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Edouard Roditi papers, 1910-1992
644
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Title: Edouard Roditi papers
Collection number: 644
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
86.5 linear ft.
(173 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): 1910-1992
Abstract: Edouard Roditi (1910-1992) was a surrealist author and poet. He published the first Surrealist manifesto in English, “The
new reality,” in the
Oxford outlook (1929). While continuing his literary interests, he worked for the U.S. government during World War II for the Office of
War Information and also served as an interpreter for the State Department during the San Francisco conference which established
the United Nations. His published books include
Poems for F (1934),
Oscar Wilde: a critical study (1947),
Dialogues on art (1960),
De l'homosexualité (1962),
In a lost world (1978), and
Thrice chosen (1981). Roditi also held teaching positions at various colleges and universities. The collection consists of material related
to Roditi's life and career. Includes correspondence, original and photocopied manuscripts by Roditi and others, books, periodicals
and other printed items by or about Roditi, documents, awards, photographs, memorabilia, and letters regarding family history
and biographical information, and books from his library, including many inscribed by artists and writers.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Creator:
Roditi, Edouard
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are
retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Letters by T.S. Eliot cannot be copied except with the permission of Mrs. T.S. Eliot.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Edouard Roditi, 1967-1991.
[Identification of item], Edouard Roditi Papers (Collection 644). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
4233680
Édouard Roditi was born in Paris, June 6, 1910; he was educated in England at Elstree, Charterhouse, and Balliol, and received
a BA from the University of Chicago; he became acquainted with T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, André Breton and other leading literary
figures, while living in London, Paris, and Berlin (1929-37); he published the first Surrealist manifesto in English, “The
new reality,” in the
Oxford outlook (1929); while continuing his literary interests, he worked for the U.S. government during World War II for the Office of
War Information and also served as an interpreter for the State Department during the San Francisco conference which established
the United Nations; published books include
Poems for F (1934),
Oscar Wilde: a critical study (1947),
Dialogues on art (1960),
De l'homosexualité (1962),
In a lost world (1978), and
Thrice chosen (1981); Roditi also held teaching positions at various colleges and universities; in addition to his literary achievements,
Roditi was known as a generous and encouraging mentor to young writers; he died in Spain on May 10, 1992.
| 1910 | Born 6 June, Paris |
| 1923 | Attended Elstree School, Elstree, Herts, England |
| 1923-1926 | Attended Charterhouse, Godalming, England |
| 1928-1929 | Attended Balliol College, Oxford |
| 1928 | Partner in Editions du Sagittaire, publisher of early Surrealists |
| 1928 | In print at age 18, English translation of poems by Leon Paul Fargue published in Transition |
| 1929 | Published first Surrealist manifesto in English, "The New Reality," in the Oxford Outlook. |
| 1929 | First visited the United States at age 19 |
| 1929-1937 | Lived in London, Paris, Berlin |
| 1934 | Roditi's poems published in Criterion |
| 1934 | Poems For F published |
| 1937-1938 | A.B. University of Chicago |
| 1939 | Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley |
| 1940 | Teacher, University of Kansas City, Missouri |
| 1941 | Prison Within Prison: Three Hebrew Elegies published |
| 1941 | Began work for the U.S. Government, Office of War Information, Radio Division |
| 1942 | Pieces Of Three published |
| 1945 | Interpreter for U.S. Department of State, San Francisco Conference, establishing the United Nations |
| 1946-1951 | Edited Das Lot, with Alain Bosquet and Alexander Koval |
| 1946 | Interpreter, Nuremburg International Military Tribunal |
| 1947 | Oscar Wilde: A Critical Study published |
| 1948 | Reports Officer & Governmental Administrator, Office of Military Government for Germany of the U.S. |
| 1949 | Poems 1928-1949 published |
| 1950 | Dismissed as alleged security risk by U.S. Government |
| 1954 | Established Paris residence |
| 1958 | Expelled from France for two years as an alleged security risk, expulsion order rescinded in 1960. |
| 1960 | Dialogues On Art published |
| 1961 | ER's English translation of Yashar Kemal's Memed, My Hawk published |
| 1962 | De L'homosexualite published |
| 1962 | Les Plus Belles Lettres D'eugene Delacroix selected, edited and published by ER |
| 1966 | Visiting professor, San Francisco State College. Anne Rice was one of his students. |
| 1968 | New Hieroglyphic Tales: Prose Poems published |
| 1970 | Visiting professor, University of California, Santa Cruz |
| 1972 | Magellan Of The Pacific published |
| 1974 | Emperor Of Midnight published |
| 1975 | The Disorderly Poet published |
| 1977 | Meetings With Conrad published, The Delights Of Turkey published |
| 1978 | In A Lost World published |
| 1981 | Thrice Chosen published, The Confessions Of A Saint published |
| 1983 | New Old & New Testaments published |
| 1982 | Etre Un Autre published |
| 1984 | More Dialogues On Art published |
| 1985 | ER's French translation of Horace Walpole's Hieroglyphic Tales published |
| 1987 | ER's English translation of The Wandering Fool, poems by 13th century Turkish Dervish Gurus, published |
| 1987 | Professor, Bard College, Annandale on Hudson |
| 1987 | Oscar Wilde reprinted |
| 1989 | Regents' Lecturer, University of California, Los Angeles |
| 1992 | Choose Your Own World published |
| 1992 | Died on May 10 in Cadiz, Spain |
Collection consists of material related to the life and career of surrealist author and poet Édouard Roditi. Includes correspondence,
original and photocopied manuscripts by Roditi and others, books, periodicals and other printed items by or about Roditi,
documents, awards, photographs, memorabilia, and letters regarding family history and biographical information, and books
from his library, including many inscribed by artists and writers. Contains correspondence with various artists and literary
figures including W.H. Auden, Paul Bowles, T.S. Eliot, Christopher Isherwood, Josef Herman, Ned Rorem, and Oskar Tauschinski.
