine Sergeant White began working at The New Yorker in 1925, shortly after the magazine's inception. She became the magazine's first fiction editor and was a crucial figure in creating and shaping the style and content of the magazine. This collection highlights her career at The New Yorker, illuminating her close relationships with many of the literary geniuses of the day. It provides insight into White's prowess as an editor, but also illuminates her abilities as a talented writer. The Linda H. Davis correspondence portion of the collection offers further detail to White's life story, from the perspective of her husband and many close colleagues. This collection would be of value to anyone interested in Katherine Sergeant White, The New Yorker, Onward and Upward in the Garden, E.B. White, etc.
Gift of Katharine Sergeant White. Linda H. Davis Correspondence donated by Linda Davis.
People
- Flanner, Janet, 1892-1978
- Coates, Robert M. (Robert Myron)
- Cuppy, Will
- Davenport, Marcia
- Day, Clarence
- Nabokov, Vladimir
- Moore, Marianne
- Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956
- Lockridge, Richard
- Updike, John
- Stafford, Jean
- Salinger, J. D. (Jerome David)
- Roethke, Theodore
- McBride, Katharine Elizabeth
- Davis, Linda H
- Cheever, John
- Angell, Callie
- Behrman, S. N. (Samuel Nathaniel)
- Alajalov, Constantin
- White, E. B. (Edward Brickell)
- Cain, James M. (James Mallahan)
- Brooks, Van Wyck
- Bishop, Elizabeth
- Bevington, Helen
Subject
- Publisher
- Bryn Mawr College
- Finding Aid Author
- Miriam Specter, Isabella Bartenstein, Melissa Torquato, Cassidy Gruber Baruth
- Finding Aid Date
- 2006 August
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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The Katharine Sergeant White papers are the physical property of the Special Collections Department, Bryn Mawr College Library. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns.
Collection Inventory
White's New Yorker Correspondence comprises the largest portion of her Papers. As editor for The New Yorker, White was engaged in a long and steady correspondence (1400 letters to and from over 250 correspondents) with a great many of the magazine's writers, poets, artists, and staff. The collection documents nearly 50 years of her personal and professional relationships with E. B. White (her husband), William Maxwell, James Thurber, Harold Ross, Vladimir Nabokov, Ogden Nash, John Updike, Marianne Moore, Jean Stafford, May Sarton, Clarence Day, Elizabeth Bishop, Janet Flanner, and John Cheever, and many others. White was described by her husband as a great "keeper-in-touch" and her correspondence with the writers whose work she edited shows her as a nurturing and maternal friend, not merely critic and editor.
White's early years as editor for The New Yorker are significantly less well documented than the later years of her career, because she did not at first keep copies of her correspondence, a practice she later followed scrupulously. Her career between the years 1935 and 1961, on the other hand, is copiously documented through her own preservation of her professional and personal correspondence, which forms the bulk of this collection.
The New Yorker Correspondence is organized alphabetically by correspondent and contains letters, typed and handwritten, from New Yorker affiliates to White, as well as numerous carbon or xerox copies of her letters to them, which makes it possible to follow thoughts and conversations between her and her correspondents over decades. Of great value are a series of notes by White commenting on specific letters and correspondents in detail, establishing relationships and context. The letters within this collection reveal the writers : family life, work in progress, illnesses, luncheon dates, friends met, travels, and holidays enjoyed, and add up to a unique history of The New Yorker, as well as a superb record of White's own career.
The great majority of the items in The New Yorker Correspondence were given to the Library by White herself; the collection also includes gifts from William Maxwell, John Updike, and Phyllis Feldcamp.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Abbe concerning Abbe's book, Plants of Virgil's Georgics, reviewed by White in her Onward and Upward in the Garden series. Correspondence also concerns an English version of The Georgics, illustrated and translated from the original Latin by Abbe, and White's purchase of a copy of the new publication.
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Letter from Adams, one of White's New Yorker secretaries, regarding professional matters.
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Letter from Adams, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Alajalov, Russian-American artist and illustrator, with a hand painted drawing of a farewell bouquet on the occasion of White's permanent move from New York to Maine. Alajalov produced many covers for The New Yorker.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Arnaud regarding Arnaud becoming E. B. White's French agent (for French translations of his novels) after the death of his former French agent. Arnaud's letter mentions her connection with Janet Flanner.
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Incoming correspondence from Balliett, New Yorker jazz critic and contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Letter from Barolini, Italian writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Barrows, White's fourth cousin, regarding Harold Ross' firing of New Yorker contributor, Richard Boyer.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Baumgarten, literary agent of Bessie Breuer and Mary McCarthy, regarding White's leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker and the status of Breuer's and McCarthy's work.
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Incoming correspondence from Bechtel, American editor, author, and lecturer on children's literature, primarily regarding personal matters. Many of Bechtel's letters concern E. B. White's children's books and reviews. Bechtel's correspondence is also closely related to Katharine White's children's book reviews for The New Yorker and her later Onward and Upward in the Garden series.
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Incoming correspondence from Behrman, American playwright and New Yorker contributor, regarding New Yorker-related matters, including the death of Wolcott Gibbs and Behrman's writing. Several letters concern Behrman's desire to write a collaborative biography on Harold Ross with White, both of whom believed that Ross was unfairly misrepresented in James Thurber's book, The Years With Ross. The library holds a copy of Thurber's book with extensive marginal comments by White. Behrman's letters mention Mollie Panter-Downes, Edmund Wilson, and Rebecca West.
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Letter from Elza Behrman regarding the death of her husband.
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Letter from Bemelmans, New Yorker contributor, regarding an unusual payment in Dunhill cigars for a New Yorker cover by Bemelmans and Bemelmans' writing progress.
