Christopher Hewitt Papers, 1963-2004
GLC 67
Finding aid prepared by Timothy T. Wilson
James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA, 94102
(415) 557-4400
info@sfpl.org
2014
Title: Christopher Hewitt Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1963-2004, undated
Collection Identifier: GLC 67
Creator:
Hewitt, Christopher, 1946-2004
Physical Description:
4.0 boxes + 3 oversized items
(3 cubic feet)
Contributing Institution:
James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA, 94102
(415) 557-4400
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: Christopher Hewitt was a gay poet, disabled activist, recovered alcoholic, editor, and college teacher. His papers include
poetry, prose, correspondence, journals and diaries, photographs, sketches, drawings, and audio-visual materials.
Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in English.
Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
Publication Rights
Copyright retained by the Christopher Hewitt estate. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must
be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library
as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Christopher Hewitt Papers (GLC 67), Gay and Lesbian Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Provenance
The Christopher Hewitt Papers were donated by Robert Guter, September 29, 2005.
Biographical note
Christopher Hewitt was a gay writer and disabled activist. He was born on February 2, 1946 in Nottingham and grew up in the
villages of Welland and Upton-on-Severn in Worcestershire, England. He was born with a brittle bone condition called osteogenesis
imperfecta and used a wheelchair from the age of nine. His writing addresses the issues of disability, discrimination, and
communication.
He received an M.A. in English from the University of California, Davis in 1976, and an M.F.A . in Poetry at the University
of Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1981. He taught Creative Writing and English at Fordham University, John Jay College, and University
of San Francisco. Christopher Hewitt was also Associate Editor of
Art & Understanding, a magazine in which writers and artists respond to the AIDS crisis.
He published two chapbooks of poetry:
The Careless Days, and
The Infinite Et Cetera. His poems have appeared in
The New Yorker,
The American Poetry Review,
The Observer Poetry Prize Anthology,
Salmagundi,
Cimarron Review, and other magazines. His translation of the Rumanian poet Nina Cassian has appeared in
Life Sentence: The Selected Poems of Nina Cassian, published by Norton (1990) and Anvil Press (England, 1990).
Hewitt wrote the libretti for two song cycles,
Metamorphosis and
Amours, music by Benton Hess, which were performed in New York City and Oberlin, Ohio. He also wrote the libretto for a cantata
Cantata V: Raggedstone Hill, music by Dennis Riley, which was performed in New York City.
Hewitt died due to complications from pneumonia on July 13, 2004 in San Francisco. He was survived by his mother Joan Hewitt.
Scope and Contents
Hewitt's poetry, prose, interviews, and libretti based on his work, form the majority of the collection. The drafts of his
work appear in notebooks and journals which are later typed and often re-edited. There is a small amount of correspondence,
a handful of sketch pads with Hewitt's drawings, some photographs, subject files, and audiotapes of his readings and performances.
There are three videotapes, one of which is the film
Crip Shots, a documentary about artists with disabilities.
Arrangement
The Papers are arranged into 7 series: Series 1. Correspondence; Series 2: Writings (Subseries 2A. Notebooks, Journals, Drafts;
and, Subseries 2B. Typescripts); Series 3. Artwork; Series 4. Subject Files; Series 5. Published Material; Series 6. Photographs;
and, Series 7. Audiovisual Materials.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Hewitt, Christopher, 1946-2004--Archives
Artists with disabilities
Gay poets
Poets--California--San Francisco
Series 1
Correspondence,
1993-2004, undated
Physical Description:
2.0 folders
Scope and Contents
The series contains letters and notes sent to Hewitt from friends, family, coworkers, editors, fellow writers, and businesses.
The subjects include daily activities, job qualifications, letters of recommendation, and status of poetry submitted for publication.
Some letters by Hewitt to businesses or government agencies pertain to injuries sustained or treatment received by Hewitt,
or, immigration issues. Some signatures were illegible, others only contained first names.
Arrangement
Arranged into two folders: correspondence sent or received; and correspondence that was not sent. The material in both folders
is arranged chronologically.
Box 1, Folder 1
1993-2004, undated
Scope and Contents
The series primarily contains letters written to Hewitt. Some pertain to his work as guest editor for
The James White Review (1997). A few letters written by Hewitt appear here, others appear in his notebooks. The Edward Wolf (1997) note includes
the poem: "Remembering Daddy From A New Home" by Llewen Hepburn Usilton III (4/21/1983). In a few instances, Hewitt's submissions
to poetry publications were returned with an accompanying note.
