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John Ennis 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
John Ennis was born in Westmeath, Ireland, in 1944. He is a graduate of University College Cork and University College Dublin, where he completed his MA in English and American Studies. Ennis's first book of poetry was published by Peter Fallon of the Gallery Press in 1976 and won the Patrick Kavanagh Award. He has also won the Listowel Open Poetry Competition eleven times and the Irish American Cultural Institute Award in 1996. In addition to publishing nineteen books of poetry between 1976 and 2016, Ennis has been editor of Poetry Ireland Review, and served on the board of Poetry Ireland for eleven years. Ennis also worked for forty years at the Waterford Institute of Technology as Lecturer and Head of the School of Humanities. At Waterford, Ennis received his PhD in 1997, and also served as Chair of the Centre for Newfoundland and Labrador Studies. From 2002 to 2007, he co-edited three anthologies of Irish and Canadian poetry, and edited a further all-Canadian anthology in 2009. In 2008, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Laws by Memorial University of Newfoundland, for fostering links between Ireland and Newfoundland, and for his poetry. Ennis retired from education in 2009 and now focuses on poetry and activism. He divides his time between Waterford and Westmeath.
The papers consist of Irish poet John Ennis's writings, working files related to his role as an editor of four anthologies of Irish and Canadian poetry and the Poetry Ireland Review, correspondence pertaining to poetry and other professional activities, files of the Irish arts organization Poetry Ireland, teaching materials, drafts of writings by others, subject files, and audiovisual and digital media. Materials span the length of Ennis's career of over five decades as a poet and literary editor and also document to a lesser extent his work as a creative writing teacher and university administrator.
Ennis's writings include manuscript and typescript drafts, proofs, publicity, source materials, and other papers related to his published poetry and unpublished work from the late 1960s through 2016. While most of this material pertains to Ennis's poetry, there are also drafts of lyrics he wrote for musical collaborations with composer Eric Sweeney and unpublished short stories, as well as a bound copy of Ennis's PhD thesis on the use of myth and archetype in his own work. Additional editorial files document the conception, assembly, and publication of the four anthologies of Irish and Canadian poetry Ennis edited between 2002 and 2009; these files consist of correspondence, submissions, permissions, drafts, proofs, editorial notes, publicity, and financial documents.
Ennis's papers also include materials documenting the activities of Poetry Ireland from its inception in 1978 through the 1990s, as well as its journal Poetry Ireland Review, which Ennis edited from 1988 to 1989; correspondence with fellow poets, editors, publishers, and colleagues; readings, handouts, and lecture drafts from Ennis's tenure as a creative writing lecturer and workshop facilitator; drafts of writings by others that Ennis collected throughout his career; professional subject files containing correspondence, documents, and printed materials related to Irish poetry and various local and international organizations with which Ennis was involved; and a small number of recorded poetry readings, interviews, and other events.
Purchase, 2017 (AM 2017-131).
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
This collection was processed by Kelly Bolding in Spring-Summer 2017, with assistance from Kathryn Antonelli, Julia English '19, Fiona Bell '18, Sophia Alvarez '18, and Rachel Dubin '17. Finding aid written by Kelly Bolding in Spring-Summer 2017, with assistance from Julia English '19.
No materials were separated during 2017 processing.
People
- Agee, Chris
- Deane, John F. (1943)
- Ennis, John (1944)
- Fallon, Peter (1951)
- Heaney, Seamus (1939-2013)
- Hogan, Desmond (1951)
- Lucy, Seán.
- Marcus, David
Organization
Subject
- Canadian poetry. -- 21st century -- Sources
- Creative writing (Higher education) -- Ireland. -- 20th century -- Sources
- Editors -- Ireland. -- 21st century -- Sources
- Irish poetry. -- 20th century -- Sources
- Irish poetry. -- 21st century -- Sources
- Poets, Irish. -- 20th century -- Sources
- Poets, Irish. -- 21st century -- Sources
- Political poetry. -- 21st century -- Sources
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Kelly Bolding
- Finding Aid Date
- 2017
- Access Restrictions
-
Open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
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
Materials related to Ennis's poetry are split into three file groups: those arranged by poetry collection, those arranged by individual poem, and notebooks and loose notes containing drafts of various poems. Other materials are arranged into file groups by type of writing.
