John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 MS.1994.032
http://hdl.handle.net/2345/2968
Archives and Manuscripts Department John J. Burns Library Boston College 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 617-552-3282 [email protected] http://www.bc.edu/burns Table of Contents
Summary Information ...... 3 Administrative Information ...... 4 Related Materials ...... 4 Biographical note...... 6 Scope and Contents note...... 8 Arrangement note...... 8 Collection Inventory...... 9 Series I: Correspondence...... 9 Series II: Manuscripts and ephemera...... 14
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 2 - Summary Information
Library Unit Archives and Manuscripts Department
Creator Wieners, John, 1934-2002
Title John Wieners collection
Date [bulk] Bulk, 1953-1968
Date [inclusive] 1952-2008
Extent 0.5 Linear feet (1 box)
Language English
Abstract The John Wieners collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, and ephemera of the American Beat poet John Wieners (1934-2002). The majority of the correspondence is to Wieners from his mentor Charles Olson, with a smaller amount from Wieners to his friend and fellow Boston College alumnus Robert W. Greene. Letters discuss Wieners's attendance at Black Mountain College, the poetry scenes in Boston and San Francisco, and other contemporary authors including Robin Blaser, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Allen Ginsberg, Gerrit Lansing, Frank O'Hara, Michael Rumaker, and Jack Spicer. Manuscripts include poems by Wieners, Olson, and Rumaker.
Preferred Citation note Identification of item, Box number, Folder number, John Wieners collection, MS.1994.032, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 3 - Administrative Information
Publication Information Processed by Adrienne Pruitt, February 2013. This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit.
Restrictions on access Collection is open for research.
Restrictions on use These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.
Custodial History note The correspondence between Charles Olson and John Wieners passed from Wieners to Sam and Ann Charters between 1967 and 1970. The Charterses sold the collection circa 1986.
Provenance Purchases, 1986 and 2004, and gift of Robert W. Greene, 2008.
Processing Information note This collection was reprocessed, incorporating new accessions, in February 2013. It was originally processed by Brendan Coffey in 1994.
Related Materials
Related Archival Materials note John Wieners Papers, Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries. John Wieners Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library.
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 4 - John Wieners Papers, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library.
Separated Materials note Books and published materials in this collection have been transferred to the John J. Burns Library book collections.
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 5 - Biographical note
John Joseph Wieners was born on January 6, 1934, to Albert Eugene and Anna Elizabeth Laffan Wieners in Milton, Massachusetts. Wieners was raised in a middle-class Irish Catholic household and attended Boston College, where he worked in the library, wrote for the Heights, and was literary editor of the Stylus. He graduated with an A.B. in English in 1954. Feeling that his traditional Jesuit education had not allowed him enough time to pursue his literary interests, Wieners attended Black Mountain College from 1955-1956, where he studied with Charles Olson and Robert Duncan and met Robert Creeley. In 1956 Wieners returned to Boston and worked as an actor and stage manager for the Poets Theater in Cambridge and as a library clerk at Harvard’s Lamont Library. He also founded and edited the literary magazine Measure (1957-1962). In 1957 Wieners moved to San Francisco with his lover Dana, arriving during the flowering of the Beat poetry movement. In San Francisco Wieners encountered many authors and poets, including Michael Rumaker, Robin Blaser, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Spicer, David Meltzer, and Jack Kerouac. However, his relationship with Dana did not survive the move, and a heartbroken Wieners retreated to a cheap boardinghouse and composed The Hotel Wentley Poems, published in 1958. In late 1959, Wieners returned to the East Coast. He was institutionalized for a time in early 1960 and again in 1961. With a grant from the Poetry Foundation, Wieners moved to New York in 1961, returning to Boston in 1963. His second book, Ace of Pentacles, was published in 1964. Encouraged by his friend and mentor Charles Olson, Wieners took a position as a teaching fellow at the State University of New York, Buffalo from 1965-1967. Olson and Wieners had a falling out in 1966, possibly related to Panna Grady, a New York heiress and patroness of the arts who was living with Wieners. Grady became pregnant but left Wieners and terminated the pregnancy. That fall, Grady and Olson travelled to London together. Olson and Wieners later reconciled. Wieners settled in Boston and, despite repeated hospitalizations for nervous breakdowns in the late 1960s and 1970s, went on to publish some of his most well-regarded books, including Pressed Wafer (1967), Asylum Poems (1969), and Nerves (1970), followed by Behind the State Capital, Or Cincinnati Pike (1975). Two collections, Selected Poems 1958-1984 and Cultural Affairs in Boston: Poetry and Prose, 1956-1985, were published by Black Sparrow Press. Wieners died in Boston on March 1, 2002. Sources Boston College. Sub Turri, 1954. http://archive.org/details/subturriundertow1954bost Brady, Andrea. “The Other Poet: John Wieners, Frank O’Hara, Charles Olson.” Jacket Magazine 32 (April 2007). http://jacketmagazine.com/32/brady-wieners.shtml#fn1 Foye, Raymond, ed. John Wieners: Selected Poems, 1958-1984. Santa Barbara, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1986.