Adastra Press / Gary Metras (1996)
Anderson, Rob (1995, 2003)
Arcangelini, M. J. (1997)
Beamish, Mrs. Maud (2003)
Berg, [Stephen], American Poetry Review (1997) [returned poems: Recovery (in memory of Troy Davis); When I Am Old; Elegy for
Dylan Thomas; Veterans; The Lake]
Bill ([1995? undated]) [William Dickey?]
Boyers, Peg,
Salmagundi (1999-2000) [returned poems: The Roses (for a friend stricken with depression); When I Am Old; Elegy for Dylan Thomas; The
Oak Tree]
Chairperson (1997) [job application cover letter]
Elledge, Jim,
Illinois Review (1996) [includes returned poems: The Bad Children; On Raggedstone Hill; A Day in Camarthen, 1919; For Winter]
Flint, Vivekan Don (1997)
Fordham University letter of recommendation (1994)
Gene Chihuahua (1999, 2002, 2004)
[Georgiades], William,
Perkins Press (undated)
Giannini, Allan Valentino (1997)
Guilding, Rosemarie (1995) [includes photo of J.M. Hewitt]
Herndon, John (1995) [includes inventory of Hewitt's stored boxes]
Hewitt, Joan M. (1994, 1998, 2003) [mother]
Hull, Glynda (1995) [contains Hewitt c.v.]
Humphrey, Matthew, San Francisco Review (1996)
IBIS Hotel, Heathrow Airport (2000)
[Killacky], John, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (2000)
Kormier, James, Sonoma State University ([1994?])
Lamb, Margaret, Fordham University (1996)
Lauer, Kristin O., Fordham University (1996)
LGBT Center, San Francisco (2004)
Lucas, Katherine, San Francisco State University (1995)
McLachlan, Angie ([1994?], 2004)
McMullen, Sarah, Elton John AIDS Foundation [regarding interview of Elton John] (1998)
Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (1997)
Paulson, Kevin Thaddeus (1997)
Dear Poetry Editor (undated)
Resendez, Salvador R. ([1997])
San Francisco Performances ([1999])
Taylor, Timothy Tyrone (1997)
Trentacoste, Camille and Frank Alexander Kronberg (1995)
van Kerwijk, Henk (1994, 2002)
van Welzenis, Taco (2000)
Ware, John A. (1994, 1997)
Who's Who in the West ([1998])
Box 1, Folder 2
Addressed correspondence that was returned or not mailed/posted,
1995-1999, undated
General note
Includes two manila envelopes addressed to Marianne Moore Poetry Prize. The contents ("Museum Pieces" and "Evesham Station")
were moved to Series 2B.
International Society of Poets (1996)
Coppinger, Mrs. Constance Lawrence (undated)
Grundding, Mrs. Rosemary ([1999])
McLachlan, Angie and Lesley Shane ([1999])
Flamm, Mrs. Helen ([1999])
Marianne Moore Poetry Prize (undated)
Series 2
Writing,
1990-2004, undated
Scope and Contents
The series includes the poetry, prose, reviews, interviews and other writing by Hewitt. His notebooks are included in this
series because he often wrote several drafts of a piece before its completion. The notebooks and looseleaf pages often contain
several different poems. The typescripts in subseries 2A may also include several drafts. Final published pieces appear in
the series as well. Often Hewitt's writing draws from his own experience. There is a notebook with drafts of Hewitt's memoir
Brittle Bones, a more final version of the same in the typescripts, and an audiotape with a reading of Chapter One in Series
7. Some of Hewitt's writing touches on his recovery from alcoholism, his work with people with HIV and AIDS, interviews with
writers such as Armistead Maupin, Paul Reed, and Ruth Felt.
Arrangement
Arranged into two subseries: Subseries 2A. Notebooks, Journals, Drafts; and, Subseries 2B. Typescripts.
Subseries 2A
Notebooks, journals, drafts,
1995-2004, undated
Physical Description:
17.0 folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically with undated notebooks at the end.
Box 1, Folder 3
Notebook [70 page Theme Book cover],
1995, undated
General note
includes: page 4 lines about phone call; project description for writing workshop for people with AIDS and HIV; artist's statement;
The Bird Watcher for Roger Webster, 1940-1970); about being 50; Tony.