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Copies of two letters from Benet, American writer and editor, regarding Elinor Wylie, Benet's wife. Letters addressed to "Mrs. Angell", as they predate White's second marriage to E. B. White.
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Incoming correspondence from Bergeret, New Yorker contributor, regarding her writing, the death of Gus Lobrano, White's leaving her editorial position, the death of Wolcott Gibbs, E. B. White's articles, and other New Yorker-related matters. Bergeret's letters primarily concern personal matters, such as her travels, visits to and from White, her professorship at Vassar College, and health problems. Bergeret's letters mention E. M. Forster and Mollie Panter-Downes.
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Incoming correspondence from Bergman, book editor for The Evening and Sunday Bulletin, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Bernstein, New Yorker editor, regarding his book, Thurber: A Biography.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Bevington, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters. One of Bevington's letters reads: "You found a remarkable way to say what was so very good to hear, and I know all over again the great editor and great friend you are."
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Incoming correspondence from Morris Bishop's widow, Alison, and from his daughter, Alison Bishop Jolly, regarding Alison Bishop Jolly's collecting and editing her father's letters. The correspondence primarily concerns the death of Morris Bishop and KSW's assistance in accessing the Morris Bishop letters in The New Yorker's files and her personal letters from him at Bryn Mawr College.
Physical Description9 items
Incoming correspondence from Morris Bishop's widow, Alison, and from his daughter, Alison Bishop Jolly, regarding Alison Bishop Jolly's collecting and editing her father's letters. The correspondence primarily concerns the death of Morris Bishop and KSW's assistance in accessing the Morris Bishop letters in The New Yorker's files and her personal letters from him at Bryn Mawr College.
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Incoming correspondence from Bishop, American poet, writer, and New Yorker contributor, regarding her poetry, her travels and life in Brazil, her professorship at Harvard, and other personal matters. Bishop's letter of 14 April 1975 comments on Brendan Gill's book Here At the New Yorker. Bishop's letter of 12 Dec 1961 mentions Marianne Moore, Mary McCarthy, and the Lowells. White's outgoing correspondence concerns her poor health, Bishop's poetry, White's letter of 7 Dec 1955 concerns her leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker and turning Bishop's prose over to Gus Lobrano to edit. White's letter of 18 Feb 1972 concerns the death of Marianne Moore and White's relationship with Moore at The New Yorker and at Bryn Mawr College.
Physical Description4 items
Letter from Maxwell to Bishop regarding the translated work of a Brazilian writer being considered for publication in The New Yorker.
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Incoming correspondence from Morris Bishop, American poet and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters, primarily family-related. One letter mentions celebrating Thanksgiving with Vladimir and Vera Nabokov. Bishop, also a professor of Romance Literature at Cornell University, was one of Nabokov's closest friends in the US, and it was Bishop who brought Nabokov into Cornell as a professor. White was Bishop's editor until 1955, when she left her position as fiction editor in order to take on more general responsibilities for the magazine.
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Letter from Blackmur, American poet and early New Yorker contributor, regarding a wild flower catalog from Pearce Seeds, New Jersey and other personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Blanchard, editor for Little, Brown & Company Publishers, regarding professional matters.
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Exchange regarding White's leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker and the publication of Bogan's writing in The New Yorker.
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Incoming letter from Miller regarding chapters from her book to be published as short stories by The New Yorker. Copy of an outgoing letter from White to Miller contains a lengthy response to issues raised by Miller over a recent rejection of one of Miller's New Yorker submissions and Ms. Miller's criticisms of New Yorker fiction in general.
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Incoming correspondence from Botsford, New Yorker editor, and his wife "Tassie" (Catherine Crittenden Botsford) regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Braun, New Yorker secretary, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Brennan, Irish-American short story writer, journalist, and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters; correspondence postdates White's retirement from her editorial position at The New Yorker.
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Early incoming correspondence from Breuer, New Yorker contributor and wife of Henry Varnum Poor, regarding her writing and personal matters. Breuer's later letters concern her poor health, the death of her husband, and other personal matters. Breuer's letters reference Carson McCullers, John Steinbeck, Roger Angell, and Janet Flanner.
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Small collection of letters from Gladys Brooks, wife of Van Wyck Brooks and a literary writer in her own right. The correspondence is personal.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Brooks, American literary critic, regarding White's poor health and other personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Bruccoli, editor of Fitzgerald/Hemmingway Annual and English professor at the University of South Carolina, regarding Bruccoli's biography of John O'Hara. White's letter of 17 May 1971 is lengthy and contains descriptive information about John O'Hara's connection to The New Yorker.
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Incoming correspondence from Cain, early managing editor for The New Yorker and American novelist, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming letters from Canfield, editor for Harper & Brothers Publishers, regarding the publication of John Updike's first book, The Poor House Fair. KSW had originally sent Updike to Harper & Brothers to have his book published, but eventually Harper turned his first novel down.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Carroll, managing editor of Looking Glass Library Publishers, regarding an invitation from Looking Glass Library for White to edit a book titled The Looking Glass Book of Humor for children.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Carson, American writer, environmental activist and New Yorker contributor, concerning Carson's "Silent Spring" articles published in The New Yorker. One letter from KSW to Carson states, "I really only wanted to say that in all my now nearly forty years as a New Yorker editor I've never been prouder of anything we published than of "Silent Spring."
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Letters from Carver, a candidate for an editing position at The New Yorker, regarding her qualifications for the position.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Cerf, president of Random House, Inc. Publishers, regarding his book, An Encyclopedia of Modern American Humor.
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Incoming correspondence from Chappell, graphic artist and New Yorker contributor, regarding the Irvin type the New Yorker headlines are printed in, the connection of the typeset to Rea Irvin, and other issues concerning origins of the formatting of The New Yorker.
