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Charles Henri Ford papers related to Om Krishna II
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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.
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Poet, artist, filmmaker, and editor, Charles Henri Ford was regarded as America's first surrealist poet.
Charles Henri Ford was born on February 10, 1908, in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. In 1929, having dropped out of high school, Ford began his literary career as co-editor, with Parker Tyler, of
Blues: a magazine of new rhythms (1929-1930). The magazine showcased the new schools of modern art and literature, publishing such contemporary writers as Gertrude Stein, William Carlos Williams, Erskine Caldwell, Ezra Pound, and e. e. cummings.By 1931 Charles Henri Ford had left the United States for France and began his world travels. During his first few years abroad, Ford wrote his only novel,
The Young and the Evil (Obelisk, 1933). Later Ford lived in Morocco, Italy, France, Crete, and New York City; and his poetry, films, and artwork reflected his international travels and multicultural experiences.From 1940 until 1947, Ford was editor and publisher of both the little magazine
View and of View editions. Published in New York, View featured the works of avant-garde American and European artists and writers, especially the surrealist artists. View , recognized as one of the most important little magazines of the 1940s, bore covers designed by such artists are Man Ray, René Magritte, Marcel Duchamp, and Alexander Calder, and contained the prose, fiction, critical essays, stories, and art of Wallace Stevens, Edouard Roditi, Max Ernst, Lincoln Kirstein, William Carlos Williams, Paul Bowles, James T. Farrell, Marc Chagall, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus.In addition to his editorial achievements, Charles Henri Ford was a recognized poet and an accomplished artist. Since his first book of poetry,
A Pamphlet of Sonnets (Caravel Press, 1936), more than fifteen collections of his poems have been published.Charles Henri Ford was also a graphic artist, filmmaker and photographer. His photography, paintings, and drawings were exhibited in London, Paris, and New York; and frequently included collaborations with international craftsmen. For example,
The Kathmandu Experience (New York Cultural Center, 1975) included sculptures in wood, embroideries in silk and appliques, all executed by Nepalese craftsmen from Ford's original designs; and his An Operation Minotaur Manifestation (The October Gallery, 1976) included the collages of Nepalese artists, Reepak Shakya and Indra Tamang.Ford's motion pictures included
Poem Posters (1966), which received the Fourth International Avant-Garde Film Festival Award in 1966, and Johnny Minotaur (1972).Charles Henri Ford died September 27, 2002, in New York City.
May, Hal and Deborah A. Straub (eds.)Contemporary Authors. New Revision Series, Volume 25. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1989, pp. 237-238."Charles Henri Ford," The Telegraph. April 11, 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1409048/Charles-Henri-Ford.html (accessed May 2011).Metzger, Linda (ed.)Contemporary Authors. New Revision Series, Volume 13. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1984. pp. 191-192.
Charles and Pamela Plymell, with Josh Norton, founded Cherry Valley Editions in 1974. The Plymells edited and published Charles Henri Ford's
Om Krishna II in their Cherry Valley Editions in 1981.Poet and publisher Charles Plymell was born April 26, 1935, in Holcomb, Kansas. He attended Wichita State University (1955-1961) and in 1970 received a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University. In 1966 Plymell married Pamela Beach, who has assisted him in the publication of Cherry Valley Editions.
In addition to Cherry Valley Editions, Plymell has published several magazines, including
Poet's Corner (1959), Mikrokosmos (1959), Now (1963-1965), The Last Times (1967), and Bulletin from Nothing .Having lived with Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady in San Francisco during the early 1960s, Charles Plymell and his poetry have been identified with the Beat Generation. Some of his poetry was published in Beat journals and by Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Books. His first collection of poems,
Dreams of Straw , was published in 1963.Biographical information is also derived from this collection.
These letters from American poet Charles Henri Ford (and others) to Charles and Pamela Plymell primarily concern publication plans for Ford's
Om Krishna II (Cherry Valley Editions, 1981). In addition to Ford's letters there are single letters from Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, Nepalese artist Indra Tamang, bookbinder Alan Brilliant, writer Ed Germain, and the Plymells. A draft typescript of Om Krishna II , a book cover for the limited-edition title, and biographical information about Ford are also contained in the collection.In his letters to the Plymells, Ford referred to his current literary projects, including
Blues 10 , Om Krishna I and III , Double Exposures , and a Blues anthology. However, most of the letters focus on the publication details and financing for Om Krishna II , which the Plymells were editing for publication in their Cherry Valley Editions. Ford wrote about proofs, financial arrangements, the binding of different editions, and the number of copies to be printed. In addition, Ford discussed royalties, travel plans, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, exhibitions of his work, such as Layouts and Camouflages , and his film Johnny Minotaur .Ford's letters contain several enclosures, including a list of authors and their work titled "Best in Blues 1-9," a list of contributors for
Blues 10 , and a typescript colophon and dedication for Om Krishna II .Many of Ford's letters were written on the verso of photocopies of announcements or reviews of Ford's work, collages of images (including pictures of Ford), or poems and photographs by Ford. The poems are titled "A Tent of Camel's Hair in Arabia," "Farm Building in Ohio," and "Houses on Stilts in Manilla." The verso of one letter is a poster for Ford's exhibition, "Poem Posters Charles Henri Ford," at the Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery in New York (1965). Some of the postcards bear mini collages created by Ford by affixing images, clippings, words, and/or designs to the cards.