Box 1, Folder 4
Composition notebook,
[1995-1996], undated
General note
Includes: phone numbers; partial prose piece; notes on finances; action plan; It's as if I had died...; The Princess & Pea;
review of
A Few Tricks Along the Way by Gary J. Stern (Crossing Press, 1996); review of
The Promise of Rest by Reynolds Price (Scribners, 1995); Saturday's Child; In the Garden of the Angels; well-meaning but wrong-headed...; Six
poems based on the poems of...; Preludes; The East & The West; It was too beautiful?...; Prologue?; Prelude; English 101 Section
12 & 13; Prelude; Courage; Hang It Out; Ebglish Section 13 names and grades.
Box 1, Folders 5-6
Poetry and prose drafts,
1995-2004, undated
General note
Folder 1 includes: heart drawing "for flyer"; The Lifting Team; action plan; job action plan; The Bird Watcher (for Roger
Webster, 1940-1970); Managing Pain; notes for poetry retreat at Asilomar?; 11. The old lady's parrot; 12. The heron think
he hears...; 1. A sudden rain shower...; The white hare dozes...; draft letter to contributors to
The James White Review [Hewitt was guest editor]; Eight poems written after seeing the paintings of T'ao-Chi; Clouds at sunset; Ten poems written
after seeing the Paintings of T'ao-Chi; Mightier than the Mouth; preface; Denial; The Miracle / That Moment; The Window Cleaner;
The Waiter; Acting Out; In Sobriety; review of
The Promise of Rest by Reynolds Price (Scribners, 1995); Love's Foolishness; Pretty Men, Fancy Dancers. Folder 2 includes: partial prose pieces;
Funny Things People Say; The Salmon; Flyer: Poetry & Music at Quetzal, 1234 Polk Street, August 12, 1996 [Hewitt was a reader];
Portrait: Gay Man and Mother, October 1995; The Angel in the Garden [photocopy]; Tenacity [photocopy]; Dearest Mum, January
10, 2004; meeting rules; Why I Grew a Beard; Tenacity; notes on sixth step; Terry Bass IOU, 1999; Badmouthing successful writers
makes me...; The Madman; notes on 4th step; The Lifting Team; Armistead Maupin...; partial review of Stephen Petronio's dance
company; Though my blood pressure...; Out of the hospital; Dear Norah, 1998; In Early Spring; Coming Out; Ode To the Violet;
This Thing, Friday Night, Castro Street, San Francisco; The Middle Heart; Love's Foolishness; Consolation; To: Joseph at Desktop;
Lines written after a long illness in hospital; What Reality.
Box 1, Folder 7
Notebook [Five-Star cover. Notes on Gala Concert in honor of Ruth Felt, contacts, "Dear Buddy" letter, poems, action plans],
1998
General note
Includes: Grief; contacts, addresses; review of gala concert in honor of Ruth Felt, Herbst Theatre, March 3, 1998; monthly
expenses; Dear Buddy, May 19, 1998 [photocopy]; action plan; Partpokmort?; Confectionary; action plan; part-time job, qualities
in teaching job; the television here...; Myself as Killer; High Blood Pressure; We All Had Such a Great Time; read step 1;
action plan, 1998.
Box 1, Folder 8
Notebook [70 sheets blue cover. Poems, prose, etc.],
1998, undated
General note
Includes: Man with a Van; letter dated August 29, 1998 regarding permanent alien residency; Time debting recovery; Ideal day;
Thanking You, San Francisco; Visa history; notes on 1st step; When Teninika Dance; The Food of Love--notes on poems to include;
The Edwardians [photocopy and drafts]; Elgar was still full...; poetry writing workshop outline for people with AIDS/HIV "writing
for our lives"; Love's Journalists; Irises; and, The Romantic Gets a Reality Check.
Box 1, Folder 9
Notebook [100 sheets red cover. Poems, prose, etc.],
[1998], undated
General note
Includes: In memoriam: Matthew Shepard (1976-1998); The Missing Tie; Christopher Death; author's preface for memoir; notes
for memoir; quotes for frontispiece; Left-Wing Angel; and, I wonder...
Box 1, Folder 10
Notebook [100 sheets blue cover. Poems, prose, notes on finances, last will and testament, etc.],
1999-2000, undated
General note
Includes: The Madman; monthly expenses; He wears a jacket...; Queercomp; Elegy for Dennis Riley, 1943-1999; ACT-UP, Anyone?;
Garbage on the Seventeenth Floor; Why I Grew A Beard; The Hornbeam Seed; The Call; On Seeing Vermeer's Lady Seated at the
Virginal; The Bull in the China Shop; Last Will and Testament, September 23, 1999; monthly expenses; You spent more than forty
years...; Hewitt agreement to hire Scott Banning as full-time care-giver, April 2000; action plan; spending and action plans;
First of all I want to say I'm absolutely thrilled to be in S.F. to launch my latest book
Reining in Paris...; Scott Banning agreement to act as full-time care-giver to Hewitt, April 2000; Reina du Coq; Hope/Day Trip; Perception;
PRG new actions, March 19, 2000; notes on trip/travel; Dear Mitch.
