Collection Guide
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Meltzer (David) papers
BANC MSS 2003/256 c
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: David Meltzer papers
Creator:
Meltzer, David
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2003/256 c
Physical Description:
64 Linear Feet
(48 cartons, 1 oversize box, 11 oversize folders)
Physical Description:
xx gigabytes
1 laptop, 1 hard drive, 11 CDs, 4 DVDs, and 54 floppy disks
Date (inclusive): 1885-2017, bulk, 1936-2017
Abstract: This collection documents the personal and professional life of Jewish-American musician, poet, and teacher David Meltzer.
His papers also document over 50 years of literary and artistic life in the Bay Area and beyond, Meltzer's expertise as a
scholar of Kabbalah, and the Humanities and Poetics programs at New College of California. The collection includes correspondence
with poets and writers from a variety of literary movements; manuscripts by Meltzer and his writer friends; materials related
to the small press world, Jewish-American poetry, and Jewish mysticism/Kabbalah; teaching materials from his tenure at New
College and his prison writing workshops; Meltzer's research and writings on music, particularly jazz, and records of his
career as a musician and music critic. There are materials related to his wife, musician and artist Tina Meltzer, and their
children, as well as other biographical and personal records, literary ephemera that spans nearly 60 years, and a small amount
of audiovisual material.
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Language of Material: Collection materials are in English, Hebrew, with some Yiddish.
Collection is open for research.
No future additions are expected.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The David Meltzer papers were purchased by The Bancroft Library between 2003 and 2018.
There are no alternative forms of this collection.
David Meltzer was an American poet and musician of the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance. Leon David Meltzer
was born in 1937 in Rochester, New York to musician parents and raised in Brooklyn, Rockville, NY, and Los Angeles. Meltzer
moved to San Francisco in 1957 and became part of a circle of writers that included Robert Duncan and Jack Spicer. He was
also a key figure in the small press scene in California in the 1960s and 1970s, and a scholar of Judaica and Kabbalah. He
founded the journal Tree and the publishing enterprise Tree Books in the 1970s and was well known as a music writer and critic.
Meltzer formed a duo with his wife Tina, and the two were also in the bands bands The Serpent Power, and MIX. Meltzer wrote
more than 50 books of poetry and prose, and edited many anthologies and collections of interviews, publishing most of them
with small presses, such as City Lights and Oyez. He was a beloved teacher and mentor and taught poetry and humanities at
the New College of California in San Francisco for nearly 30 years. Meltzer died at his home in Oakland in 2016.
[Identification of item], David Meltzer papers, BANC MSS 2003/256c,The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Arranged to the folder level.
Processed by Marjorie Bryer and Christina Velazquez Fidler in 2022.
David Meltzer correspondence and typescripts (BANC MSS 2005/201)
Stan Brakhage letters to David Meltzer (BANC MSS 2018/106)
David Meltzer papers (University Libraries, Washington University in St. Louis, WTU00081)
Meltzer mss., 1954-1974 (Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, LMC 1837)
Letters, 1969-1970 (Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Meltzer mss. II)
David Meltzer papers 1956-1977 (Merrill-Cazier Special Collections, Utah State University, COLL MSS 526)
David Meltzer reading in the UCSD New Poetry Series : Wednesday, March 2, 1977 (Archive for New Poetry, University of California,
San Diego, SPL-57)
Song : signed typescript, [196-] (Archive for New Poetry, University of California, San Diego, MSS-352)
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection documents the personal and professional life of Jewish-American musician, poet, and teacher David Meltzer.
His papers also document over 50 years of literary and artistic life in the Bay Area and beyond, Meltzer's expertise as a
scholar of Kabbalah, and the Humanities and Poetics programs at New College of California. The collection includes correspondence
with poets and writers from a variety of literary movements; manuscripts by Meltzer and his writer friends; materials related
to the small press world, Jewish-American poetry, and Jewish mysticism/Kabbalah; teaching materials from his tenure at New
College and his prison writing workshops; Meltzer's research and writings on music, particularly jazz, and records of his
career as a musician and music critic. There are materials related to his wife, musician and artist Tina Meltzer, and their
children, as well as other biographical and personal records, literary ephemera that spans nearly 60 years, and a small amount
of audiovisual material.
The collection has been divided into 10 series: Correspondence/Writer Files; Writings; Tree, Judaica, Kabbalah; New College
of California; Prison Teaching, Workshops, and Poetry Anthologies; Music; Tina Meltzer; Biographical Materials and Personalia;
Literary Ephemera; and Audiovisual Materials.
Contents of folders were kept intact and original folder titles were retained. Please note that there is overlap between the
series. This reflects the fact that the boundaries between the different parts of Meltzer's life and work – especially his
writing, teaching, and music – overlapped and bled into one another.
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction
of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions,
privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Access to audio-visual materials may be restricted due to technical limitations.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Meltzer, David -- Archives.
Meltzer, David -- Correspondence.
Poets, American -- California -- 20th century
Poets as teachers -- California -- San Francisco.
American poetry -- California -- San Francisco.
Authors, American--California--20th century
Beats (Persons)
Beat generation--California.
Jewish poetry.
Authors and publishers -- California.
New College of California -- Faculty.
Poetry -- Study and teaching.
Serpent Power (Musical group)
Manuscripts for publication
Poems -- California -- 20th century.
Notebooks.