Consists of drafts of both individual works and full-length books and book projects by John Ennis in various stages of completion, along with proofs, poem lists, notebooks and loose notes, source materials, research, photographs, cover designs, publicity materials, reviews, correspondence, and press clippings related to Ennis's writings. While the vast majority of materials relate to his poetry, both published and unpublished, a smaller number pertain to musical works created in collaboration with composer Eric Sweeney for which Ennis composed lyrics, drafts of unpublished short stories from the 1970s, and Ennis's 1997 PhD thesis on the use of myth and archetypes in his own poetry.
Draft materials exist for all nineteen of Ennis's books of poetry published in print from 1976 to 2016, as well as for an additional poetry collection he published online, three early book-length collections, several of which are annotated by his mentor Seán Lucy, and three more recent collections, marked "future," that were unpublished at the time the papers arrived at the library. Drafts and related materials that were maintained together by the author and discernibly related to a specific book project are arranged by poetry collection. Drafts of single poems that were not clearly filed with materials for a specific book project are arranged by individual poem, though there may be some overlap in content between the two organizational schemes. While materials arranged by poetry collection generally include a full range of draft, editorial, and publicity materials, often including drafts of individual poems; materials arranged by individual poem consist only of various drafts of a poem, sometimes accompanied by a related clipping or page of notes. There is also a small group of general poetry notebooks and notes that contain drafts of miscellaneous poems and other writings. Researchers interested in Ennis's poetry should also note that poems Ennis wrote while working on a specific book project were sometimes ultimately published in a later book; as a result, drafts of poems published in a later book may sometimes be found with files for an earlier book.
Ennis's writings, which are often heavily revised, are also frequently accompanied by source materials, such as the newspaper clippings, magazines, pamphlets, maps, and brochures that provided both inspiration and factual details for his poems. His extensive notes also regularly include his own personal analysis of his writing, and his poem lists shed light on his process for assembling collections of poems for publication.
Physical Description34 boxes
Arranged by collection in rough chronological order.
Consists of drafts, proofs, poem lists, notes, source materials, research, photographs, cover designs, publicity materials, reviews, correspondence, and press clippings related to Ennis's published books of poetry and unpublished book-length collections of poetry.
Physical Description25 boxes
Consists of a corrected typescript for an early book-length collection of poems, with annotations by Seán Lucy, along with a related clipping.
Physical Description1 folder
Consists of a corrected typescript for an early book-length collection of poems, with annotations by Seán Lucy, along with some notes and additional drafts of "The Shore Dwellers."
Physical Description1 folder
Consists of a corrected typescript for an early book-length collection of poems.
Physical Description1 folder
1 box
1 folder
4 drafts.
Physical Description3 foldersTypescripts.
5 drafts.
Physical Description2 foldersTypescripts (photocopies).
1 folderTypescript (photocopy), corrected.
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderTypescripts (photocopies).
3 drafts.
Physical Description2 foldersTypescripts (photocopies).
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
3 folders
1 folderTypescript (photocopy).
The draft is accompanied by a letter containing comments from David Marcus of the Irish Press.
Physical Description1 folderTypescript (photocopy).
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
Includes clippings and notes on the laboratory production of baby food, motorcycles, and the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland.
Physical Description2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folderManuscript.
Draft is accompanied by a letter with comments from John Jordan.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folderTypescript (photocopy).
1 folderTypescript (photocopy), corrected.
1 folder
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected (photocopy).
Marked "Original."
Physical Description1 folderTypescript.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folderGalley proofs, corrected (photocopy).
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
Includes clippings and notes on the Yanomami and other indigenous communities, plants, and the John F. Kennedy Park in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland.
Physical Description3 folders
2 folders
1 folder
1 folderTypescript.
1 folderTypescript (photocopy).
Title "Gan Adhmad" is crossed out.
Physical Description1 folderTypescript (photocopy), corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected (photocopy).
1 folderTypescript.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
4 foldersTypescripts and manuscripts, some corrected.
3 foldersTypescripts, corrected.
2 foldersTypescripts, corrected.
1 folder
1 folderTypescripts (corrected).