Box 1, Folder 11
Notebook [100 sheets green cover],
2000, undated
General note
Includes: The Bull in the China Shop; Will the Real Teacher Please Stand Up; spending plan, May 31, 2000; The Prevailing Wind;
I wanted to forget...; After Purging; The Outstretched Hand; poetry writing workshop page 2; wheelchair for sale ad; partial
letter to Stella.
Box 1, Folder 12
Memo books (2 books) [includes notes on activities, finances, poetry collections, phone numbers, poems used for readings,
Sunlight/Sunshine, etc.],
2002, undated
Box 1, Folder 13
Notebook [70 sheets, green cover],
2002, undated
General note
Includes: Homing Instinct; Why I'm A Poet; Nostalgia / To My Credit; The Idiot; Grammar School; partial letter regarding cuts
to mental health services; letter to Brian Chiu, Executive Director, LGBT Center, San Francisco (2002); Oh To Be In England.
Box 1, Folder 14
Journal,
August, undated
General note
Includes: The Letter; 8/19 diary entry; The Weather; Introduction to Composition: Hewitt, sample outline; The Return; What
the Moon Said; notes on 4th step; Chicken Wings; debts, August.
Box 1, Folder 15
Notebook [Fordham University cover],
undated
General note
Includes: names and grades for Course 099 Sections 8 and 7, March; We have an understanding...; I'm without a Lover; The Stranger;
All the While the Planet Moves; A soul...; In Mule Shoe...; The Death of a Soldier; Two Men...; At the Stud; Your boot strap;
Saturday Evening 3 am; notes movies, etc.; exercise on combining sentences.
Box 1, Folder 16
Notebook [Autobiography],
undated
General note
Includes: Boys in Green; The headmaster was tall...; left Hanley School; Eleven Plus; Sex Change; Appalachian Spring; The
First Poem; Getting Away with Murder; First and Last Steps; The Painter's Son; My first attempts at poetry were...; Moonlight
Sonata; The Hills; Growing up in a hotel...; The Long Grasses; pages 3-4 of prose piece: It was a sweet and precious thing.
Box 1, Folder 17
Notebook [Strawberry on cover],
undated
General note
Includes: contacts for doctors, social workers, etc.; Pyrites; After the Operation; Interstellar; Vital Signs.
Box 1, Folder 18
Notebook ["Why I Grew A Beard," etc.],
undated
General note
Includes: Why I Grew a Beard; phone numbers; page 3 Allan was hedging his bets...; Having told my friend Patrick about my
dilemma...; Why I Grew a Beard; travel notes.
Box 1, Folder 19
Notebook [100 sheets green cover. Poems, prose, etc.],
undated
General note
Includes: Nine Lives; The Blaspheming Moon; Dropping Out; Courage; pages 5-8 of memoir; Courage; Chasing Rainbows; Cafe Society
I; loose pages of stories.
Subseries 2B
Typescripts,
1990-2004, undated
Physical Description:
30.0 folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Box 1, Folder 20
Acting Out (
S. F. Frontiers, page 26),
June 8, 1995
Box 1, Folder 21
As A Good Father Should (
Bent),
2002
Box 1, Folder 22
The Blaspheming Moon. Adapted for the stage by Christopher Hewitt and Michael Anthony Thomas,
1990
Box 1, Folder 23
The Blaspheming Moon: a play in one act. Dramaturgy by Michael Anthony Thomas,
2004
Box 1, Folder 24
Brittle Bones [memoir],
2000-2001
General note
Includes rejection letter from Mercury House, January 24, 2001.
Box 1, Folder 25
Cavafy in the Castro,
1997
Box 1, Folder 26
The Edwardians [also: The Edwardiardians],
undated
Box 1, Folder 27
The Enticing Lane (
Bent),
2004
Box 1, Folder 28
Evesham Station: poems by Christopher Hewitt,
undated
Box 1, Folder 30
Four Poems by Chris Hewitt (
Bent),
2001
General note
Love's Foolishness, Newly Blind, The Favorite Place, and The Lifting Team.
