Clinton F. Larson papers, 1969-1986

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Summary

Creators:
Larson, Clinton F.
Abstract:
The collection consists primarily of material related to the work of American poet, professor and editor Clinton F. Larson.
Extent:
1.7 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Clinton F. Larson papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 1,695 items from 1969 to 1986; it consists primarily of correspondence and poems relating to the compilation and publication of "Modern poetry of western America, an anthology of poems written by principal 20th century poets of the western United States," the book was published in 1975 by the Brigham Young University Press. The book was compiled and edited by Clinton F. Larson and William E. Stafford, both poets and professors of English. The collection includes biographical writing, editorial materials, published reviews, published poetry with lists and waivers, rejected poetry, and miscellaneous material. The letters written between Larson and Stafford express various thoughts, opinions and criticisms regarding the poems submitted for their review as well as decision-making concerning which authors, and which of their poems, to ultimately include or exclude from the anthology. In the invitations extended by the editors to contributing authors, the following material was provided: a letter conveying their vision for the anthology and a request for samples of the author's work, a release form for permission to publish the selected works, and a cover sheet requesting biographical information of the author. The bulk of the collection is dated 1974 and consists of these returned release forms and cover sheets, in addition to copies of poems submitted for review by the authors. Both accepted poems and rejected poems from nearly all authors are included, as well as biographical profiles from contributing authors. Poets in the collection include, among others: Earle Birney, Marilyn McMeen Miller, R. A. Christmas, Marden J. Clark, Thomas H. Ferril, Brewster Ghiselin, Thom Gunn, Philip Levine, Sandra McPherson, Theodore Roethke, Ralph J. Salisbury, Karl Shapiro, Ann Stanford, A. Wilber Stevens, May Swenson, and Peter Wild.

Biographical / historical:

Clinton Foster Larson (1919-1994) was born on September 22, 1919 and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1942 he married Naomi Barlow in the Salt Lake Temple and served in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah (1948) and a doctorate in English from the University of Denver. In 1947, Dr. Larson joined the faculty at Brigham Young University where he served as a professor of creative writing for the English department. After teaching for 27 years, he was appointed BYU's first poet in residence; Larson retired in 1985. He was a prolific poet and playwright who wrote hundreds of poems throughout his career. He was well known for his work in producing a multi-volume illustrated children's version of the Book of Mormon and for his devotion to portraying the Mormon theme and bringing gospel principles to light through his writings.

William Edgar Stafford (1914-1993) was born in Hutchinson, Kansas in 1914. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Kansas and a doctorate in English from the University of Iowa. He was a professor of English at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, was Poet Laureate for the state of Oregon from 1975 to 1993, and served as a poet in residence of the Library of Congress in 1970. In 1963, Stafford received the National Book Award for Poetry for his first collection of poems, "Traveling Through the Dark." He died in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on August 28, 1993.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Clinton F. Larson, in 1988; gift of Marden J. Clark in 1989.
Processing information:

Processed by Margaret Phung in 2014. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the electronic finding aid derived from an earlier finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Clinton F. Larson papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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