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Incoming correspondence from Cheever, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding his receipt of the National Book Award for The Wapshot Chronicle. Letters additionally concern other issues related to Cheever's writings.
Physical Description1 items
Letter from Donaldson, English professor at the College of William and Mary, regarding his biography on John Cheever.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Clarke, consultant for the American Chemical Society and early New Yorker contributor, regarding professional matters. White's response letter references the Rachel Carson series on chemical poisons published in The New Yorker.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Clay, a New Yorker contributor of fiction, regarding professional matters, such as White's leaving her editorial position, the death of Gus Lobrano, and Clay's writings.
Physical Description3 items
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Incoming correspondence from Coates, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding Coates's writing, his move to New York City, White's health, and other personal matters. Coates's early letters mention James Thurber.
Physical Description10 items
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Collier, English writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Collinge, an actress and New Yorker contributor, regarding the death of Wolcott Gibbs and KSW leaving her position as Collinge's editor at The New Yorker. Exchange of correspondence later in date concerning the publication of Collinge's book, The Small Mosaics of Mr. and Mrs. Engel.
Physical Description2 items
Letter from White regarding the death of Patricia Collinge.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Cooke, The New Yorker's "Talk of the Town" reporter, regarding New Yorker-related and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Cooper, a New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence regarding Core's request, as editor of The Sewanee Review, that White review Louis Rubin's The Comic Imagination in American Literature and other New Yorker-related publications, all of which White declined, believing the publications to be inaccurate and inadequate representations of The New Yorker and because of her age.
Physical Description3 items
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Incoming correspondence from Coward, president of Coward-McCann, Inc. Book Publishers, regarding revisions and reprints of Whites' edited volume, A Subtreasury of American Humor.
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Incoming correspondence from Cullinan, Irish American writer and New Yorker secretary and contributor, regarding New Yorker-related and personal matters.
Physical Description4 items
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Copies of incoming correspondence from Cuppy, American humorist and New Yorker contributor, regarding his writing, submissions to The New Yorker, and other professional matters. Outgoing correspondence from White to Cuppy regarding his writing and editorial matters. White's letters Many of White's letters contain pleas for submissions from Cuppy to The New Yorker. White's letter of 22 Sept 1936 reads: "Why don't you send us something funny? We need it, and where are the manuscripts you have been promising?"
Physical Description15 items
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Incoming correspondence from Cushman regarding personal matters.
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Incoming letter from Davenport, American author, regarding praise for her writing received from White.
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Letter from Day, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding his autobiographical book, Life With Father. The letter additionally concerns E. B. White's biography of Day written for the Book of the Month Club circular. A note written by White describes this letter as "a rare item," as the many letters written by Day to White were lost from the New Yorker files. Copies of outgoing correspondence from White to Day regarding Day's writing and editorial matters.
Physical Description8 items
"This folder seems to contain the start of a second Clarence Day series. They were unfinished pieces left after Clarence's death which we hoped to make into a 'Life with Mother' series. I don't think they worked out for The New Yorker but Mrs. Day may have sold some of them, as rewritten by her, to one of the Curtis publications, but not the Sat. Eve. Post."
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Day regarding personal matters.
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Correspondence between White and Peg Day, wife of Clarence Day, regarding New Yorker-related and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and De Kay regarding De Kay's biographical research on Ogden Nash. White's response letter of 8 Sept 1976 contains many details about Nash's connection to The New Yorker and White's editorial opinions about his writing.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and de Miskey, an early cover artist for The New Yorker, regarding de Miskey's difficulties in obtaining employment outside of The New Yorker.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and de Rocheville, editor-in-chief of Press Bureau Publishers, regarding White's inclusion in Press Bureau's volume, Women of Achievement, to which White declined.
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Incoming letter from Deutsch, American poet and a New Yorker contributor, regarding White's retirement from her editorial position at The New Yorker.
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Incoming letter from de Vries, American novelist and New Yorker editor, regarding praise from White for one of his recently published books.
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Letter from Edman, New Yorker contributor, regarding his review of a book (title unspecified in the letter) written by E. B. White.
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Letter from Edman, New Yorker contributor, regarding his review of a book (title unspecified in the letter) written by E. B. White.
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Exchange of correspondence with Espey, a New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters. A second exchange of correspondence regarding a series of short stories written by Espey on his experiences growing up in China as the son of an American missionary and turned down by The New Yorker.
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Letter from Fish, a children's books editor of Frederick A. Stokes Company, Inc. publishers, regarding White's children's books review in the 6 Dec 1941 issue of The New Yorker.
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Letter from Fisher regarding her review of gardening books mentioned in White's first Onward and Upward in the Garden article.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Flack, an early New Yorker contributor, primarily regarding gardening and White's Onward and Upward in the Garden series. Flack was a faithful reader of White's gardening articles and an avid gardener himself.
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Incoming correspondence from Flanner, American writer, journalist, and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters, including her writing for The New Yorker, her travels, and living in Paris. Several of Flanner's letters concern her life in Paris during World War II. Flanner's letters reference Ernest Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams, Carson McCullers, Bessie Breuer, Wolcott Gibbs, and St. Clair McKelway, Rebecca West, Jean Stafford, and J. D. Salinger.
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Incoming correspondence from Fleichmann, president of The New Yorker, regarding primarily professional matters and some personal matters. Several of Fleichmann's letters to White concern issues related to her New Yorker stock holdings.
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Incoming correspondence from Ford, a New Yorker contributor, regarding correspondence between Ford and E. B. White concerning the deaths of their respective dachshunds. Ford's letters also concern her new book. White's letter concerns the death of John McNulty.
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Letter from E. B. White, regarding the death of his dachshund, Fred.