Box 1, Folder 32
Individual poems,
undated
General note
Includes: Rain; Letter to Patrick; Trust (Three Lessons in History); Ten Poems Written After Seeing the Paintings of T'ao-Chi;
Resolution; Cuba; Cavafy in the Castro; The Romantic Gets a Reality Check; No More Monica; At The Hospice; and, Newly Blind.
Box 1, Folder 33
Interviews conducted by Hewitt of Armistead Maupin, Ruth Felt, Paul Reed,
1998, 2002
Physical Description:
1.0 folder
Box 1, Folder 35
Irises: poems by Christopher Hewitt (for Joe on his birthday) [draft and 2 spiral bound copies],
undated
Box 1, Folder 37
Love's Fool,
2002, undated
General note
Includes draft, proof, and publication. Subtitle varies: "Lyrics from a Gay Life: poems by Chris Hewitt" and "New and Selected
Poetry by Chris Hewitt" (San Francisco: Big Town Press).
Box 1, Folder 38
Museum Pieces: poems by Christopher Hewitt,
undated
Box 1, Folder 39
The Quilt Revisited,
undated
Box 1, Folder 41
Review:
Here To Dare: Ten Black Gay Poets edited by Assoto Saint (Galiens Press, 1992). Review by Christopher Hewitt (A & U),
[1992]
Box 1, Folder 42
Review:
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me by David Drake; Review:
Chroma by Derek Jarman; Interview with William Parker; Interview with Edward Field; "Tribute: Remembering a Poet, William Dickey,"
1993-1995, undated
Box 1, Folder 43
Review:
The Promise of Rest by Reynolds Price. "Southern Saga" (
Bay Area Reporter),
May 25, 1995
Box 2, Folder 1
Safe as Houses [also titled "SPAHA"],
undated
Box 2, Folder 2
[Statement regarding injury sustained as a result of MUNI bus driver's negligence],
December 1995
Box 2, Folder 3
Still Breathing: poems by Christopher Hewitt,
undated
Box 2, Folder 6
Will the Real Teacher Please Stand Up?
undated
Series 3
Artwork,
1986, undated
Physical Description:
6.0 folders
+ 2 oversized folders
Scope and Contents
The series contains sketches and drawings by Hewitt, a small mounted painting by J.M. Hewitt, Christopher's mother, and some
printed posters by others. Several of the drawings by Hewitt have satirical captions. Many of the drawings are unsigned.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Box 4, Oversize-folder 1
Art/posters by others,
undated
Physical Description:
1.0 oversize items
Box 2, Folder 8
Old Church Tower, Upton-on-Severn by J. M. Hewitt,
undated
Box 2, Folder 9
Pen and ink drawings by Hewitt with captions,
undated
Box 2, Folder 10
Sketchbook with pen and ink drawings by Hewitt,
undated
Box 2, Folder 11
Sketchbook with pencil, crayon, and pen and ink drawings,
undated
Box 2, Folder 12
Sketchbook with satirical drawings by Hewitt,
undated
Box 4, Oversize-folder 2
Sketch tablet,
1986, undated
Physical Description:
1.0 oversize items
General note
12" x 18". Includes sketch of Christopher Hewitt by "B," and sketches by Hewitt regarding hospital care after and accident
in 1986.
Series 4
Subject Files,
1974-2004, undated
Physical Description:
23.0 folders
+ 2 oversized items
Scope and Contents
The series contains flyers for readings by Hewitt, materials collected to assist with job searches and interviews, calendars
and address books, some financial information, and proposals for courses Hewitt wanted to teach. There are some student papers
with Hewitt's feedback. One folder contains writing by others that Hewitt considered for publication in
The James White Review,
Able-Together, or
Art & Understanding. The folder of Hewitt family records contains several copies of Christopher Hewitt's birth certificate, correspondence and
forms relating to immigration status, and some materials on his mother's finances and care.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Box 2, Folder 13
Address / Telephone books (3 books),
undated
Box 2, Folder 14
Addresses. Mailing lists,
1997, undated
Box 2, Folder 15
Article about Tavistock group exercises (unsigned),
undated
Box 2, Folder 16
Bay Area Bridges staff meeting,
1995
Box 2, Folder 17
Buttons: "Living Sober, San Francisco"; "Al-Anon, 13 Years, Friday Step",
2002, undated
Box 2, Folder 18
Calendars (5 books),
1996-1997, 2001, undated
Box 2, Folder 19
California Community Colleges,
1996
Box 2, Folder 20
California Poets in the Schools. Poet application,
1994
Box 2, Folder 21
Course Proposals,
1986-2000
Box 2, Folder 22
Curriculum vitae, applications,
1996-1997, undated
Box 2, Folder 23
Financial. Income tax materials, bills and receipts, legal notices regarding unpaid medical bills,
1993-1994, 1997
Box 2, Folder 24
Financial. Spending plan, activity plan,
September-October 1994, undated
Box 2, Folder 25
Flyers,
1995, 1997, undated
General note
Wheelchair for sale; apartment wanted; American Stories concert by New Amsterdam Singers; "Recovery Today (working title)"
Al-Anon literature submission guidelines.
