The Finding Aid of the Marcyn Del Clements Collection on Virginia Hamilton
Adair 0069
Rob Strauss and Alex Dan
The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded
by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission.
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Special Collections and
Archives
3801 West Temple Avenue
Pomona, CA 91768
speccollections@cpp.edu
909-869-3775
Title: Marcyn Del Clements Collection on Virginia Hamilton Adair
Creator:
Del Clements, Marcyn
Identifier/Call Number: 0069
Contributing Institution:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Special Collections and
Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
3.54 Linear Feet
(6 boxes)
Date (inclusive): circa 1927-1946, 1963-2010
Date (bulk): 1995-1998
Abstract: The collection
contains materials collected by Virginia Hamilton Adair's friend Marcyn Del Clements,
including poetry written by Virginia Hamilton Adair, drafts of Adair's first two books,
magazines with articles about Adair, and videocassettes related to Adair.
Sponsor
The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National
Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or
reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder# or item name], Marcyn Del Clements Collection on Virginia Hamilton Adair,
Collection no. 0069, Pomona Valley Historical Collection, Special Collections and Archives,
University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Marcyn Del Clements donated the collection to California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona in 2010.
Biographical / Historical
Marcyn Del Clements is a published poet and she was a friend of Virginia Hamilton Adair
(1913-2004). The two met in the early 1990s and belonged to a Claremont, California poetry
group called "The Fortnitelies." Along with others, Clements assisted Adair in typing her
poetry and preparing her books after Adair lost her vision.
Clements lives in Claremont and works as a massage therapist. She has had her poetry
published in
Alaska Quarterly Review,
Eureka Literary Magazine,
Literary Review, and other publications.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains materials collected by Virginia Hamilton Adair's friend Marcyn Del
Clements, including poetry that Adair shared with her poetry group "The Fortnitelies";
drafts of Adair's first poetry books,
Ants on the Melon and
Beliefs and
Blasphemies
; and animal-related poetry that Adair and Del Clements were arranging
for a possible book.
The folder poetry drafts - rituals contains a notebook and papers with poems. The poems
appear to have been written by Virginia Hamilton Adair and some contain her initials.
The collection also includes audiovisual materials, including a videocassette of Adair
receiving an honorary doctorate from Mt. Holyoke College in 1999, an audiocassette of poetry
readings of Adair's work, and audiocassettes with performances of music by Gwyneth Walker
set to Adair's poetry. Additionally, the collection includes a broadside with the text of
Adair's poem "Keyring" and posters titled "Rules of Behaviour" that were printed by Adair's
husband, Douglass, and colored by Adair.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Related Materials
Virginia Hamilton Adair Papers, Collection no. 0045, University Archives, Special
Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona.
Mary Virginia Hamilton Adair Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Mount Holyoke
College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA.
Separated Materials
The following items have been removed from the collection and added to the Special
Collections and Archives Rare Books Collection:
Adair, Virginia.
Ants on the Melon. New York: Random House, 1996.
Adair, Virginia.
Beliefs and Blasphemies: A Collection of Poems. New York:
Random House, 1998.
Mount Holyoke College.
The Llamarada. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College,
1933.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Rob Strauss and Alex Dan in May 2018.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Adair, Virginia, 1913-2004
Poets, American
box 1
Audiocassettes - Readings of Virginia Hamilton Adair's Poetry
1995-2010
box 1
Audiocassettes - Performances of "An Hour to Dance" (Music by Gwyneth Walker
set to Virginia Hamilton Adair's poetry)
circa 2000 - 2010
box 1
Audiocassette - "The Writer's Almanac"
1997 January 27
box 6
Broadsides -
Ants on the Melon - Limited Edition
circa 1996
box 2
Clippings - Book Reviews and Mentions of Virginia Hamilton Adair
1996-2010
box 2
Draft -
Beliefs and Blasphemies
circa 1998
box 2
Drafts -
Ants on the Melon
circa 1996
box 2
DVD - Virginia Hamilton Adair Receiving Honorary Doctorate from Mt. Holyoke
College
1999
box 3
List of Virginia Adair's Poem Titles
circa 1993-1995
box 3
Newsletter -
The Academy of American Poets
1996
box 3
Newsletter -
Mt. Baldy Zen Center
1996
box 3
Notes and Articles from Virginia Hamilton Adair to Marcyn Del
Clements
circa 1987-2010
box 3
Poems - "Book of Animals"
circa 1927-1946, 1967-1995, 2010
box 3
Poems - Fortnitelies Poetry Group [A-C]
circa 1970-1979, 1990-2001, 2010
box 3
Poems - Fortnitelies Poetry Group [G-J]
1970,1989-2000
box 3
Poems - Fortnitelies Poetry Group [K-N]
1992-2001, 2010
box 3
Poems - Fortnitelies Poetry Group [O-S]
1972-1974,1992-2001
box 3
Poems - Fortnitelies Poetry Group [T-Z]
1968, 1988-2001
box 4
Poems - "The Marcy Poems"
1991-1999
box 4
Poetry Drafts - "Rituals"
1992-1993
box 4
Poetry Readings - Advertisements, Programs, Notes
circa 1996-1999, 2010
box 6
Posters - "Rules for Behaviour"
1963
box 4
Publication -
American Poet
1996
box 4
Publication -
California State Poetry Quarterly (Signed by
Adair)
1997
box 4
Publication -
The New York Review of Books
1996 March 21
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker (Signed by Adair)
1995 July 31
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker
1995 October 16
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker
1995 November 6
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker
1995 December 11
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker
1995 December 25
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker
1996 January 22
box 4
Publication -
The New Yorker
1996 February 26
box 5
Publication -
The New Yorker
1996 March 18
box 5
Publication -
The New Yorker
1997 January 20
box 5
Publication -
The New Yorker
1998 July 20
box 5
Publication -
People Weekly
1996 August 19
box 5
Publication -
Poetry
2004 December
box 5
Publication -
Poetry Pilot
1994
box 5
Publication -
Rattle
1997
box 5
Publication -
Time
1996 Mary 27
box 5
Videocassette - Poetry Readings - Anthony Hecht and Robert Mezey
1997 February-March
box 5
Videocassette - Virginia Hamilton Adair Receiving Honorary Doctorate from Mt.
Holyoke College
1999