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 6 - Foye, Raymond. “John Wieners.” In The Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 16: The Beats: Literary Bohemians in Postwar America, edited by Ann Charters, 572-583. Storrs-Mansfield, CT: University of Connecticut, 1983. John Wieners collection, MS.1994.032, John J. Burns Library, Boston College. Mirage: John Wieners issue. San Francisco, CA: Kevin Killian, 1985. Petro, Pamela. “The Hipster of Joy Street.” Boston College Magazine (Fall 2000): 43-51. http:// archive.org/details/bostoncollegemagf2000bost
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 7 - Scope and Contents note
The John Wieners collection includes correspondence between John Wieners and his friend and mentor Charles Olson, with whom Wieners studied at Black Mountain College. Their letters date between 1955 and 1967 and discuss poetry, metaphysical concerns, the literary scene in Boston and New York, Black Mountain College, mutual friends, and fellow poets including Robin Blaser, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Allen Ginsberg, Gerrit Lansing, Frank O'Hara, Michael Rumaker, and Jack Spicer. There is also a small amount of correspondence related to Wieners's attendance at Black Mountain College. The second, smaller set of correspondence in this collection is between Wieners and his friend Robert W. Greene, whom he met at Boston College while working on the literary magazine the Stylus. Wieners wrote to Greene from 1955-1958 about Black Mountain College, his poetry, mutual friends, and life in San Francisco and Boston. The Robert W. Greene - John Wieners materials also include later correspondence in which Greene recalls his friendship with Wieners, and notes compiled by Greene that identify many of the places, people, and incidents referred to in Wieners's letters. This collection also contains manuscripts by Olson, Wieners, and Michael Rumaker, as well as fliers and a newsletter pertaining to Charles Olson, and a bibliography of Olson's works. Several of Wieners's manuscripts are notes taken in Olson's classes at Black Mountain College.
Arrangement note
This collection is arranged in two series: I. Correspondence; II. Manuscripts and ephemera. Correspondence has two subseries: A. Charles Olson - John Wieners materials; B. Robert Greene - John Wieners materials. These subseries are arranged chronologically. Manuscripts are arranged alphabetically by author or title.