1 folderManuscript.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescripts, with some manuscript drafts inserted.
1 folderTypescripts (photocopies).
1 folder
Includes draft form submission letters and lists of journals.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
2 folders
1 folderManuscript.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folderPrintout, corrected (photocopy).
1 folder
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
3 folders
1 folderTypescript (photocopy), corrected.
2 copies.
Physical Description1 folderTypescripts (photocopies), one corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
3 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderTypescripts, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
3 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderTypescripts (photocopies), corrected.
1 folderTypescript.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
2 copies.
Physical Description1 folderTypescripts (photocopies)
1 folderTypescript (photocopy), corrected.
1 folder
1 folderManuscripts.
4 drafts.
Physical Description2 foldersTypescripts.
1 folderTypescript, corrected.
1 folderTypescript, corrected, with manuscript (photocopy) notes.
1 folderProofs (printouts), corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folderPrintout (corrected).
1 folder
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
6 drafts.
Physical Description2 foldersPrintouts (photocopies).
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout.
Contains revisions by "Simon."
Physical Description1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
2 copies.
Physical Description2 foldersPrintouts.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folderManuscript.
1 folderPrintout.
1 folderCorrected printouts and manuscripts.
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderCorrected printouts and manuscripts.
1 folderPrintout.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, with corrected pages at the end.
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts.
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts.
1 folderManuscript (photocopy).
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
3 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
5 drafts.
Physical Description3 foldersPrintouts, corrected.
1 folderPrintouts, corrected.
4 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts.
1 folderPrintout.
1 folderPrintout.
2 copies.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
3 boxes
Primarily contains research on railways.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folderManuscript.
3 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts, corrected.
1 folderPrintout.
4 foldersPrintouts, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folderPrintout, corrected
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout.
1 folderPrintouts, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
Primarily consists of research on Iceland and Icelandic bands, particularly Sigur Ros.
Physical Description2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folderPrintouts, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
Many of the materials have to do with Wyoming.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folderPrintouts.
5 drafts.
Physical Description5 foldersPrintouts, corrected.
Contains notes by "Jackie."
Physical Description1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintouts.
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
Includes two notebooks and loose drafts.
Physical Description2 folders
1 folder
2 foldersPrintouts, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Includes materials related to a collection of poems written for the Russian feminist/activist band Pussy Riot that was published online.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
2 drafts.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
1 folder
1 folderCD-R
1 folder
2 boxes
Includes a significant amount of research on the Elliott sisters, Eilis Elliott O'Brien and Emily Elliott Ledwith.
Physical Description2 folders
1 folder
Consists of two notebooks and loose poems.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 drafts.
Physical Description2 foldersManuscript.
1 folderPrintout.
1 folderPrintout.
1 folder
1 folderDVD
1 folder
1 folder
Draft of haiku collection unpublished at the time the collection arrived at the library and marked by the creator as "future."
Physical Description1 folderManuscript (photocopy)
Drafts of three poems unpublished at the time the collection arrived at the library and marked by the creator as "future."
Physical Description1 folder
Includes research and drafts related to a poetry collection unpublished at the time the collection arrived at the library and marked by the creator as "future."
Physical Description1 box
Includes materials related to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, archetypes, and astronomy.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folderManuscripts and printouts, corrected.
1 folderPrintout, corrected.
Arranged in alphabetical order by title of the poem, or where there is not a title, by the first line.
Consists of drafts, both clean copies and heavily annotated revisions, of individual poems and short sequences of poems by John Ennis. Drafts are occasionally accompanied by a related clipping or page of notes.
Physical Description7 boxes
1 folder
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1 folder
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Arranged in rough chronological order.
Consists of notebooks and loose notes related to Ennis's poetry that are not limited to a specific poetry collection or individual poem. Though many are undated, most span from the 1960s through the 1990s.
Physical Description2 boxes
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Arranged in rough chronological order.
While working in Waterford, Ennis wrote the words for various musical works in collaboration with composer Eric Sweeney. Materials present here consist of drafts of lyrics, copies of scores, and publicity materials pertaining to his musical projects.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
Includes a number of clippings on runner John Treacy, one of the subjects of the work, along with Sean Kelly.
