Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Elizabeth Bartlett Papers
MSS 0321
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Elizabeth Bartlett Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0321
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
Languages:
English
Physical Description:
13.6 Linear feet
(29 archives boxes, one records carton & one flat box)
Date (inclusive): ca. 1940 - 1994
Abstract: The papers of American writer, poet and editor Elizabeth Bartlett (1911-1994). The papers cover the period from ca. 1940-1994
and include correspondence, typescript poetry and prose, artwork, and ephemera. The collection also includes Bartlett's editing
work for
ETC: A Review of General Semantics and
Crosscurrents, as well as her work for the Literary Olympics.
Creator:
Bartlett, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bartlett Papers, MSS 321. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquired 1995, 2012.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Elizabeth Bartlett, née Winters, was born on July 20, 1911 in New York City. She studied at Teachers College, receiving her
BS in Education in 1941. After graduation Bartlett traveled extensively, meeting and marrying Paul Alexander Bartlett in Mexico
in 1943.
Throughout her life Bartlett continued to travel between the United States and Mexico, living in various cities while writing,
editing, and teaching. She taught at several universities, including Southern Methodist University; San Jose State University;
the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of San Diego. She worked as a poetry editor for
ETC: A Review of General Semantics and
Crosscurrents.
Bartlett was also founder and President of the international non-profit organization, Literary Olympics, Inc. Literary Olymics,
Inc. was established to bring the cultural component back to the Olympic Games, as in ancient Greece. Through this work, Bartlett
edited three international multi-language anthologies to coincide with the Olympics, beginning in 1984. A fourth volume was
published in 1997 in memory of Bartlett, to honor her for her work with the Literary Olympics, and to commemorate the 1996
Olympic Games.
Her writing has been published in numerous journals, anthologies and books of collected poetry, including
Poems of Yes and No (1952),
It Takes Practice Not to Die (1964),
Address in Time (1979),
Memory is No Stranger (1981),
The Gemini Poems (1984),
Candles (1988), and
Around the Clock (1989).
Bartlett passed away August 12, 1994.
Reel-to-reel recordings in the collection are restricted. Researchers must request user copies be produced.
Scope and Contents of Collection
The Elizabeth Bartlett Papers document Bartlett's life and work as a writer, poet, and editor. The collection is arranged
in seven series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS, 4) EDITING, 5) OTHER PROJECTS, 6) AUDIO RECORDINGS,
and 7) WORK OF OTHERS.
SERIES 1: BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS
The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS series is comprised of awards, datebooks, newspaper clippings, resumes, and a scrapbook detailing
her career as a writer. Also located in this series are notecards on which Bartlett kept detailed records of her career and
efforts to publish her work.
SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE
The CORRESPONDENCE series contains letters and postcards ranging in date from 1952-1994. While there are letters from friends
and family, including Bartlett's husband Paul and son Steven, the bulk of the correspondence is professional and details Bartlett's
efforts to publish her writing, with letters of acceptance as well as rejection from numerous journal editors and publishing
houses. Within the series, notable correspondents include Kirby Congdon, Mabel Hutchinson, Josephine Jacobsen, Marianne Moore,
Larry Rubin, and William Stafford. The series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent with letters arranged by subject
at the end.
SERIES 3: WRITINGS
The WRITINGS series is comprised of typescript and manuscript poetry and writings, both completed work and unfinished fragments.
The series is arranged in two subseries: A) Files By Title and B) Files By Subject.
A) The Files by Title subseries includes handwritten and typescript drafts of poetry, prose, articles and play scripts of
both published and unpublished work. The bulk of this subseries includes book manuscripts, prose, and collected poetry; single
poems, shorter works, and unfinished pieces are generally found in the Files by Subject subseries. Included in this subseries
are materials for several published books of poetry including
Address in Time,
Around the Clock,
Candles,
Dialogue of Dust,
Memory is No Stranger, and
A Zodiac of Poems. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by the title of the work.
B) The Files by Subject subseries contains articles, essays, notebooks, short stories, clippings, tear sheets, and typescript
copies of both published and unpublished poetry. Also included are two disbound scrapbooks with clippings and a series of
tear sheets of published work. The folders are arranged alphabetically by folder title and in most cases retain the original
folder titles given by Bartlett. Be aware that the folder list reflects only the first and last folder in each box; additional
subject folders exist but are not listed.
SERIES 4: EDITING
The EDITING series contains correspondence and poetry submissions related to Bartlett's work as a poetry editor for
ETC: A Review of General Semantics and
Crosscurrents. Also included are materials related to the Literary Olympics and the publication of
Literary Olympians 1984,
Literary Olympians II and
Literary Olympians 1992: An International Anthology. The Literary Olympics project began as a special issue of
Crosscurrents, so there is some overlap between the two file groups.
SERIES 5: OTHER PROJECTS
The OTHER PROJECTS series includes materials separate from, but often related to, Bartlett's writing. The series contains
conference materials, grant applications, teaching materials, poetry translations, and papers regarding a 12-tone poetry contest
sponsored by Bartlett. The series also contains Bartlett's paintings, drawings and sketches, and a series of illustrated poems.
SERIES 6: AUDIO RECORDINGS
The AUDIO RECORDINGS series is comprised of recordings - both reel-to-reel and cassette - of Bartlett reading her work. One
recording also includes the poets Stanley Cooperman, George Abbe, and Earle Birney reading with Bartlett. Descriptions of
the recordings were taken from labels written by Bartlett and have not been verified. Reel-to-reel recordings are restricted.
SERIES 7: WORK OF OTHERS
The WORK OF OTHERS series contains artwork and writings by others, including Bartlett's husband Paul Alexander Bartlett. The
series contains several pen and ink drawings by artist Mabel Hutchins, done to illustrate Bartlett's poetry, as well as two
portraits of Bartlett by Leon Haskins and Louise Manley Steele.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bartlett, Elizabeth -- Archives
American poetry -- 20th century
Women poets, American