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 8 - Collection Inventory
Series I: Correspondence
Subseries A: Charles Olson - John Wieners materials
Wieners, John to the Black Mountain College registrar Box 1 Folder 1 regarding his hopes of attending, his experience at Boston College, and his admiration for Charles Olson, 1955 March 23
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding a loan to attend Box 1 Folder 2 Black Mountain College, 1955 March 30
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Daisy Aldan, Box 1 Folder 3 circa 1956-1957
Wieners, John to Charles Olson regarding attending Black Box 1 Folder 4 Mountain College, Wieners's poetry, and mutual friends, 1956 February 8
Wieners, John to Black Mountain College, promissory Box 1 Folder 5 note, circa 1957
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding an upcoming Box 1 Folder 6 trip, 1957 January 6
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Measure, 1957 Box 1 Folder 7 February 11
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding poems for Box 1 Folder 8 Measure and the San Francisco poetry scene, 1957 March 18
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding spring plans, Box 1 Folder 9 1957 March 27
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 9 -
Olson, Charles to Robin Blaser regarding Black Mountain Box 1 Folder 10 College, 1957 May 3
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding poems in Box 1 Folder 11 progress, 1957 May 17
Olson, Charles to John Wieners advising Wieners to go Box 1 Folder 12 ahead as he sees fit, 1957 June 21
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Olson's trip to Box 1 Folder 13 England and potential move to New England, 1957 July
Olson, Charles to John Wieners on love, sex, and love Box 1 Folder 14 poems, 1957 August 19
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Measure Box 1 Folder 15 and Wieners's move to the West Coast, 1957 August or September
Wieners, John to Charles Olson regarding life in San Box 1 Folder 16 Francisco, Michael Rumaker and Robin Blaser, and a poem, 1957 November 24
Wieners, John to Charles Olson with blessings, 1957 Box 1 Folder 17 December 27
Olson, Charles to John Wieners with thanks, circa 1958 Box 1 Folder 18
Olson, Charles to John Wieners, various envelopes, some Box 1 Folder 19 annotated, 1958-1967
Olson, Charles to John Wieners with birthday wishes and Box 1 Folder 20 a birthday poem, "The Year is a Great Circle or the Year is a Great Mistake", 1958 January 16
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Measure, 1958 Box 1 Folder 21 January 17
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Wieners' poems Box 1 Folder 22 and Measure, 1958 March 13
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 10 -
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Hotel Wentley Box 1 Folder 23 Poems and the omission of a poem from the first printing, 1959 February 14
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Wieners's Box 1 Folder 24 hospitalization and money from the Grolier Book Shop for sale of Hotel Wentley Poems, 1960 February 5
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding raising money Box 1 Folder 25 for Wieners, 1960 February 24
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding a weekend Box 1 Folder 26 visit, 1961 June 14
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding an address in Box 1 Folder 27 Cuba, 1961 December 8
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding the poem Box 1 Folder 28 "Ages of Youth", 1962 June 1
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Wieners' new Box 1 Folder 29 book, Ace of Pentacles, and Wieners' family, 1964 March 9
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding a Moroccan Box 1 Folder 30 magazine, 1964 August 8
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Wieners' poems Box 1 Folder 31 and a quote by Maurice Merleau-Ponty, 1964 October 6
Olson, Charles to John Wieners thanking him for a book, Box 1 Folder 32 1964 December 10
Olson, Charles to John Wieners requesting him to appear Box 1 Folder 33 on Tuesday, 1965 January 22
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding a visit and Box 1 Folder 34 Panna Grady, circa 1966
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding love and sex, Box 1 Folder 35 circa 1966
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 11 -
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding gossip from Box 1 Folder 36 Clarke and asking Wieners to communicate directly with Olson, 1966 January 20
U.B. Federal Credit Union vs. John Wieners and Charles Box 1 Folder 37 Olson, summons and complaint, 1966 March 30
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding forwarding Box 1 Folder 38 mail, 1966 April 15
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Allen Box 1 Folder 39 Ginsberg, 1966 May 7
Olson, Charles to John Wieners and Panna Grady, 1966 Box 1 Folder 40 June 8
Olson, Charles to John Wieners and Panna Grady with a Box 1 Folder 41 "message to your newlyweds" (sic), 1966 June 26
Olson, Charles to John Wieners and Panna Grady Box 1 Folder 42 regarding Olson's attempts to contact them, 1966 Summer or Fall