Physical Description2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Arranged alphabetically by title.
Consists of drafts, mostly handwritten, of unpublished short stories Ennis wrote in the 1970s.
Physical Description2 boxes
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 a bound copy of John Ennis's PhD thesis at the Waterford Institute of Technology, subtitled "What Verities Remain."
Physical Description1 folder
Arranged by anthology in chronological order.
From 2002 to 2009, John Ennis co-edited a trilogy of anthologies of Canadian and Irish poetry and one anthology consisting entirely of Canadian poetry. Ennis's interest in Canadian poetry initially grew out of his responsibility as the Head of the School of Humanities at the Waterford Institute of Technology to further the college's overseas relationships, and in particular, to revitalize the long-standing cultural ties between Ireland's South-East region and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.
Supported by grants from the Ireland Newfoundland Partnership, Ennis and co-editor Stephanie McKenzie published The Backyards of Heaven in 2003, which prominently featured work by Irish poet Seamus Heaney and Canadian poet Al Pittman, as well as other contemporary poets. In 2004, Ennis and McKenzie, along with Randall Maggs, published However Blow the Winds, which highlighted poems and songs from the 1770s until the present, with a strong emphasis on the ballad. They completed the trilogy with The Echoing Years in 2007, which featured 20th century Canadian writers from coast to coast alongside their Irish counterparts, anchored by the voices of E. J. Pratt and W. B. Yeats. With The Echoing Years, the editors strived for a better representation of First Nations writers, women writers, and Canadian poets writing in French. Ennis later edited an all-Canadian anthology titled How the Light Gets In, which was published in 2009.
These materials include Ennis's editorial working files for all four anthologies, which consist of comprehensive correspondence (mostly email printouts and faxes) regarding funding, the selection of poems and artwork, permissions, publicity, book launches, travel, and other administrative and editorial matters; notes, outlines, and planning documents; copies of texts that were included or considered for inclusion within the anthologies; corrected drafts and proofs of each anthology at various stages of completion; as well as related reviews, publicity materials, and press clippings.
Physical Description29 boxes
8 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Also includes some materials related to permissions.
Physical Description1 folder
2 boxes
3 folders
5 folders
2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 boxes
3 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Articles on Irish and Canadian poets and authors.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
6 boxes
1 folder
3 folders
1 folder
Includes permissions, research, selections, correspondence, and notes.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
4 folders
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Ennis original order
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
11 boxes
1 folder
2 folders
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2 folders
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2 folders
2 boxes
1 folder
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1 folder
3 folders
2 folders
1 folder
1 box
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
1 folderCD-R
1 folder
1 folder
3 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
3 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
4 boxes
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
2 folders
2 boxes
4 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
2 folders
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.
Consists of correspondence of John Ennis from the 1960s through the 2010s, much of which has to do with matters related to poetry, both his own work and the work of others. Correspondents include fellow poets and authors, editors, publishers, and friends. Among them are Seamus Heaney, John F. Deane, Des Hogan, Dennis O'Driscoll, Brendan Kennelly, Macdara Woods, Neil Jordan, Michael Hartnett, Chris Agee, Noel Monahan, Seán Dunne, Paul Durcan, Frank Ormsby, Padraic Fiacc, Seán Lucy, Francis Stuart, Michael Longley, Peter Fallon (The Gallery Press), David Marcus (New Irish Writing, The Irish Press), James and Janice F. Simmons (The Poets House, Ireland), and others. There are both incoming letters, as well as copies of outgoing letters, often in the form of handwritten drafts.
Of note is a lengthy exchange between John Ennis and Peter Fallon, who published Ennis's first four books of poetry for The Gallery Press in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Much of the correspondence between Fallon and Ennis pertains to a dispute over the publication of Ennis's first book, Night on Hibernia, which was later resolved. Included alongside their correspondence is a copy of a memorandum of agreement for the book's publication. While most correspondence is arranged by correspondent, there is also a topical file of outgoing letters from Ennis and related materials pertaining to the Guest Lecture Series at Waterford Regional Technical College in the 1970s.
Additional correspondence that Ennis kept with his files on Poetry Ireland and the Irish-Canadian anthologies he edited can also be found in those file groups.