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Exchange of correspondence with Ford regarding his book, The Time of Laughter, which featured The New Yorker. White's response letter mentions Harold Ross, Robert Coates John O'Hara, John Cheever, J. F. Powers, John Updike, Peter De Vries, Frank O'Conner, William Maxwell, Wolcott Gibbs, Frank Sullivan, Ogden Nash, and S. J. Perelman.
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Incoming correspondence from Forster, Harold Ross' top record keeper at The New Yorker, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Frank, a New Yorker contributor, regarding Frank's book The Deed.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Gallant, a New Yorker writer, regarding Gallant's back operation, one that White underwent years earlier and shared sympathy and encouragement about to Gallant.
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Incoming correspondence from Geraghty, art editor of The New Yorker, regarding personal matters and the 50th Anniversary New Yorker Album compiled by Geraghty.
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Incoming correspondence from Gibbs, American humorist and New Yorker editor and contributor, regarding professional matters and A Subtreasury of American Humor, a book compiled and edited by the Whites.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Van Leeuwen, a journalism student, regarding a term paper about Wolcott Gibbs.
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Incoming letter from Gill, New Yorker contributor and theater critic, praising one of White's Onward and Upward in the Garden articles. Exchange of correspondence between White and Gill regarding the death of John O'Hara and O'Hara's New Yorker obituary, written by Gill. One letter contains Gill's approval to be included in the New Yorker correspondence White bequeathed to Bryn Mawr College.
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Incoming correspondence from Goodwillie, White's private New Yorker secretary, regarding Goodwillie leaving The New Yorker to get married and other personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Gordimer, South African writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding her travels in Europe, living in South Africa, the progress of her writing, and personal matters. Gordimer's letters frequently mention her friend Jean Stafford.
Physical Description6 items
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Incoming correspondence from Gorman, head New Yorker Fiction Department secretary, primarily regarding professional matters. The Gorman correspondence dates to the late 50s and early 60s, when White was beginning to pull out of her editorial position to live in Maine. Gorman kept track of manuscripts sent to White, forwarded them to her, and updated her on office news from the Fiction Department.
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Exchange of correspondence with Grant, first wife of Harold Ross, regarding her request to White and E. B. White to assist her in editing her book about The New Yorker.
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Exchange of correspondence with Greenslet, chief editor of Houghton Mifflin, on the subject of White's being a judge of the Special Houghton Mifflin Prize for poetry given in 1945. Elizabeth Bishop's book of poetry won the prize, which led to her recognition as one of The New Yorker's major poets.
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Incoming correspondence from Greenstein, vice president and assistant secretary of The New Yorker, regarding professional and personal matters. A later exchange of correspondence between White and Greenstein concerns the reproduction of portions of the Irvin masthead for a bookplate for White's New Yorker books bequeathed to Bryn Mawr College
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Hahn, American journalist and New Yorker contributor, regarding Hahn's trip to South Africa, White visiting Hahn during a trip to Europe, and other personal matters. Hahn's letters mention Nadine Gordimer.
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Letter from Hale, politician and New Yorker contributor, regarding Hale's book, "Cushing's Island: Two Memoirs," and personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Hamburger, American journalist and New Yorker contributor and staff member, regarding one of his New Yorker articles and personal matters.
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Letter from Hamilton, managing director of Hamish Hamilton Ltd. Publishers, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Hardewick, wife of Robert Lowell, regarding Hardewick's writing and personal matters.
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See also: Garden Correspondence: White Flower Farm
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Harris, second husband of Jane Grant and owner of White Flower Farm, regarding personal matters. The letter of 17 May 1965 is a response to White's review of Harris's White Flower Farm seed catalog written under the pseudonym "Amos Pettingill" in an Onward and Upward in the Garden article.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Hart, associate editor at the Macmillan Company Publishers, regarding Macmillan's invitation for White to edit an anthology titled "But You Don't Have to Live With Him," to which White responded no.
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Incoming letters from Haupt, an assistant secretary at The New Yorker, regarding professional matters
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Haviland, chairman of the Children's Library Association, regarding an invitation for White to be a guest speaker at the Children's Library Association July 1954 conference, which White declined.
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Incoming letter from Hayden regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Hellman, American humorist and New Yorker staff writer, regarding primarily personal matters. Many of Hellman's letters concern White's Onward and Upward in the Garden series.
Physical Description3 items
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Incoming correspondence from Henderson, a New Yorker editor, regarding primarily professional and editorial matters. Henderson's later letters concern personal matters. Henderson's correspondence references the writings of Vladimir Nabokov, Christine Weston, Saul Bellow, Ida Treat, May Sarton, Elizabeth Bishop, and Phyllis McGinley.
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Incoming correspondence from Heslin, a close doctor friend of Frank Sullivan's, regarding Sullivan's poor health and death.
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Incoming letter from Hillyer, American poet and New Yorker contributor, regarding White's heath and other personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Hofeller, a New Yorker editor, regarding professional and personal matters
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Parker and Shaw regarding the estate of Helen Hokinson, New Yorker cartoonist and cover artist, and White's purchase of original artwork by Hokinson.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Fort, an early New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Hollingsworth, a garden writer and Bryn Mawr alumna, regarding primarily gardening topics, White's Onward and Upward in the Garden series, and other personal matters. Hollingsworth was a devoted fan of White's articles and reviews of gardening and gardening publications.
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Incoming correspondence from Honeycutt, never on the New Yorker staff but closely associated with the magazine, regarding the death of Dorothy Parker and other personal matters. Honeycutt's letters mention Jean Stafford, Frank Sullivan, Harold Ross, and Lillian Hellman.
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Letter from Howe regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Humphries, American poet, critic, and translator, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Hunter, New Yorker contributor, regarding a literary piece she submitted to The New Yorker.