Box 2, Folder 26
Flyers for readings and workshops,
[1986]-1999, undated
Box 2, Folder 27
Francis of Assisi Community / Mercy Housing. Volunteer application,
2003
Box 2, Folder 28
Haight Ashbury Alcohol Treatment Services,
1995
Box 2, Folder 29
Hewitt family records: Christopher Hewitt birth certificates, immigration papers, X-ray, Hewitt family history, durable power
of attorney, correspondence regarding Joan Hewitt's finances,
1974-2001
Box 2, Folder 30
Malvern Hills and Bredon Hill ordnance survey,
1996
Box 2, Folder 31
Meditation in recovery: a half-day retreat, San Francisco Zen Center [includes Buddhism and the Twelve Steps,"
March 16, [2002?]
Map-case GLC 67
Memorial posters with photographs and remembrances of Christopher Hewitt,
2004
Physical Description:
2.0 oversize items
Box 2, Folder 32
O'Brien, Mark. Come Celebrate the Life of Mark O'Brien [readers include Hewitt],
[1999]
Box 2, Folder 33
Poetry classes and poetry prize submission guidelines,
1986-2000
Box 2, Folder 34
Student essays with Hewitt comments,
1986
Box 2, Folder 35
Writing sent to Hewitt for criticism or publication,
1997-2003, undated
General note
Some items were solicited by Hewitt for an issue he guest edited for
The James White Review. Other material was considered for the publication
A&U (Art & Understanding). Includes poetry, stories, and/or correspondence by: Kevin Thaddeus Paulson; Ed Wolf; Carl Wiener; Trebor Healey; Alfred
Corn; Mark Moody; Kenny Fries; Christopher Norbury; David Winwood; Peter Daniels; Michael Lassell; Carl Wiener; M. J. Arcangelini;
Christopher Bernard; Joseph Arthur Nathans; Timothy T. Taylor; Tommi Avicolli Mecca; Mark Hemry; Vivekan Don Flint; Carl Wiener;
[Gary Peterson?]; Michael Allen (Wish You Were Here; and, Ivan and Misha); Raymond Luczak (Landmarks, Signposts, Corners);
Robert Guter; David "A Gentleman's Letter to a Lover"; Mark Moody; Leonard Sanazaro and estate of William Dickey; Ricky Teague.
Series 5
Published Material,
[1988?]-2001
Scope and Contents
The series contains prose and poetry by Hewitt published in chapbooks, magazines, and journals. The series also includes published
work that was inscribed to Hewitt and material that Hewitt edited. Of note are the scores by composers Benton Hess, Richard
Maltz and Dennis Riley that feature Hewitt's poetry.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Box 2, Folder 36
Able-Together Magazine (San Francisco), vol. 6, no. 2 [2 copies],
Spring 1999
General note
Includes "The Lifting Team" [poem] by Chris Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 37
Able-Together Magazine (San Francisco), vol. 6, no. 3,
Summer 1999
General note
Includes "Moonlight Sonata" [excerpt from Hewitt's memoir Brittle Bones] and "Chicken Soup" [poem] by Chris Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 38
Able-Together Magazine (San Francisco), vol. 6, no. 4,
Fall 1999
General note
Includes "No More Monica" [poem] by Chris Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 39
Art & Understanding (Albany, N.Y.), vol. 1, no. 3,
Spring 1992
General note
Includes "Giving Way To Light: in memory of Bart G." by Christopher Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 40
Art & Understanding (Albany, N.Y.), vol. 2, no. 4,
October/November 1993
General note
Includes "All I Know To Do" [poem] by Christopher Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 41
Art & Understanding (Albany, N.Y.), issue 12, vol. 3, no. 3,
August 1994
General note
Includes "A Portrait of Felice Picano" [interview] by Chris Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 42
Art & Understanding (Albany, N.Y.), issue 13, vol. 3, no. 4,
October/November 1994
General note
Includes: "Retrospective: A Conversation with Keith Haring's Official Biographer, John Gruen" by Chris Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 43
Art & Understanding (Albany, N.Y.), issue 21, vol. 5, no. 3,
May 1996
General note
Includes "The Purple Flower: in memory of Jim Johnson 1937-87" [poem] by Christopher Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 44
Art & Understanding (Albany, N.Y.), issue 44, vol. 7, no. 6,
June 1998
General note
Includes "Tall Tales" [interview with Armistead Maupin] by Christopher Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 45
Brooks, Gwendolyn.
