Tony Seymour Papers
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c80z781k No online items Tony Seymour Papers Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Copyright 2016 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla 92093-0175 [email protected] URL: http://libraries.ucsd.edu/collections/sca/index.html Tony Seymour Papers MSS 0749 1 Descriptive Summary Languages: English Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla 92093-0175 Title: Tony Seymour Papers Creator: Seymour, Tony Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0749 Physical Description: 7.6 Linear feet(18 archives boxes, 1 card file box, and digital files) Physical Description: 3.84 Gigabytes Date (inclusive): 1965 - 2006 Abstract: Papers of poet Tony Seymour (1951- ), a contemporary San Francisco-based poet and performance artist. The collection contains writings, drawings, photographs, ephemera, and recordings related to Seymour's life and literary career. Biography William Anthony "Tony" Seymour was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1951. Seymour attended the University of New Mexico and the University of Hawaii, and graduated with a B.A. in Communications. A key event in Seymour's life was meeting Beat poet Bob Kaufman while working in the publicity department at City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Kaufman's life and work significantly influenced Seymour, who studied his poetry and interviewed him over a three year period. In 1976 Seymour initiated a "wave of publicity" for Kaufman with publications in California Living Magazine, The Berkeley Bard, Players Magazine and the Black Panthers Party Newsletter. Following Kaufman's death in 1986, Seymour organized a Bob Kaufman Day event at City Hall in San Francisco. Performers included Tony Seymour, Richie Havens, Ken Kesey, Jack Micheline, Marty Matz, Joie Cook and other artists. During the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, Seymour combined freelance journalism with poetry writing and research. He conducted interviews with jazz composer Sun Ra, his friend and musician Richie Havens, and the spiritual leader Baba Ram Dass. Seymour's recordings of No Gods to Guide, No Herds to Follow: Bob Kaufman's Street-Bop-Zen includes an introduction by author Ken Kesey and features interviews by Kesey, Bob Kaufman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gregory Corso, Jack Hirschman and Kunugh Stiles. In 1997, Seymour self-published his collected works Poems for Another Time. Evolution of a Soul. The Collected Works of Tony Seymour. Excerpts from his collected works are also featured in Godzilla Verses Swan Blake, a dramatic poetry play collaboration with the poet and artist Blake More. Tony Seymour currently lives in Hawaii. Scope and Content of Collection Papers of poet Tony Seymour (1951- ), a contemporary San Francisco-based poet and performance artist. The collection contains writings, drawings, photographs, ephemera, and recordings related to Seymour's life and literary career. Also included are materials related to his mentor, San Francisco Beat poet Bob Kaufman. Arranged in six series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS, 4) BOB KAUFMAN, 5), POETRY EVENTS & MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS, and 6) AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS. Preferred Citation Tony Seymour Papers. MSS 749. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego. OFF-SITE STORAGE COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS. Publication Rights Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection. Restrictions Originals of audiovisual items are restricted; listening copies have been made for use by researchers. Digital Content The collection contains digital files described in the container list. Subjects and Indexing Terms American poetry -- California -- San Francisco -- 20th century Seymour, Tony -- Archives Tony Seymour Papers MSS 0749 2 Kaufman, Bob -- Archives BIOGRAPHICAL Scope and Content of Series SERIES 1) BIOGRAPHICAL: Includes resumes, photographs, drawings and juvenilia that document Seymour's life and career. Box 1, Folder 1 Biographical notes, clippings, business cards undated Box 1, Folder 2 Junior high and high school memorabilia 1960-1969 Box 1, Folder 3 Juvenilia 1964 and undated Box 1, Folder 4 Memorabilia of Tony Seymour's father, Reginald Seymour 1969 Box 1, Folder 5 Movie and television resume, Tony Seymour's work as an extra 1989-1993 General note Includes photo stills of Tony Seymour on Nash Bridges and other productions. Box 1, Folder 6 Resume 1973, 2004 Box 1, Folder 7 University of New Mexico memorabilia 1972 Box 1, Folder 8-15 Photographs 1963-2004 General note Includes photographs of Tony Seymour and various family pictures, biological mother, biological father, Bob Kaufman, Eileen Kaufman, Richie Havens, and others. Box 1, Folder 16 Pre-eye surgery drawings by Tony Seymour Box 1, Folder 17 Post-eye surgery drawings by Tony Seymour Box 1, Folder 18 Miscellaneous drawings by Tony Seymour Box 1, Folder 19 Drawing of Tony Seymour by Stuart Jackson CORRESPONDENCE Scope and Content of Series SERIES 2) CORRESPONDENCE: Arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Includes correspondence with poets, collaborators, and people associated with San Francisco's art, music and poetry scenes. Some notable correspondents are Eileen Kaufman, Richie Havens, Blake More, and Trudy Morse. Also included are letters and emails exchanged between Seymour and Rob Melton, the Archive for New Poetry curator regarding Seymour's archive and career. Box 1, Folder 20 Anderson, T.J. 2002 Box 1, Folder 21 Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley 1986-2000 Box 1, Folder 22 Beagle, Dorothy Jesse 2000-2002 Box 1, Folder 23 Benicia Herald re: poetry event 2002 Box 1, Folder 24 Bennett, Charles 2002-2003 Box 2, Folder 1 Best of San Francisco (Michelle Boleyn) 2001 Box 2, Folder 2 Brown, Sean (KOIT) 2002 Box 2, Folder 3 Buck, Marilyn 2002 General note Includes signed poems. Box 2, Folder 4 Feinstein, Dianne 1988 General note Letter from San Francisco mayor re: Bob Kaufman Day Event. Box 2, Folder 5 Ferlinghetti, Lawrence 1975 August 8 General note Letter to Tony Seymour signed by Ferlinghetti. Tony Seymour Papers MSS 0749 3 CORRESPONDENCE Box 2, Folder 6 Fitton, Barry 2001 Box 2, Folder 7 Garchik, Leah (San Francisco Chronicle) 2001-2004 Box 2, Folder 8 Greg (?) 2001 Box 2, Folder 9 Grier, Geoffrey 2004 Box 2, Folder 10 Hackett, Philip (Poetry at the San Francisco Press Club) 1987-1991 Box 2, Folder 11 Havens, Richie 2000-2003 Box 2, Folder 12 Kaufman, Eileen 1988 Box 2, Folder 13 Lawrence, Sharon (Jimi Hendrix' former publicist) and Denise Enck (Empty Mirror Books) 2002-2003 Box 2, Folder 14 McFadden, Bill undated Box 2, Folder 15 Melton, Rob 2012-2013 General note Correspondence with Archive for New Poetry curator regarding archive; includes significant reflections by Seymour on his body of work. Box 2, Folder 16 Mike and Dale's Younger Poets 1998 Box 2, More, Blake 2000-2003 Folder 17-21 General note Re: poetry play Godzilla Verses Swan Blake. Box 3, Folder 1-3 Morse, Trudy 2000-2002 Box 3, Folder 4 Neibaum-Coppola poetry event 2000 February General note Letter to Francis Ford Coppola about a poet who was removed from event. Box 3, Folder 5 Oakland East Bay Symphony 2003 General note Words and Music Project. Box 3, Folder 6 Poetry Flash (Joyce Jenkins) 1998 Box 3, Folder 7 Polos, Eugenia 1985-1987 Box 3, Folder 8 Rolling Stone Magazine 1976-1977 General note Regarding Bob Kaufman story. Box 3, Folder 9 Sinclair, John 2001-2002 Box 3, Folder 10 Valentine's Day card 1990 February 14 General note Handmade card by Seymour. Box 3, Folder 11 Zander, Angela 1987 November 3 General note Middle school student; her letter is in the Introduction of Collected Works. Box 3, Folder 12 Draft letters to "Leslie at Channel 7" General note Regarding Beatitude poetry reading. Box 3, Folder 13 New Orleans trip correspondence Box 3, Folder 14 Letters to French, Soviet, Chinese and Philippine Embassies Box 3, Folder 15 Correspondence relating to eviction notice Box 3, Folder 16 Genealogy research and correspondence relating to Seymour's family Box 3, Folder 17 Draft letters by T.S. to Def Poetry Slam Box 3, Folder 18 Miscellaneous correspondence Tony Seymour Papers MSS 0749 4 WRITINGS Collected Poems WRITINGS Scope and Content of Series SERIES 3) WRITINGS. Arranged in five subseries: A) Collected Poems, B) Poems, C) Early Writings, Essays and Notes, D) Collaborations and E) Writings by Others. A) Collected Poems: Includes mostly typescript drafts of Seymour's poetry included in his collected works, Poems for Another Time. Evolution of a Soul. The Collected Works of Tony Seymour, which he self-published in 1997. The arrangement is in original order and reflects the author's personal and philosophical concept of history and evolution in his poetry. Also included is a listing of Seymour's poem titles and title changes. B) Poems: Arranged alphabetically by title. Original handwritten and typescript drafts of Seymour's published and unpublished poems. C) Early Writings, Essays and Notes: Includes early poetry notebooks, notes, college papers and essays, some with commentary by one of Seymour's college professors at the University of New Mexico, noted poet and teacher Gene Frumkin. Also included are drafts of various articles and essays, notes for The Missing Link from Howl to Woodstock, and transcripts of interviews with Ritchie Havens and Michael White. D) Collaborations: Drafts of full and one-hour versions of Godzilla Verses Swan Blake, a poetry play featuring Tony Seymour and Blake More, promotional flyers, programs and reviews. Also included is a typescript draft of The Aluminum Chronicles, Seymour's collaboration with Suzzanne Dell. E) Writings by Others: Published and unpublished typescript drafts of various poets' work including poems by authors of note such as Jack Hirschman, Jack Micheline and George Tsongas. Collected Poems Box 4, Folder 1-7 Poems for Another Time. Evolution of a Soul. Collected Works of Tony Seymour General note Drafts of collected works. Includes copies of letter from Baba Ram Dass, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Ritchie Havens.