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Incoming correspondence from Iglauer, New Yorker contributor, regarding her Ungava Eskimo piece, her book, New People, White's Onward and Upward in the Gardenseries, and personal matters.
Physical Description4 items
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Incoming correspondence from Ingersoll, American journalist, regarding an inaccurate reference to White's divorce from her first husband in Ingersoll's book of memoirs, and other personal and professional matters.
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Letter from Jackson, editor for Harper's Magazine, regarding Jackson's invitation for White to write a children's book list for the Christmas edition of Harper's Magazine.
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Letter from Johnson regarding White's poor health and other personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Johnson, an early New Yorker editor, regarding a review of White's garden catalog review by Johnson in the magazine The Horse Fly.
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Incoming correspondence from Johnson, head of the New Yorker's Checking Department, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Johnson, head of the New Yorker Library and Files, regarding White's request that her professional correspondence with John Updike and Vladimir Nabokov be xeroxed and sent to her and other professional and personal matters.
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Letter from Jordan regarding White's leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker.
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Letter from Junkins regarding The Contemporary World Poets, a book edited by Junkins, and other personal matters
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Incoming correspondence from Keller, American poet and New Yorker contributor, regarding health problems and other personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Kinney, a biographer writing on James Thurber, regarding James Thurber's book, The Years With Ross and Kinney's work on a biography of Thurber.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Knowles, head of the New Yorker Make-up Department, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Kober, American humorist and New Yorker contributor, regarding the death of Gus Lobrano.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Kohn, book appraiser of Seven Gables Bookshop, regarding business-related and financial matters. Kohn appraised a number of book collections for White during her lifetime, including Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant's collection of Willa Cather books, E. B. White's book collection, and her own book collection. White also purchased old and rare books through the Seven Gables Bookshop.
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see Garden Correspondence, Elizabeth Lawrence
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Letter from Leiner, New Yorker Fiction Department secretary, regarding professional matters.
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Letter from Levick, New Yorker staff member, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Lewis, New Yorker contributor, regarding White's Onward and Upward in the Garden articles and other personal matters.
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Letter from Lewis regarding collaboration with Dodd, Mead & Company Publishers and White on an anthology of New England humor.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Limmer, Louise Bogan's literary executor, regarding Limmer's edited volume on Bogan's letters, Limmer's permission from White to use her collection of correspondence at Bryn Mawr College, and personal matters.
Physical Description8 items
Letter from White to Greenstein, regarding White's request for xerox copies of Louise Bogan's letters to her from the New Yorker files.
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Letter from White to Maidie, daughter of Louise Bogan, regarding a letter of Louise Bogan's referencing her divorce from Raymond Holden and permission for use of the letter by Ruth Limmer.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Lobrano, New Yorker fiction editor, regarding personal and professional matters. Lobrano's letter of 1941 or 1942 concerns his disappointment in not being accepted into the Navy or military during World War II.
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Letter from Lockridge, early New Yorker contributor and second wife of Richard Lockridge, regarding personal matters.
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Exchange of letters between White and Lockridge, a New Yorker contributor, regarding professional matters.
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Letter from Loeser, a New Yorker contributor and wife of Peter De Vries, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Logan, New Yorker staff writer, regarding suggestions White may have for the Christmas list of recommended toys published yearly at Christmas in The New Yorker, Tassie Botsford's death, and other New Yorker-related matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Long, a New Yorker staff member, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Patricia Maxwell, daughter of Lois Long, regarding the death of Lois Long.
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Letter from Lord, a New Yorker staff writer, regarding a profile piece on Rexford Guy Tugwell written by Lord for The New Yorker. The letter is labeled by White as confidential.
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Letter from Mabry, editor at Coward-McCann, Inc. Book Publishers, regarding a proposal to reissue the Whites' edited volume, A Subtreasury of American Humor on the twentieth anniversary of its publication.
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Incoming correspondence from MacKenzie, a New Yorker editor, regarding professional and personal matters. Many of MacKenzie's letters reference Marianne Moore
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Malcolm, New Yorker staff writer and second wife of Gardner Botsford, regarding primarily personal matters, such as her first husband's illness, White's Onward and Upward in the Garden articles, and horticultural topics.
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Letter from Maloney, a New Yorker staff writer, regarding the purchase of one of the Whites' dachshund puppies birthed by their dachshund, Minnie. Of note, Maloney's letter describes the common practice of air raids in New York City.
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Letter from Marx regarding praise for E. B. White
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Incoming correspondence from Mason, a New Yorker staff member, regarding personal and professional matters.
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105 items
Incoming correspondence from Maxwell, New Yorker editor, regarding professional and personal matters. The letters primarily concern New Yorker-related and editor-related topics. Many of Maxwell's letters contain a large amount of information about the magazine's most celebrated writers, including John Updike, John Cheever, and Vladimir Nabokov, among others. White turned nearly all of her most important New Yorker writers over to be edited by Maxwell when she retired from her editorial position.
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Incoming correspondence from White, regarding professional and personal matters. This set of correspondence spans approximately 30 years of friendship between White and Maxwell. Many letters concern New Yorker-related and editor-related topics
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Incoming correspondence from McCarten, New Yorker film critic and staff writer, regarding professional and personal matters, primarily on the subject of health.
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Letter from Nancy McCarten regarding the death of her husband, John McCarten.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and McCarthy, American author, critic and New Yorker contributor, regarding her writing, her travels, health issues, and other personal matters.
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Letter from McCord, New Yorker contributor, regarding White's opinion of a poem by McCord and personal matters.
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Letter from White responding to McCutcheon's being upset over a satiric profile of John Marquand written by Philip Hamburger.
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Incoming correspondence from McGinley, poet and New Yorker contributor, regarding her writing, the death of her husband, the death of Gus Lobrano, White's illnesses, and other personal and professional matters.