Children Coming Home (Chicago: The David Company) [inscribed to Hewitt],
1991
Box 2, Folder 46
Caveat Lector (San Francisco), vol. 9, no. 2 [2 copies],
Summer 1997
General note
Includes: Two Poems by Christopher Hewitt: "Ophelia" and "To a Friend Who Has Not Written."
Box 2, Folder 47
Helena Marie, Sister C.H.S.
Seasons of the Spirit: Meditations of a Jogging Nun (Ridgefield, Conn.: Morehouse Publishing) [inscribed to Hewitt],
1994
General note
Includes letter from Rosemary Glynne Gosselin to Hewitt, October 10, 1994.
Box 2, Folder 48
Hess, Benton.
Metamorphosis. Music by Benton Hess, poems by Christopher Hewitt (Daringdiva Press),
1989, 1990
Box 4, Oversize-folder 3
Hess, Benton.
Amours [score]. Nine poems by Christopher Hewitt, music by Benton Hess,
[1988?]
Physical Description:
1.0 oversize items
General note
Inscribed to Hewitt by performers Benton Hess, James Jeter, Peter A. Stewart, Carol S. Webber, and Larry Tietze.
Box 2, Folder 49
Hewitt, Christopher.
The Careless Days (New York: The Groundwater Press), [3 copies],
1989
Box 2, Folder 50
Maltz, Richard.
Seeing With the Heart: three songs for mezzo soprano, baritone and piano: on poetry by Christopher Hewitt,
1994
General note
I. Newly Blind; II. At the Beach, Venice, California; III. The Favorite Place.
Box 2, Folder 51
New York Native (New York), issue 680, vol. 16, no. 21,
April 29, 1996
General note
Includes "The Sparrow," "Midnight Serenade," and "Gentleness" [poems] by Christopher Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 52
New York Native (New York), issue 694, vol. 16, no. 35,
August 5, 1996
General note
Includes "Home," "Chicken Soup" and "Rain" [poems] by Christopher Hewitt (page 59).
Box 4, Oversize-folder 4
Perkins Press (Northampton, Massachusetts), no. 13 (2 copies, one missing cover),
Fall 1994
Physical Description:
1.0 oversize items
General note
Includes poem: Giving Way to Light, in memory of Bart G.
Box 2, Folder 53
Riley, Dennis.
Cantata V (Raggedstone Hill). Poems by Christopher Hewitt. Mixed chorus, harp, piano and percussion. Choral score [2 copies],
1989
Box 2, Folder 54
Salmagundi (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), no. 113,
Winter 1997
General note
Includes "Hypochondria" by Christopher Hewitt.
Box 2, Folder 55
Shurin, Aaron.
Unbound: a Book of AIDS (Los Angeles: Sun and Moon Press) [final proofs sent to Hewitt with note],
1997
Box 2, Folder 56
"Yerba Buena Arts Director Bares It All" [interview with John Killacky, mentions Hewitt] (
San Francisco Chronicle),
November 9, 2001
Physical Description:
21.0 folders
+ 2 oversized folders
Series 6
Photographs,
1963, 1985, 2000, undated
Physical Description:
2.0 folders
+ 1 oversized item
Scope and Contents
The series contains photographs of Christopher Hewitt by Barbara Loudis, Richard Kanuck, and a pencil drawing by TL. There
is also a photo of Roger Webster and a panorama photo of the Grammar School, Hanley Castle from 1963.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Map-case GLC 67
The Grammar School, Hanley Castle,
September 1963
Physical Description:
1.0 oversize items
Physical Description: Mounted on cardboard (7" x 36").
Box 2, Folder 57
Hewitt, Christopher (includes and a drawing of Hewitt),
1985, 2000, undated
Series 7
Audiovisual Materials,
1978-2001, undated
Arrangement
Arranged into two subseries by format.