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Olson's trip to Box 1 Folder 43 London with Panna Grady, 1966 November 18
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding "the courses of Box 1 Folder 44 life", 1967 January 28
Wieners, John to W. S. Merwin regarding seeing Charles Box 1 Folder 45 Olson at a reading at the State University of New York College at Cortland, 1967 October 28
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding Olson's Box 1 Folder 46 manuscript submission, undated
Olson, Charles to John Wieners regarding poetry and a Box 1 Folder 47 visit, undated
Olson, Charles to unidentified recipients in welcome, Box 1 Folder 48 undated
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 12 - Subseries B: Robert W. Greene - John Wieners materials
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding mutual Box 1 Folder 49 friends and Rimbaud's poetry, 1955 February 9
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding Black Box 1 Folder 50 Mountain College, Dana, and the Stylus, 1955 Winter or Spring
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding Black Box 1 Folder 51 Mountain College, poetry, and Charles Olson, 1955 April 20
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding Black Box 1 Folder 52 Mountain College, Dana, and mutual friends, 1955 May 24
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding mutual Box 1 Folder 53 friends, poverty, Dana, and poetry, 1955 June 7
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding mutual Box 1 Folder 54 friends and apartment searching in Boston, 1955 August 11
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding Black Box 1 Folder 55 Mountain College, French literature, and Michael Rumaker, 1956 August 9
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding Black Box 1 Folder 56 Mountain College, 1956 August 12
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding plays, Box 1 Folder 57 poetry, and a car accident, 1956 August 19
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding mutual Box 1 Folder 58 friends, the draft, and the Boston poetry scene, 1956 December 11
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding Measure, Box 1 Folder 59 1957 May 29
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 13 -
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding life in San Box 1 Folder 60 Francisco, 1957 December 19
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding mutual Box 1 Folder 61 friends and Wieners's temporary address, 1958 April 9
Wieners, John to Robert W. Greene regarding a split with Box 1 Folder 62 Dana and progress over the last eight years, 1958 April 12
Greene, Robert W. to Pamela Petro regarding her article Box 1 Folder 63 in Boston College Magazine on John Wieners and his friendship with Wieners, 2001 November 5
Petro, Pamela to Robert W. Greene regarding her article Box 1 Folder 64 in Boston College Magazine on John Wieners, 2001 November 16
Greene, Robert W., notes on Wieners's correspondence, Box 1 Folder 65 circa 2008
Series II: Manuscripts and ephemera
Black Mountain College and State University of New Box 1 Folder 66 York at Buffalo fliers for Charles Olson seminars and colloquiums, 1953, 1965
Olson, Charles. "This," broadside inscribed to John Box 1 Folder 67 Wieners, 1952
Olson, Charles. "Variations Done for Gerry Vande Box 1 Folder 68 Wiele," typescript annotate by Olson and Wieners, circa 1956
Olson, Charles. "(Decensus Spiritus #1) / She Who Hits at Box 1 Folder 69 Will," typescript, circa 1957
Olson, Charles. "To Gerhardt, There, Among Europe's Box 1 Folder 70 Things of Which He Has Written Us in His 'Brief an Creeley und Olson,' " carbon copy, circa 1957
Olson, Charles. "1875," photocopy, undated Box 1 Folder 71
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 14 -
Rumaker, Michael. "In the harsh morning light . . .," Box 1 Folder 72 manuscript, circa 1955-1957
Tish newletter, 1964 May Box 1 Folder 73
Wieners, John. "Notes from Pound and Fenollosa's Essay Box 1 Folder 74 'The Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry,'" typescript, circa 1955-1957
Wieners, John. Notes on a lecture, possibly by Charles Box 1 Folder 75 Olson, annotated typescript, circa 1955-1957
Wieners, John. "First Draft of a Reading List in the New Box 1 Folder 76 Sciences of Man," typescript notes of a lecture given by Charles Olson, 1955 Spring
Wieners, John. Notes from Charles Olson's lectures, "A Box 1 Folder 77 Special View of History," typescript, 1956 Spring
Wieners, John. "For Real," "Boston," and "Another day Box 1 Folder 78 drawn out of the mist. . . ," typescript and manuscript, undated
Wieners, John. "The Gringos" and "Building Towers," Box 1 Folder 79 typescript annotated by Wieners and Charles Olson, undated
Wieners, John. "Subscription Orders / Manuscripts to Box 1 Folder 80 Return," annotated folder, undated
Wieners, John. "With You Gone," typescript, undated Box 1 Folder 81
Unidentified author. "Charles Olson: A Bibliography," Box 1 Folder 82 carbon copy, circa 1965
John Wieners Collection MS.1994.032 - Page 15 -