Physical Description3 items
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Incoming correspondence from McKelway, New Yorker staff writer, regarding New Yorker-related matters.
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Letter from McKenney, New Yorker contributor, regarding the birth of her daughter, Eileen, and other personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Faith McNulty, American nonfiction writer, New Yorker contributor, and wife of John McNulty, regarding praise for Faith McNulty's recently published writings.
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Letter from John McNulty, New Yorker contributor and husband of Faith McNulty, regarding the death of Gus Lobrano.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Mencken's secretary regarding Mencken's archives to be given to the New York Public Library upon his death. Mencken was a New Yorker contributor whose work was edited by Harold Ross.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Merryman, former editor of Time magazine, regarding Merryman's biography of Herman Mankiewicz. Merryman wished to talk with White about Mankiewicz, a staff writer and drama critic for The New Yorker from 1925 to 1926.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Milford regarding Milford's biography on Edna St. Vincent Millay. White's response letters to Milford contain many details about Millay's connection to The New Yorker, as well as details about Louise Bogan's letters.
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see Bolton, Isabel
1 folders
Incoming correspondence from Mitchell, New Yorker staff member, regarding White's Onward and Upward in the Garden articles and other New Yorker-related matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Moffat, New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters, primarily family-related. Moffat and his family spent their summer vacations near the Whites' home in Maine
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30 items
Incoming correspondence from Moore, American poet and writer, New Yorker contributor, and Bryn Mawr alumna, regarding her writing, her love of baseball, and other personal and New Yorker-related matters. Although White was not her New Yorker editor, Moore often sent her writing to White first for critical opinion and encouragement. An exchange of letters between White and Moore dating to 1960 relates Moore's and White's trip to Bryn Mawr College for its 75th anniversary, where Moore, White, and White's sister, Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, among other outstanding alumnae, were honored.
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Incoming correspondence from Mosher, New Yorker editor, regarding professional and personal matters. Mosher's letters mention many New Yorker writers and staff, including Harold Ross, the Thurbers, William Maxwell, Clarence Day, Janet Flanner, Wolcott Gibbs, and Gus Lobrano.
Physical Description4 items
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Incoming correspondence from Moss, poetry editor of The New Yorker, regarding New Yorker-related and personal matters. One letter concerns the death of Marianne Moore. Moss's letters mention Elizabeth Bishop, Marianne Moore, and Jean Stafford.
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Incoming correspondence from Murphy, New Yorker Make-up Department staff, regarding personal matters, primarily family-related.
Physical Description6 items
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Murray, editor of John Murray Publishing, regarding the poet John Betjeman and Betjeman's most recent poem, "The Great Central Railway," which was being considered for publication by The New Yorker.
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Letter from White to Murray in response to a letter written by her and published in The New York Times describing the poverty of North Brooklin, Maine, as well as in response to letters written by her and her husband, George, to E. B. White defending Murray's published Times letter.
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Incoming correspondence from Murray, a new editor for The New Yorker hired by White prior to her retirement from the magazine. The correspondence concerns Murray's writing and New Yorker-related matters. Murray was the son of Natalia Murray, a good friend of Janet Flanners. Murray's letters mention Janet Flanner, Roger Angell, and Antonio Barolini.
Physical Description2 items
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Vera Nabokov, wife of Vladimir Nabokov, regarding primarily to editorial issues of Vladimir Nabokov's writing and pieces submitted to The New Yorker. Several of Vera Nabokov's letters relate to Vladimir's insistence upon publishing Lolita under a pseudonym on account of its controversial subject matter and his use of first person narration and his unease about allowing the editorial staff of The New Yorker outside of White read the novel for opinions and publication approval. The letters of later date are concerned with personal matters. White's letter of 11 July 1977 concerns Vladimir's death.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Nabokov, Russian-American author and New Yorker contributor, regarding primarily professional and editorial matters, including acceptance and rejection notices for Nabokov's New Yorker submissions and White's editorial suggestions for changes and clarifications of proofs. Several letters, both incoming and outgoing, concern Nabokov's controversial book, Lolita.
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Correspondence between White and Nash, American poet and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters. The letter from White dated 12 Mar 1956 concerns the death of Nash's New Yorker editor, Gus Lobrano. An exchange of correspondence between White and Nash dating to 1967 relate to White's seeking permission from Nash to quote two stanzas from his poem "Mr. Powers" in "The Flower Arrangers, Part II of her Onward and Upward in the Garden series.
Physical Description4 items
Letter from Painter, a New Yorker staff member, regarding the return of a letter from Ogden Nash to White.
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Incoming correspondence from Newman, a New Yorker fiction editor, regarding White's Onward and Upward in the Garden series, White leaving her editorial position, and personal matters.
Physical Description3 items
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Letter from Nicholls regarding the Peter Arno caricature drawing of White. Nicholls was secretary and assistant to James Geraghty, the art editor of The New Yorker. When Geraghty retired Nicholls started an art gallery devoted to selling the work of New Yorker-affiliated artists. The original Arno caricature drawing of White is part of this collection (see Other Materials, The New Yorker Photographs and Drawings).
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Incoming correspondence from Nosher, a New Yorker staff member, regarding professional and personal matters. Nosher was White's last New Yorker personal secretary; Nosher advanced to taking on some editorial work after White retired.
Physical Description7 items
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Letter from O'Hara, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding the birth of his daughter and his writing progress.
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15 items
Incoming correspondence from Oliver, staff writer and critic for The New Yorker, regarding professional and personal matters. Oliver's letter of 21 Aug 1965 mentions the death of Shirley Jackson. Another of Oliver's letters references E. M. Forster, a personal friend of hers.
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Incoming correspondence from Orr, New Yorker editor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Letter from Paladino, one of White's New Yorker secretaries, regarding his upcoming marriage.
