Linda Oppen Mourelatos Correspondence

Finding aid prepared by Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
858-534-2533
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Copyright 2005


Descriptive Summary

Title: Linda Oppen Mourelatos Correspondence
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0033
Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
Languages: English
Physical Description: 1.0 linear foot (3 archives boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1956-1982
Abstract: The papers of Linda Oppen Mourelatos, daughter of the Objectivist poet George Oppen and his wife Mary. Of particular importance is the correspondence between Oppen and her parents; 3 folders of typescript poetry by George Oppen; and 8 folders of material by Mary Oppen, including 6 folders of a typescript for her autobiography MEANING A LIFE. The papers are arranged in three series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS and 3) MISCELLANY.
Creator: Mourelatos, Linda Oppen, 1940-

Scope and Content of Collection

Correspondence of Linda Oppen Mourelatos, daughter of the Objectivist poet George Oppen and his wife Mary. Of particular importance is the correspondence between Oppen and her parents; 3 folders of typescript poetry by George Oppen; and 8 folders of material by Mary Oppen, including 6 folders of a typescript for her autobiography MEANING A LIFE.
The papers are arranged in three series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS and 3) MISCELLANY.
1) CORRESPONDENCE is the largest series in the collection. It is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Most of the letters in this series are those of George Oppen to Linda Oppen.
2) WRITINGS contains no written material by Linda Oppen. Of special note in this series, besides the manuscripts of George Oppen, are typescripts of Mary Oppen's autobiography MEANING A LIFE.

Biography

Linda Oppen Mourelatos, daughter of Objectivist poet George Oppen and his wife Mary, was born 7 May 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. For the next six years the Oppen family lived on Long Island and in Detroit, eventually settling in Redondo Beach, California, where they lived for four years. From Autumn 1950 to Spring 1958 Linda attended the American School in Mexico City. She then entered Sarah Lawrence College, N.Y., in Autumn 1958, and graduated with a BA. in Spring 1962.
On June 12, 1962 Linda married Alex Mourelatos, then a graduate student in philosophy at Yale. In Autumn 1962 she entered the Yale Medical School. She discontinued her studies in 1964 while on a leave of absence with Alex, who was then a Post-doctoral Fellow at The University of Wisconsin at Madison's Institute for Research in the Humanities.
From 1965 to the present Linda and Alex Mourelatos have travelled extensively, in conjunction with Alex's teaching career, including lengthy stays in West Germany; Washington, D.C.; Princeton, N.J.; Canberra, Australia; and Cambridge, Britain. Their permanent residence during this period has been Austin, Texas, where Alex teaches in the Philosophy Department of The University of Texas, and where Linda Oppen has been active in equestrian training and showing.

Publication Rights

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Preferred Citation

Linda Oppen Mourelatos Correspondence, MSS 0033. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Acquisition Information

Acquired, 1985.

Related Materials

George Oppen Papers (MSS 0016) and the June Oppen Degnan Papers (MSS 0017), Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Degnan, June Oppen -- Correspondence
Mourelatos, Alexander P.D., 1936- -- Correspondence
Mourelatos, Linda Oppen, 1940- -- Archives
Oppen, George -- Correspondence
Oppen, Mary, 1908-1990 -- Correspondence
American poetry--20th century

 