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Letters from John Ennis.
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Irish poet and novelist John F. Deane founded Poetry Ireland (Éigse Éireann), a Dublin-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting poetry throughout Ireland, in 1978. John Ennis was a founding member of the group, as well as an executive member for the first eleven years. In 1988 and 1989, Ennis also served as an editor for issues 22, 23, 24, and 25 of the Poetry Ireland Review, a literary journal published by the organization three times per year. Materials present in this file group include correspondence with directors of Poetry Ireland, as well as with poets and reviewers submitting work, agendas for meetings and related planning documents, draft manuscripts for the issues of the Poetry Ireland Review that Ennis edited, copies of newsletters and mass mailings to members and directors, letterhead and rejection slips, advertisements and event announcements, and two of Ennis's membership cards from 1979 and 1980. These files shed light on the organizational dynamics of Poetry Ireland from its inception through the 1990s, as well as on Ennis's editorial work for the Poetry Ireland Review.
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Blank copies.
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Arranged by topic.
During his career as a poet and administrator, Ennis also served as a facilitator for creative writing workshops and courses, including a creative writing group for the Liberal Studies Program at Waterford Regional Technical College, where he was the Head of the School of Humanities. Materials consist primarily of reading assignments (some of which are heavily annotated) and notes for lectures or discussions, along with some copies of assignments and drafts of his own poems, which were likely used as examples. Topics include the basics of composition, as well as specific forms including poetry, novels, and short stories. Though the majority of materials in this file group are undated, most are likely from the late 1970s through the 1980s.
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Many are annotated heavily by Ennis.
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Corrected drafts of Ennis's own poems used as examples.
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Includes Ennis's thematic analyses of his own work, including for The Burren Days and Near St. Mullins.
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Arranged alphabetically by the name of the author.
Consists of drafts of writings by others that John Ennis accumulated throughout his career. These include drafts of the work of known poets such as Eavan Boland, Thomas Kinsella, and Medbh McGuckian, mostly collected through Ennis's involvement in the selection of poetry collections for Poetry Ireland's book club, Poetry Ireland Choice (PIC); as well as writings by poets and authors, such as Chris Agee and Stephanie McKenzie, whom Ennis mentored informally or through his work as a creative writing workshop facilitator. In addition, there are some book-length drafts of poetry collections and longer works submitted for Ennis's Irish-Canadian anthologies. Drafts are occasionally annotated or accompanied by related letters, clippings, and other printed materials.
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One typescript is undated.
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Includes unidentified drafts titled "My Father's House," "The Intact," "Those Bright Waters We Call Home," and "Three Notes Toward the Dead and Dying."
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Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Subject files consist of miscellaneous topical files containing documents, printed materials, correspondence, clippings, and notes, related to various aspects of Ennis's professional career. Materials pertain to organizations with which Ennis was involved, including the Waterford Institute of Technology (Waterford Technical College) and regional and transatlantic arts organizations. There are also biographical materials profiling Ennis and his career, awards he received, press catalogs from his publishers, and clippings and printed materials he collected on various topics.
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Draft of speech or introduction.
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Consists of audiovisual and digital media collected by John Ennis, including 50 audiocassette tapes, 2 VHS tapes, and 1 3.5" floppy disk of various content, such as recorded interviews, poetry readings, lectures, and events, as well as several commercial recordings. Some recordings appear to pertain to Ennis's own work, while others relate to the work of other poets and writers. While additional audiovisual materials are also occasionally present elsewhere in the collection, these materials were received as a group from the collection creator and were maintained as such. Titles and dates for individual items were taken from information written on physical media, but materials are otherwise unidentified. Most are undated.
For preservation reasons, physical access to original audio and visual media in a variety of magnetic and optic formats is restricted. The Special Collections does not have playback equipment and facilities, and all original media, especially in obsolete formats, must be digitally remastered or converted in accordance with prevailing preservation standards in order to be safely accessed. Subject to curatorial approval, patrons may request duplicates of such original media, but will be responsible for both the cost of digital conversion and the cost of the duplicate, payable in advance. Public Services staff handles all such requests. Depending on the nature of the media, this process can take 4-6 weeks or longer.
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