All but one of other letters in the collection were written to the Plymells. Allen Ginsberg declined a request from the Plymells for money, possibly to partially finance the
Om Krishna II project. Alan Brilliant wrote to Pam Plymell, offering options for binding various editions of Om Krishna II . Indra Tamang, who designed the collage illustration for the deluxe edition of Om Krishna II , sent New Year's greetings on a photocopy of a collage which he created.Only Ed Germain's letter was written to Ford and concerned editing an anthology of
Blues (which was never published).Series II consists of a typescript draft of
Om Krishna II , which bears autograph corrections and revisions. The draft included a final poem which was not included in the published version, as well as a cover for the limited edition of this title.The biographical information found in Series III consists of a page titled "Charles Henri Ford: Biographical Sketch," an announcement for Ford's
Spare Parts , and a review of Ford's work written by Rochelle Ratner in 1976 for The Soho Weekly News.- Box 1: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes (1 inch)
- F4 (removal): Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (32 inch)
Purchase, January 1992
Processed and encoded by Anita Wellner, May 2011.
People
- Ford, Charles Henri--Correspondence
- Plymell, Charles--Correspondence
- Plymell, Pamela--Correspondence
- Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997--Correspondence
- Brilliant, Alan--Correspondence
- Tamang, Indra--Correspondence
- Germain, Edward B.--Correspondence
- Plymell, Charles
- Plymell, Pamela
- Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997
Organization
Subject
- Poets, American--20th century--Correspondence
- Publishers and publishing--United States--20th century--Correspondence
- American poetry--20th century--Correspondence
Occupation
- Publisher
- University of Delaware Library Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Finding Aid Date
- 2011 May 23
- 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 Department, University of Delaware Library, http://www.lib.udel.edu/cgi-bin/askspec.cgi
Collection Inventory
All letters are from Charles Henri Ford and to the Plymells unless otherwise noted and are arranged in chronological order.
Physical Description42 items
1 item (1 p.)
Enclosed with the letter was a typed list titled "Best of Blues 1-9." On the verso of the letter is a handwritten list of contributors for Blues 10 and an autograph note on the bottom of the page: "copy to Kay Boyle May 6, 1979."
Physical Description2 items (3 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
The image on the postcard is of Charles Henri Ford.
Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
Postcard has a clipping attached.
Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
The verso of page one is an announcement for reprints of
View . The verso of page two is a photocopy image by Ford. Enclosed with Ford's letters is a signed New Year's greeting from Indra Tamang. Physical Description2 items (3 p.)
The verso of the letter is a photocopy image of Ford.
Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
The verso of page one is a photocopy review of a postcard exhibition by Ford. The verso of page two is a photocopy of a letter from the University of Texas Library Humanities Research Center to Ford.
Physical Description1 item (2 p.)
The verso of each page bears a photocopied poem and a related photograph created by Ford.
Physical Description1 item (3 p.)
On the verso of the letter is a mimeographed announcement for a run of Ford's film "Johnny Minotaur at The Performing Garage."
Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
Enclosed with the letter is a letter from Alan Brilliant to Pam Plymell.
Physical Description2 items (4 p.)
1 item (2 p.)
1 item (2 p.)
1 item (1p.)
This copy may have been enclosed with a letter from Ford to the Plymells.
Physical Description1 item (2 p.)
1 item (2 p.)
Enclosed are a typescript colophon and a dedication for
Om Krishna II . Physical Description3 items (3 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
This is a carbon copy of an autograph note from the Plymells to Ford regarding proofs for
Om Krishna II . Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
The verso of this postcard has an image pasted to it.
Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
The letter was written on the verso of an announcement for a COSMEP Writers and Publishers Conference in 1980.
Physical Description1 item (1 p.)
1 item (2 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
The letter was written on the verso of an oversized poster announcing the 1965 exhibition, "Poem Posters Charles Henri Ford," held in New York City.
Physical Description1 item (2 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
Manuscript and cover for the book.
Physical Description2 item (88 p.)
The typescript includes 87 typed pages (missing pages 31 and 60) with autograph corrections, which were incorporated into the published text. This draft included a final poem which was not published in the final edition. Orange wrapper bears the autograph title and Ford's initials. See F3 for a colophon and dedication.
Physical Description1 item (87 p.)
1 item (1 p.)
3 items (3 p.)
Includes an announcement for Ford's Spare Parts , a review of work by Ford in The Soho Weekly News , and "Charles Henri Ford: biographical sketch."
Physical Description3 items (3 p.)