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23 items
Exchange of correspondence between White and Panter-Downes, British writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters, primarily concerning family matters and travels. White was Panter-Downes' New Yorker editor, but the two were close friends, as well. The letters between White and Panter-Downes reflect their friendship as well as their editor-writer relationship.
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Incoming correspondence from Patton, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding her writing, White's leaving her position as editor, and other New Yorker-related matters , as well as personal matters. Patton's letters mention Jean Stafford, Nancy Hale, Rebecca West, and Helen Bevington.
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Letter from Pierce, illustrator for The New Yorker, regarding White's request that Pierce illustrate poetry to be published in The New Yorker.
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Letter from Perelman, American humorist and New Yorker contributor, regarding the death of Gus Lobrano. White's letter to Perelman of 20 Nov 1970 concerns Perelman's move to England, his most recent book Baby, It's Cold Inside, and White's poor health.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Perlmutter, biographer of Louise Bogan, regarding Perlmutter's research on Bogan's connection to The New Yorker. White's letter of 14 June 1975 is lengthy and contains a large amount of information about Bogan and her relationships with the New Yorker editorial staff and her friendships with other New Yorker writers, including May Sarton, Edmund Wilson, Mary McCarthy, Robert Frost, John Updike, and Rolfe Humphries.
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Incoming correspondence from Peters, second wife of Robert M. Coates and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters, primarily health issues. Peters' letter of 7 Mar 1973 concerns the death of her husband.
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Letter from Petty, cartoonist and cover artist for The New Yorker and wife of Alan Dunn, regarding one of her New Yorker covers and gratitude for the Whites' praise of it.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Pilkington regarding Pilkington's biography on American writer and essayist, Stark Young.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Young regarding White's invitation for Young to write an essay on Greenwich Village for The New Yorker.
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Incoming correspondence from Poor, American artist, regarding the death of her mother, Bessie Breuer (Mrs. Henry Varnum Poor).
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Letter from Poor, American artist and husband of Bessie Breuer, regarding Robert M. Coates's harsh review of Poor's work.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Powers, American short story writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding New Yorker-related and personal matters. Powers' letters postdate White's leaving her editorial post at The New Yorker.
Physical Description3 items
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Incoming correspondence from Robinson, one of White's New Yorker secretaries and a Bryn Mawr alumna, regarding professional matters. Exchange of correspondence between White and Robinson in 1975 concerns White being interviewed for an oral history of Bryn Mawr, which never coalesced, and other personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Theodore Roethke, American poet and New Yorker contributor, professional matters. Exchange of correspondence between White and Beatrice Roethke, wife of Theodore, regarding her collection of her husband's letters for publication.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Rogin, New Yorker staff member, regarding the decision of whether The New Yorker editors would join the Writer's Guild or unionize.
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Letter from White in response to a fan letter from Rooney.
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Letter from Carl Rose, cartoonist for The New Yorker, regarding professional and personal matters. Letter from Dorothy Rose, Carl's wife, regarding cartoons of Carl's that she wanted White to have after his death.
See also: Other Materials, New Yorker Photographs and Drawings
Physical Description2 items
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Incoming correspondence from Ross, American journalist and founder of The New Yorker magazine, regarding professional matters.
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Letter from Ross, New Yorker staff writer, regarding White's praise for one of Ross' recent articles.
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Incoming correspondence from Patricia Ross, daughter of Harold Ross, regarding her interest in writing and other personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Rudd, a New Yorker fiction editor, regarding her promotion from William Shawn's to editor and other professional and personal matters. Many of Rudd's letters concern gardening topics.
Physical Description8 items
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Letter from White to Russell, literary agent of Fanny Patton and May Sarton, regarding her leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker.
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Letter from Salinger, American writer, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Sarton, American poet, novelist, and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters. Sarton's letter dated 7 Sept 1961 concerns a poor review of one of Sarton's books given by The New Yorker staff. As the letter conveys, Sarton retaliated by writing a farewell letter to White and dissociating herself from The New Yorker, though she continued to contribute to the magazine.
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Letter from Schnore regarding praise for the Whites' book A Subtreasury of American Humor.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Schorer regarding Schorer's biography on Sinclair Lewis.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Selby, editor-in-chief of Rhinehart & Company, Inc. Publishers, regarding a book on the Algonquin Round Table.
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Correspondence from Shapiro, American poet and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal and professional matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Cecille Shawn, wife of William Shawn, regarding personal matters. Letter from Wallace Shawn, son of Cecille and William, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Shawn, New Yorker editor, regarding primarily professional matters. Many of Shawn's letters concern White's Onward and Upward in the Garden series. This group of correspondence documents the close friendship that Shawn and White shared as colleagues.
Physical Description4 items
Letter from Addams regarding an invitation from White to attend a party in honor of William Shawn.
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Letter from Arno regarding an invitation from White to attend a party in honor of William Shawn.
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Incoming correspondence from Sheed, book critic for The New York Times, regarding Jean Stafford and his review of E. B. White's The Letters of E. B. White
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Incoming correspondence from Shuman, managing editor for The New Yorker, regarding professional matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Simon, of Simon and Schuster, Inc. Publishers, regarding a book by Helen Bevington titled When Found, Make a Verse Of.
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Letter from White regarding her leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker. Letter from Skinner regarding personal matters.
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Incoming letter from Snow, Harper's Bazaar magazine editor, asking White for suggestions of persons to fill an editorial position at Harper's.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Sokolov, regarding his biography on A. J. Liebling. White's response letters are relatively lengthy and contain much information about Liebling from her perspective.
