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Eileen B. Simpson Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. 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
Eileen Simpson was married to the poet John Berryman (1914-1972) from 1942 until their divorce in 1953, and published a book, Poets in their Youth: A Memoir (1982), recalling those years with Berryman and his circle of friends in the literary world.
The collection consists of papers primarily related to Simpson's book . Included is correspondence (approx. 300 letters) with her publishers, Random House (U.S.) and Faber and Faber (England), before and after publication, and many letters in response to the book from Simpson's friends, former associates of the poets, and people mentioned in the book, such as James Atlas, Saul Bellow, Jack Barbera, Carl Brandt, Robert Giroux, Allan Gurganus, Lili Kahler, Nancy Milford, Joyce Carol Oates, and Daniel Stern, as well as from the general public. Some letters also discuss another of Simpson's autobiographical books, Reversals: A Personal Account of Victory Over Dislexia (1979). Also present are photographs of John Berryman, Delmore Schwartz, Mark Van Doren, and others, used in the book, clippings from newspapers, magazines, and journals of reviews of the book, and four sets of proof, one with author's corrections.
Published under same title (Random House, 1982)
Gift of the author.
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Folder list prepared by Lisa Yankowitz '13 in 2012.
No appraisal information is available.
People
Subject
Occupation
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
Arranged alphabetically.
Consists of correspondence (approx. 300 letters) with publishers: Random House (U.S.) and Faber and Faber (England), before and after publication, and many letters in response to the book from Simpson's friends, former associates of the poets, and people mentioned in the book, such as James Atlas, Saul Bellow, Jack Barbera, Carl Brandt, Robert Giroux, Allan Gurganus, Lili Kahler, Nancy Milford, Joyce Carol Oates, and Daniel Stern, as well as from the general public. Some letters also discuss another of Simpson's autobiographical books, REVERSALS: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF VICTORY OVER DYSLEXIA (1979).
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Consists of photographs of John Berryman, Delmore Schwartz, Mark Van Doren, and others, used for publication.
Arranged into two folders.
Physical Description1 box
Xerox copies of the phtographs as they were arranged in an album. (Removed from the album for preservation purposes).
Physical Description1 folder
Copy prints of images from the 1940s contemporary to the publication of the book.
Physical Description1 folder
Consists of clippings from newspapers, magazines, and journals of reviews of the book.
Arranged into four folders by type of material.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Empty binder, printed with the title "Poets in Their Youth"
Physical Description1 folder
Arranged in the order of production.
Consists of four sets of proofs, one with author's corrections
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder