Correspondence, typed and handwritten manuscript drafts, galley proofs, page proofs, photographs, drawings, posters, and published works in serials document James Tate's literary work and personal life, from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. The earliest item is a circa 1944 letter to Tate's father from an unidentified author, but the bulk of the materials date from 1962 to 1998.
The papers are organized into five series: I. Works, 1962-1998; II. Correspondence, circa 1944-1998 (bulk 1962-1998); III. Subject Files, 1964-1997; IV. Works by Others, 1966-1996; and V. Published Materials, 1966-1997.
Correspondence is the largest series and predominantly contains incoming letters to Tate from friends, other poets, and publishers. Also included is financial information as well as correspondence related to Tate's literary activities and his employment at The University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Significant correspondents include Russell Banks, Marvin Bell, Michael Benedikt, Gerard Malanga, Charles Simic, Anne Waldman, and Charles Wright. The subject files in Series III. further document Tate's literary career and his personal life.
The Works series includes numerous single paged typed drafts of individual poems, as well as manuscript and other prepublication forms of Tate's books. Published copies of single poems or prose works are located in the Published Materials series. Drafts, photocopies, and offprints of works sent to Tate by poets and writers such as John Ashbery, Carolyn Forch?, and Leslie Wolf are located in the Works by Others series. Many contain Tate's handwritten comments.
The materials are generally in good condition, although some of the paper is yellowed and brittle. Two award plaques have been transferred to the Ransom Center's Personal Effects Collection.
| James Tate Papers Finding Aid | ||||
| Title Page | Biographical Sketch |
Scope and Contents |
Series Descriptions |
Folder List |
Reference queries to: reference@hrc.utexas.edu
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