Subseries 7A
Videotapes,
1987, 2001
Physical Description:
3.0 videotapes
Scope and Contents
The series contains three VHS tapes. One is a portrait of Hewitt, another is a reading by Hewitt. Crip Shots is a short documentary
film with portraits of artists with disabilities. It features Judy Smith, Greg Walloch, Chris Hewitt, Bill Shannon, and Terry
Galloway.
Arrangement
Arranged in chronological order.
Box 3
Portrait of Chris Hewitt,
Fall 1987
Physical Description:
1.0 videotape
VHS
General note
Made by Barbara Loudis. Student project. New School for Social Research. Approximately 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
Box 3
Under the Raging Moon: Achilles Emperaire as read by Christopher Hewitt,
December 8, 1987
Physical Description:
1.0 videotape
VHS
General note
Later title: Blaspheming Moon. 1 hour. Part of the Off the Shelf series.
Box 3
Crip Shots (San Francisco),
2001
Physical Description:
1.0 videotape
VHS
General note
Made by John Killacky and Larry Connolly. 17 minutes. Color. Includes reading by Hewitt.
Subseries 7B
Audiocassette Tapes,
1978-2001, undated
Physical Description:
23.0 audiotapes
Scope and Contents
The subseries contains audiocassette tapes of readings and interviews by Hewitt. It also includes performances of
The Blaspheming Moon and
Seeing With The Heart; both works are poems by Hewitt set to music. There are also two self-help tapes by Les Brown.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically with undated items at the end.
Box 3
Reading/Lecture, San Francisco State University (sides 1 and 2),
May 3, 1978
Box 3
Reading/Lecture, San Francisco State University (side 3); Hewitt and Hamilton,
May 3, 1978; May 14, 1978
Box 3
Christopher Hewitt and Frank Dwyer, Marymount Manhattan College,
June 4, 1985
Box 3
Reading at Marymount [Manhattan?] College: Christopher Hewitt (side A) and Karen Swenson (side B),
May 16, 1986
Box 3
Hewitt, Christopher.
The Blaspheming Moon, Fordham University Theatre,
September 26, 1986
Box 3
The Great Spangled Fritillary: for violin and marimba. Music by Andrew Thomas,
[1988]
General note
Sharon Leventhal, violin; Nancy Zeltsman, marimba. Andrew Thomas asked Christopher Hewitt to write a poem to accompany the
work as a program note. The work premiered in 1988.
Box 3
Chris Hewitt interviewed by Tom Smith ? WMAC, Albany, New York,
February 12, 1992
General note
Tape reads: Book Show 920227 #190. Christopher Hewitt. 24:27."
Box 3
Art & Understanding reading. Celebration at A Different Light bookstore, New York City,
February 20, 1992
General note
Readers: Guy-Mark Foster, Raymond Luczak, Virginia Pye, Chris Hewitt, Robert E. Penn, Constance Gunthe?. Introduced by Walter
Vatter and David Waggoner. Moderated by Chris Hewitt.
Box 3
Interview with Leslea Newman, New York,
March 18, 1993
Box 3
Reading by the Poetry Workshop,
May 4, 1993
Box 3
Happy Birthday, Chris 1993! From Max [mix tape],
1993
Box 3
Seeing With The Heart. Music by Richard Maltz, poems by Christopher Hewitt (Columbia, South Carolina),
May 22, 1994
Box 3
Reading at A Different Light. Pete Townsend (side A); Chris Hewitt (side B).
September 17, 1996
Box 3
Performances at 6, Eureka Theatre, San Francisco,
October 26, 1999
General note
"On The Move: an evening of poetry and music of travel and transformation." Christopher Hewitt, poet. Gilbert Martinez, harpsichord.
Box 3
Paul Reed interview,
April 4, 2001
Box 3
Brittle Bones. Chapter 1,
undated
Box 3
How to Control Your Emotions Through Observation. Tape 1,
undated
Box 3
Les Brown. Choosing Your Future: It's You! Tape 3,
undated
Box 3
Les Brown. Choosing Your Future: It's You! Tape 4,
undated
Box 3
Chris Hewitt reading,
undated
Box 3
A Different Light poetry reading,
undated
Box 3
Hewitt, Christopher.
The Blaspheming Moon,
undated
Box 3
WQXR: Benton Hess interview with Russell Shemar? and group? with Peter Stewart,
undated