Also includes corrections made by Eliot to early poems ca. 1928-30 written by Roditi.
Arranged in the following series:
- Correspondence.
- Manuscripts by Édouard Roditi and others.
- Printed material by or about Édouard Roditi.
- Biographical and personal material.
- Books from the library of Édouard Roditi.
The following oral history is available through the UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research:
UCLA Oral History Department interview, 1985. Available at UCLA Library Special Collections, UCLA.
- Barbey d'Aureyvilly, J. (Jules).
Laocoon. Los Angeles: William & Victoria Dailey,
Date: 1985. Introduction by Edouard Roditi (Special Collections call number: 1128454).
- Breton, Andre.
Young cherry trees secured against hares. [Ann Arbor]: University of Michigan Press,
Date: [c.1946]. Translations by Edouard Roditi (Special Collections call number: PQ 2603 B75 J5 1946).
- Camoes, Luis de.
Endechas a barbara. [Lisbon]: Isaac Holly,
Date: 1984. English translation by Edouard Copy no.173 of 250 (Special Colections call number: *PQ 9196 Z8 E 58 1984).
- Eliasberg, Paul.
Beim bau der Chinesischen Mauer. [California]: Ettan Press,
Date: 1975. Foreword by Edouard Roditi (Copy in Art Library: X3 163 105).
- Goodman, Paul. Pieces of threee / Meyer Liben, Paul Goodman, Edouard Roditi (Beacon series). [Harrington, Park, New York: 5 x 8 Press, 1942] (Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61pi).
- Hamri, Mohamed.
Tales of Joujouka. Santa Barbara, California: Capra Press,
Date: 1975. Guest editor: Edouard Roditi. Capra (Special Collections call number: GR 353.3 H3513).
- Hernandez, Jose.
Jose Hernandez-15 Fevrier-12 Mars 1977. Paris: Galerie Octave Negru,
Date: 1977[?] (Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61jo).
- Levi, Primo.
Shema: Collected poems of Primo Levi. London: Menard Press,
Date: 1976. Introduction by Edouard Roditi (Special Collections call number: PS 509 B31 1976 L579s).
- Picasso, Pablo.
Toros y toreros. [New York]: H.N. Abrams,
Date: [1961](Art Library: *NC 1135 P587D71E).
- Schmutzler, Robert.
Art nouveau. New York: H.M. Abrams,
Date: [c.1962]. English translation by Edouard Roditi (URL call number: *N 6494 N6535E).
- Svevo, Italo.
As a man grows older. [New York: New Directions,
Date: 1949?]. With an essay on Svevo by Edouard Roditi (URL call number: PQ 4841 S35S4E).
- Waldemar-George. Hilaire Hiler and structuralism. New York: G. Wittenborn, [195-]. Translations by Edouard Roditi and Anna (Art Library call number: *ND 237 H547 W14).
- Walpole, Horace.
Contes hieroglyphiques. [Paris]: Librairie Jose Corti,
Date: 1985. Collection Romantique 12. Translated and with (Special Collections call number: 113693).
- Yasar Kemal.
Memed, my hawk. London: Collins and Harville Press,
Date: 1961. Translation by Edouard Roditi (URL call number: PL 250 Y22iE vol.1 1961).
- Yasar Kemal.
Memed, my hawk. New York: Pantheon Books,
Date: 1961. Translation by Edouard Roditi (Special Collections call number: 109200 ROD).
- Yasar, Kemal.
Memed, my hawk. New York: Pantheon Books,
Date: 1961. Translation by Edouard Roditi (URL call number: PL 250 Y22iE vol.1. 1961b).
- Yunus Enre.
The wandering fool: sufi poems of a thirteenth-century Turkish Dervish. Tiburon-Belvedere, California: Cadmus,
Date: 1986. Translated from the Turkish by Edouard Roditi & (Special Collections call number: 117316 ROD).