CORRESPONDENCE

Box 1, Folder 1

Aunt Agnes to Linda Oppen 1959 - 1959

Box 1, Folder 2

Beauvais, Rick and Aubrey to George and Mary Oppen 1962 - 1963

Box 1, Folder 3

Beauvais, Rick and Aubrey to Linda Oppen and Alex Mourelatos 1962 - 1962

Box 1, Folder 4

Haight, Eve to George and Mary Oppen

Box 1, Folder 5

Mayer, Diane and Andy to George and Mary Oppen

Box 1, Folder 6

Mayer, Diane and Andy to Linda Oppen 1965 - 1971

Box 1, Folder 7

Mourelatos, Alex to George Oppen 1968 - 1972

Box 1, Folder 8

Oppen, George to Aubrey Beauvais 1964 - 1964

Box 1, Folder 9

Oppen, George to Eve Haight

Box 1, Folder 10

Oppen, George to Diane and Andy Meyer

Box 1, Folder 11

Oppen, George to Alex Mourelatos

Box 1, Folder 12

Oppen, George to June Oppen Degnan

Box 1, Folder 13

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1956 - 1958

Box 1, Folder 14

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1959 - 1960

Box 1, Folder 15

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1961 - 1963

Box 1, Folder 16

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1964 - 1966

Box 1, Folder 17

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1967 - 1970

Box 1, Folder 18

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1971 - 1972

Box 1, Folder 19

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1973 - 1978

Box 1, Folder 20

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen 1979 - 1980

Box 1, Folder 21

Oppen, George to Linda Oppen - Miscellaneous undated letters

Box 1, Folder 22

Oppen, George miscellaneous correspondence from 1958 to 1972 1958 - 1972

Box 1, Folder 23

Oppen, Mary to Alex Mourelatos 1968 - 1971

Box 1, Folder 24

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1956 - 1958

Box 1, Folder 25

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1959 - 1959

Box 1, Folder 26

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1960 - 1962

Box 1, Folder 27

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1963 - 1964

Box 2, Folder 1

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1965 - 1965

Box 2, Folder 2

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1966 - 1966

Box 2, Folder 3

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1967 - 1968

Box 2, Folder 4

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1969 - 1970

Box 2, Folder 5

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1971 - 1972

Box 2, Folder 6

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1973 - 1974

Box 2, Folder 7

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1975 - 1976

Box 2, Folder 8

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1977 - 1978

Box 2, Folder 9

Oppen, Mary to Linda Oppen 1979 - 1980

Box 2, Folder 10

Degnan, June Oppen to George and Mary Oppen 1958 - 1969

Box 2, Folder 11

Degnan, June Oppen to Linda Oppen 1959 - 1979

Box 2, Folder 12

Haight, Eve to Linda Oppen 1964 - 1970

Box 2, Folder 13

Oppen, Linda to George and Mary Oppen 1964 - 1982

Box 2, Folder 14

Mary Oppen - Poetry and Prose, TS and PP.

 

WRITINGS

Box 2, Folder 15

Mary Oppen - Poetry, TS and PP.

Box 2, Folder 16

Mary Oppen - Selections from MEANING A LIFE - 2 copies corrected TS of "Kalispel"

Box 2, Folder 17

Mary Oppen - Selections from MEANING A LIFE - Corrected TS of "WWI 1918-1920,"

Box 2, Folder 18

Mary Oppen - Selections from MEANING A LIFE - Corrected TS of "Belvedere 1930,"

Box 3, Folder 1

Mary Oppen - Selections from MEANING A LIFE - TS of "New York 1935-1939"

General note

Corrected
Box 3, Folder 2

Mary Oppen - Selections from MEANING A LIFE

General note

Corrected TS of "Trip West After the War, 1942-1946."
Box 3, Folder 3

Mary Oppen - Selections from MEANING A LIFE - Corrected TS of untitled material

Box 3, Folder 4

By George Oppen - Poems, including "A Narrative," and "A Morality Play: Preface.

Box 3, Folder 5-6

By George Oppen - Poems, TSSc.

 

MISCELLANY

Box 3, Folder 7

Publishing information

General note

Concerning June Oppen Degnan's efforts on behalf of William Bronk.
Box 3, Folder 8

Calendar of readings from Academy of American Poets 1963 - 1964

General note

"Coming From a Great Distance," program
Box 3, Folder 9

Letters of condolence to Mary Oppen, upon the 1984 death of George

General note

Photocopies, 10 ALs, 5 TLs, 1 TL