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Larry Eigner letters and poems
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Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. 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
American poet Larry Eigner (Laurence Joel Eigner) was born August 7, 1927, in Lynn, Massachusetts. Although an injury at birth left Eigner palsied, the poet and writer spent his life describing the world around him, first from his glassed-in porch in a small town in Massachusetts and later from his home in Berkeley, California. Although most of his published work is poetry, he has also written a play, short stories and prose.
"Larry Eigner."Contemporary Poets, 6th ed. (reproduced in Biography Resource Center). http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC (accessed June 2008)
A small collection of typed material written by American poet Larry Eigner. Includes two typed postcards written by Larry Eigner to Leroi Jones (later known as Amiri Baraka) and Robert Hawley, three typed letters written by Eigner to David and Maria Gitin, and ten leaves of typescript numbered poems. Most sheets have multiple poems either on the recto or on the verso, with a total of twenty-four poems. Some poems bear the same number but vary in content and date.
The letters are in chronological order, followed by the poems in order as numbered.
Box 55, F0824: Shelved in SPEC MSS 0099 manuscript boxes.
Purchase, April 2008 and Gift, November 2010.
Processed and encoded by Anita Wellner, June 2008. Further encoded by George Apodaca, October 2015.
People
Subject
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2008 June 11
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/
Collection Inventory
One typed postcard written by Eigner to poet Leroi Jones regarding "Projective Verse."
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
One typed letter written by Eigner to David and Maria Gitin regarding Gitin's book "Guitar Against the Wall," which he is reading, mentions other poets, poetry readings he has attended, putting together a manuscript of his work for John Martin, and concludes with a brief poem #761 (dated Feb 5, 1973).
Physical Description1 item (3 leaves)
One typed letter written by Eigner to David and Maria Gitin regarding books he's received, work he's sent out to various periodicals or persons, and what he's reading, and his return from Missouri, includes envelope. Typescript poems #830 to #836 were probably enclosed in this letter.
Physical Description1 item (2 leaves, with envelope)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#830" (first line: "cable-car's"). This poem is on the same page with "#831" (First line: "change").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#831" (first line: "change"). This poem is on the same page with "#830" (First line: "cable-car's").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#832" (first line: "the pot of society"). This poem is on the same page with "#833" (First line: "Listen the ice sparkles").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#833" (first line: "Listen the ice sparkles"). This poem is on the same page with "#832" (First line: "the pot of society").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#834" (first line: "chamber-pot"). This poem is on the same page with "#835" (first line: "how does the clock strike") and "#836" (first line: "gleaming bands around the chimney").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#835" (first line: "how does the clock strike"). This poem is on the same page with "#834" (first line: "chamber-pot") and "#836" (first line: "gleaming bands around the chimney").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#836" (first line: "gleaming bands around the chimney"). This poem is on the same page with "#834" (first line: "chamber-pot") and "#835" (first line: "how does the clock strike").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
One typed letter written by Eigner to David and Maria Gitin regarding poems he had previously sent to them, as well as family events, recording his poetry, and mentioning contacts with other poets. Many of poems mentioned in the letter are included in this collection, but it is unclear if these are the same copies sent to the Gitins.
Physical Description1 item (2 leaves, with envelope)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#863" (first line: "here it"). This poem is on the verso of a sheet, on the front is "#868" (First line: "to strain against the wall").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#868" (First line: "to strain against the wall"). This poem is on the front of a sheet, on the verso is "#863" (first line: "here it").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#869" (first line: "whatever's entered").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#870" (first line: "3/4 time"). On the same sheet are three other poems, "871" (first line: "Renoir"), "#872" (first line: "therefore"), and on the verso, "#873" (first line: man how a").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "871" (first line: "Renoir"). On the same sheet are three other poems, "#870" (first line: "3/4 time"), "#872" (first line: "therefore"), and on the verso, "#873" (first line: man how a").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#872" (first line: "therefore"). On the same sheet are three other poems, "#870" (first line: "3/4 time"), "871" (first line: "Renoir"), and on the verso, "#873" (first line: man how a").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#873" (first line: man how a"). On the verso of the same sheet are three other poems, "#870" (first line: "3/4 time"), "871" (first line: "Renoir"), and "#872" (first line: "therefore").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#873" (first line: "outpouring"), varies from poem #873 dated July 2, 1974. On the same sheet with a second poem, "#874" (first line: "antenna").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#874" (first line: "antenna"). On the same sheet with a second poem, "#873" (first line: "outpouring").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#874" (first line: "tall buildings"), varies from poem #874 dated July 7-9. On the same sheet with a two other poems, "#875" (first line: "rightside up and upside down") and "876" (first line: "faucet").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#875" (first line: "rightside up and upside down"). On the same sheet with a two other poems, "#874" (first line: "tall buildings") and "876" (first line: "faucet").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "876" (first line: "faucet"). On the same sheet with a two other poems, "#874" (first line: "tall buildings") and "#875" (first line: "rightside up and upside down").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "877" (first line: "To keep going"). On the same sheet with a two other poems, "#878" (first line: "insect") and on the verso, "#879" (first line: "lands").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#878" (first line: "insect"). On the same sheet with a two other poems, "877" (first line: "To keep going") and on the verso, "#879" (first line: "lands").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem, "#879" (first line: "lands"). On the verso of the same sheet are two other poems, "877" (first line: "To keep going") and "#878" (first line: "insect").
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's unnumbered typescript poem with the first line: "there go the books." This poem is on the verso of a sheet with two other poems: "#98(7?)" (first line: "all the things") and "#98(8?)" (first line: "faces faces faces"). The sheet also includes autograph notes about the poems made by Eigner and his signature.
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem with the first line: "all the things." This poem is on a sheet with two other poems: the first is unnumbered with the first line: "there go the books") and the second is poem #98(8?) (first line: "faces faces faces"). The sheet also includes autograph notes about the poems made by Eigner and his signature.
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
Eigner's typescript poem #98(8?) with the first line: "faces faces faces all the things." This poem is on a sheet with two other poems: the first is unnumbered with the first line: "there go the books") and the second is poem #98(7?) (first line: "all the things"). The sheet also includes autograph notes about the poems made by Eigner and his signature.
Physical Description1 item (1 leaf)
One typed postcard written by Eigner to Robert Hawley thanking him for the recently received books, mentioning his father's death and his move to a commune in Berkeley.
Physical Description1 item (2 pp.)
Two miniature watercolor painting on small slips of paper, one of sail boats on the water (with the autograph note: "Wed. 6:00 p.m.") and a second of a house by a body of water. The relationship of these two items to Eigner is unknown, as is the painter.
Physical Description21 items (2 pp.)