-
Anonymous songs by Greek-Jewish women prisoners in Auschwitz. Santa Rosa, California: Clamshell Press,
Date: 1984. Translated from the Modern Demotic Greek by, (Special Collections call number: *112937).
-
Wyndam Lewis et le vorticisme (Series: Cahiers pour un temps). [Clamecy]: Centre Georges Pompidou / Pandora Editions,
Date: 1982. With an essay, (Special Collections call number: 107728 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Fabeltier. [Paris]: s.n.
Date: [1981]. Poem by Edouard Roditi, illustration by Caragaleiro. One of 250 signed by Roditi (See: ORION).
- Roditi, Edouard. In erdnaehe. [Koeln: Verlag Galerie der Speiegel, 1960]. With original drawings by Heinz Troekes (See ORION, UCLA Library).
- Roditi, Edouard. “William Harnett: American necromantic.” In
View (Series 5, no.4, pp.9, 19-20),
Date: November 1945(No copy in collection. See Little Mag Collection 1000).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Oscar Wilde. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation,
Date: 1986(URL call number: PR 5824 R61o 1986).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Oscar Wilde: Dichter und Dandy. Munich: Verlag Herbert Kluger,
Date: 1947(Clark Library call number: *PR 5823 R69G).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Meetings with Conrad. Los Angeles: Press of the Pegacycle Lady,
Date: 1977(Clark Library call number: Press collection. Pegacycle Lady).
- Roditi, Edouard.
De l'homosexualite. Paris: Sedimo,
Date: 1962(Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61d).
- Roditi, Edouard.
The delights of Turkey. New York: New Directions Pub. Corporation,
Date: 1977(URL call number: PS 3535 R61de).
- Roditi, Edouard.
The disorderly poet & other essays. Santa Barbara, California: Capra Press,
Date: 1975. Capra chapbook series no.29 (Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61di).
- Roditi, Edouard.
New hieroglyphic tales. San Francisco: Kayak Books,
Date: c.1968. Drawings by Modesto Roldan (Special Collections call number: PS 509 B3R617n).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Magellano del Pacifico: La prima circumnavigazione del globo. [Milano]: Nursia,
Date: 1977(Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61nI 1977).
- Roditi, Edouard.
The temptations of a saint. [Rancho Santa Fe, California]: Ettan Press,
Date: 1980. Two original etchings by Jose (Clark Library call number: Press collection. Folio Reagh).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Oscar Wilde, Dichter und Dandy. Muenchen: H. Kluger,
Date: 1974(Clark Library call number: *PR 5823 R69G).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Dialogues on art. New York: Horizon Press,
Date: [1961](URL call number: ND 36 R61d).
- Roditi, Edouard.
In erdnaehe. Koeln: Galerie der Speigel,
Date: 1960(Special Collections call number: *PS 3535 R61i).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Orphic love. New York: Hydra Group,
Date: 1986(URL call number: PS 3535 R61o).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Thrice chosen. Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press,
Date: 1981(URL call number: PS 3535 R61t).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Oscar Wilde. Norfolk, Connecticut: New Directions Books,
Date: [1947](URL call number: PR 5824 R61o).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Poems, 1928-1948. Norfolk, Connecticut: New Directions Books,
Date: [1949](Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61A17).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Poems for F (Copy 132 of 250). Paris: Editions du Sagittaire,
Date: 1935(Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61po).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Prison within prison, three elegies on Hebrew themes. Prairie City, Ilinois: The Press of James A. Decker,
Date: 1941(Special Collections call number: PS 3535 R61p).
- Roditi, Edouard. Dialogues on art. Santa Barbara: Ross-Erikson, 1980 (Special Collections call number: 108495 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Etre un autre. s.l.: s.n,
Date: 1982. Illustratiosn by Manuel Cargaleiro (Special Collections call number: *106871 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
More dialogues on art. Santa Barbara, California: Ross-Erikson,
Date: 1984(Special Collections call number: 115074 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
New old & new testaments. New York: Red Ozier Press,
Date: 1983(Special Collections call number: 108582 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Orphic love. New York: Hydra Group,
Date: 1986(Special Collections call number: 115889 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Oscar Wilde. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation,
Date: c.1986. New Directions paperbook 633. Enlarged and (Special Collections call number: 115794 ROD).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Oscar Wilde. Norfolk, Connecticut: New Directions Books
Date: [1947](Special Collections call number: 104282).
- Roditi, Edouard.
Thrice chosen. Santa Barbara, California: Black Sparrow Press,
Date: 1981(Special Collections call number: 105694 BSP, 3 copies).
- Roditi, Edouard, interviewee.
Inventions and imitations oral history transcript. [Los Angeles]: Oral History Program, UCLA,
Date: c.1986. Interview by Richard Candida Smith (Special Collections call number: 300/264).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Roditi, Édouard--Archives.
Authors, American--20th century--Archives.
Correspondence.
Manuscripts for publication.
Poets, American--20th century--Archives.