Physical Description4 items
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Letter from Spark, Scottish novelist, regarding personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Stafford, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding primarily Stafford's writing, traveling, and personal matters. Many of Stafford's letters concern her health issues. Stafford's letters mention Truman Capote, Roald Dahl, Frances (Fanny) Patton, Nadine Gordimer, A. J. Liebling, John McNulty, Peter DeVries, Elizabeth Taylor, and Maeve Brennan. The Stafford-White correspondence is one of the largest in the collection and it documents well the close friendship White often formed with writers she edited.
Note: The KSW to Jean Stafford correspondence consists of xeroxed copies of original letters housed in the New Yorker editorial files.
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Incoming correspondence from Steegmuller, New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Stewart, American humorist and early New Yorker contributor, regarding the Whites' inclusion of him in their edited volume, The Subtreasury of American Humor.
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Incoming correspondence from Sullivan, American journalist, humorist and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Sutherland, program director for the British Broadcasting Corporation, regarding a radio biography of Harold Ross.
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Incoming correspondence from Elizabeth Taylor, British novelist and New Yorker short story contributor, regarding New Yorker-related and personal matters. White was Taylor's first New Yorker editor. In 1939, White turned Taylor over to William Maxwell to edit, but White and Taylor remained correspondents and friends.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Taylor, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Teichmann regarding Teichmann's biography on Alexander Woollcott. White's letters contain detailed information about Woollcott's connection to The New Yorker and his relationships with the editorial staff.
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Incoming correspondence from Terry, one of White's New Yorker secretaries, regarding primarily professional matters. Terry's letters contain a large amount of information about the daily runnings and events of the editorial staff and the Fiction Department of The New Yorker.
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Incoming correspondence from Thurber, New Yorker cartoonist, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Truaux, The New Yorker vice president, treasurer, and contributor, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Alethea Truax regarding Samuel Geiss Trexler.
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Letter from Tucci, Italian-Russian writer and New Yorker contributor regarding personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Turnbull regarding Turnbull's biographies of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. White's letter of 13 Dec 1962 contains detailed information about Wolfe's connection with The New Yorker.
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Letter from Turner, Time magazine staff writer, regarding assistance to Turner on her Time article about Harold Ross and The New Yorker.
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Letter from Tynan, telephone switchboard operator for The New Yorker, regarding personal matters. Tynan's letter mentions Thomas Gorman being drafted for war.
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Incoming correspondence from Updike, American writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding professional and personal matters. These letters, both originals and Xeroxes from the New Yorker files, document 21 years of Updike's relationship with White, his editor. Updike's earliest correspondence to White, dating from 8 Jan 1954 to 20 May 1955, concerns professional and editorial matters only, mainly concerning revisions of proofs. The letters gradually become less restricted to editorial matters and more casual. Letters postdating White's retirement from her editorial position in 1959, are primarily personal. Many of Updike's letters to White contain autograph notes and comments by White in the margins.
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Outgoing correspondence from White to Updike regarding professional and personal matters. White's letters concern primarily professional and editorial matters, including acceptance and rejection notices for Updike's New Yorker submissions and revision suggestions. Later letters contain more personal matters. White's original letters to Updike were given to Bryn Mawr College as a gift from John Updike.
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Letter from Sanderson Vanderbilt, New Yorker editor, regarding personal matters. Letter from Mrs. Sanderson Vanderbilt regarding her husband's death.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Veevers-Carter, daughter of Clarence Day and New Yorker contributor, regarding Veevers-Carter's New Yorker submissions and personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Vegtel, journalist and New Yorker contributor, regarding White's Onward and Upward in the Garden series and other personal matters.
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Exchange of correspondence between the Whites and Vischer regarding Visher's petition urging for an investigation of the Editorial Department expenses.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Volkening, of Russell & Volkening, Inc. Literary Agents, regarding White's leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and von Slosman regarding a loan White extended to him.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Laing regarding Mark von Slosman.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and Wahl, wife of J. F. Powers and New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters.
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Incoming correspondence from Walden, New Yorker secretary for Harold Ross and White, regarding professional and personal matters.
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Letter from Watt, New Yorker contributor, regarding personal matters. Letter from White regarding her leaving her editorial position at The New Yorker.
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Exchange of correspondence between White and West regarding West's review of James Thurber's book, The Years With Ross.
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Incoming correspondence from Weston, writer and New Yorker contributor, regarding her writing, travels, and other personal matters. Weston, while reliant upon White's editorial opinions of her writing, was a close personal friend of White's, which is reflected in her correspondence.
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Incoming correspondence from White, brother of E. B. White, regarding personal matters.
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Letter from Williams regarding original drawings from E. B. White's Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web for sale.
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Incoming correspondence from Williams, a New Yorker artist, regarding personal matters. Two letters from Williams reflect upon the deaths of Harold Ross and Gus Lobrano.
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Garden Correspondence relates primarily to K.S. White's gardening series, Onward and Upward in the Garden, which appeared occasionally in The New Yorker between the years 1958 and 1970, after she had retired as an editor. The fourteen articles were later published posthumously by her husband, E. B. White. Although White considered herself a more skillful editor than writer, she never lost the desire to write, and she famously claimed that all editors should be writers. The series initially began as a review of garden catalogs but quickly expanded into history, memories, critical reviews of books and botanical art, and general witty commentary on gardening and horticulture. Many of the letters in this collection, while not related directly to White's garden series, document her passion for gardening, including correspondence with gardening supply stores, seeking seeds and gardening supplies of all sorts for her gardens at her Maine home. These letters preserve the latest period of White's life and provide a detailed glimpse into her retirement years in North Brooklin, Maine.
Garden Correspondence, 1958-1970 is organized by date and comprises letters White received from hundreds of readers responding to Onward and Upward articles, many of whom received a personal response. This group contains incoming letters and carbon copies of many of the responses.
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