Eileen Senner Collection on Robert Mezey: Finding Aid mssMezey
Kelly Kress
The Huntington Library
October 2023
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Eileen Senner collection on Robert Mezey
Creator:
Senner, Eileen
Identifier/Call Number: mssMezey
Physical Description:
0.83 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1959-2000s
Abstract: Correspondence, photographs, writings,
publications, and ephemera related to the poet Robert Mezey, collected by Eileen
Senner.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
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[Identification of item]. Eileen Senner collection on Robert Mezey, The Huntington Library,
San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Eileen Senner, September 2023.
Robert Mezey (1935-2020) was an American poet, translator, critic and academic. Born in
Philadelphia, he briefly attended Kenyon College, served in the U.S. Army, then completed
his undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa in 1959. Mezey began graduate studies at
the Iowa Writers' Workshop and later attended Stanford, but never finished. Despite lacking
a graduate degree, he taught at Case Western Reserve University, Franklin and Marshall
College, and several other schools during the 1960s, earning a reputation as an anti-war
activist. In 1976 he was hired at Pomona College where he remained until his retirement in
2000. Kenyon College awarded him an honorary graduate degree in 2009. Mezey's poetry won
several awards, including the 1960 Lamont Prize for his book The Lovemaker; and the 2002
Poets' Prize for Collected Poems: 1952-1999.
Correspondence, photographs, writings, publications, and ephemera related to the poet
Robert Mezey, collected by his former romantic partner Eileen Senner. Correspondence
consists primarily of postcards and letters from Mezey to Senner, some including poetry.
Writings include copies of publications in which Mezey's poetry appeared, broadsides,
photocopies, and a small amount of handwritten notes related to his E.A. Robinson and Thomas
Hardy projects. The collection also includes biographical articles and clippings, ephemera
related to poetry readings and other events, and several photographs of Mezey.
Processed at the time of accessioning by Kelly Kress in October 2023.
Arranged according to type of material.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American poetry -- 20th century
Authors, American
Letters (correspondence)
Photographs
Poems
Postcards
Senner, Eileen
Hardy,
Thomas, 1840-1928
Mezey,
Robert
Robinson,
Edwin Arlington, 1869-1935
Box 1
Correspondence and biographical 1959-2000s
Box 2
Writings 1970-2002
Writings of Robert Mezey, including publications in which his poetry appeared, a few of
his books, broadsides, photocopies, and some handwritten notes about his E.A. Robinson
and Thomas Hardy projects. Most of the material is from the 1990s; a few of the
publications are inscribed to Eileen Senner.