Inventory to the Masa Uehara Collection, 1966-1981
Department of Special Collections
General Library
University of California, Davis
100 North West Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292
Phone: (530) 752-1621
Fax: (530) 754-5758
Email: speccoll@lib.ucdavis.edu
2004
©2004
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Note
Arts and Humanities--Literature--American Literature.
Inventory of the Masa Uehara Collection, 1966-1981
D-366
Department of Special Collections
General Library
University of California, Davis
Davis, California
Contact Information
- Department of Special Collections
- General Library
- 100 North West Quad
- University of California, Davis
- Davis, CA 95616-5292
- Phone: (530) 752-1621
- Fax: (530) 754-5758
- Email: speccoll@lib.ucdavis.edu
- EAD finding aid by: Sara Gunasekara
- Completed: 2004
©2004 The Regents of the University of California
Descriptive Summary
Title: Masa Uehara Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1966-1981
Collection number: D-366
Collector:
Uehara, Masa
Creator:
Snyder, Gary--1930-
Extent:
0.40 linear feet
Repository:
University of California, Davis. General Library. Dept. of Special Collections.
100 North West Quad
Davis, California, 95616-5292
Abstract: Masa Uehara was married to the poet Gary Snyder from 1967-1989. The collection consists of 111 letters she received from
Gary Snyder over the course of their courtship and married life.
Physical location: Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17 of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Masa Uehara Collection, D-366, Department of Special Collections, University of California Library,
Davis, California.
Acquisition Information
Acquired in 2001.
Biography
Biographical Narrative
Masa Uehara, daughter of Tokusei and Mitsu, was raised in Japan. She and Gary Snyder were introduced in 1966 at a dinner party
hosted by Hisao Kanaseki, one of her university professors and a friend of Snyder's. At the time of their introduction Uehara
had recently graduated from Kobe University and was planning to pursue graduate studies at Ochanomizu Women's University.
Uehara and Snyder married on August 6, 1967 in a ceremony which took place on the rim of an active volcano on Suwa-no-se,
a small island north of Okinawa. In April 1968, their first son, Kai, was born in Kyoto. The family left Japan in December
1968 to make their home in California. A second son, Gen, was born in 1969. In 1970, Snyder and Uehara and their two young
sons took up residence on San Juan Ridge, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Nevada City, California.
Uehara studied ballet, Japanese classical dance, and Bharat Natyam in Japan and the United States. She was a member of the
Balasaraswati dance troupe in Berkeley and performed in Japan, India, and many parts of the United States. She later undertook
graduate study in Graphic Design/Visual Communications at California State University, Chico and started her own free-lance
design business.
Uehara and Snyder divorced in 1989.
Source: Yamazato, Katsunori. "Seeking a fulcrum: Gary Snyder and Japan (1956-1975)" Ph.D. dissertation, University of California,
Davis, 1987.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Masa Uehara Collection consists of 111 letters she received from Gary Snyder over the course of their courtship and married
life from 1966-1981.
During the fifteen year period of the correspondence, Snyder traveled extensively, giving readings and lectures at colleges,
universities, and other forums all over the United States and abroad. This required him to leave his young family behind
for significant portions of every year. In his letters home Snyder kept his wife closely informed about his building network
of friends and colleagues, his developing environmental ethics and poetics, and his thoughts about the places he visited.
This collection is arranged in one series, Correspondence. The series is arranged chronologically.
Related collection
D-050, Gary Snyder Papers
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Uehara, Masa
Snyder, Gary--1930-
Poets, American--20th century
American poetry--20th century
Authors, American--20th century
American literature--20th century
Series 1
Correspondence, 1966-1981
Physical Description:
Scope and Content Note
Arranged chronologically.
Note
Box 1:1
June 7, 1966
Physical Description:
2 letters, 1 envelope
Note
Includes 1 letter from Uehara to Snyder.
Box 1:2
June 14, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:3
June 1966
Physical Description:
2 letters, 1 envelope
Note
Includes 1 letter from Uehara to Snyder.
Box 1:4
June 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:5
July 4, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:6
July 20, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:7
July 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:8
August 23, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:9
September 14, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:10
September 20, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:11
October 2, 1966
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:12
October 10, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:13
October 12, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:14
October 18, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:15
October 25, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope, 2 flyers
Note
Box 1:16
October 30, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:17
November 16, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:18
December 24, 1966
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:19
January 5, 1967
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:20
January 6, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:21
January 31, 1967
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:22
February 11, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:23
February 23, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope, 3 flyers
Note
Box 1:24
March 14, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:25
March 1967
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:26
March 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:27
April 19, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope, 2 poems titled "The Rabbit" and "By the Tama River at the North End of the Plain in April"
Note
Box 1:28
April 24, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:29
May 15, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:30
May 27, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:31
May 28, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:32
June 21, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:33
June 27, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:34
July 7, 1967
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:35
November 15, 1969
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:36
November 28, 1969
Physical Description:
1 card
Note
Box 1:37
[ca. 1969-1970]
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:38
March 9, 1970
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:39
March 30, 1970
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:40
April 3, 1970
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:41
April 11, 1970
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:42
April 17, 1970
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:43
January 29, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:44
February 17, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:45
February 22, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:46
February 23, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:47
February 24, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:48
February 25, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:49
April 2, 1971
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:50
April 5, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:51
April 9, 1971
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:52
November 11, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:53
November 13, 1971
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:54
November 15, 1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:55
November 17, 1971
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:56
1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:57
1971
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:58
February 27, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:59
March 6, 1972
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:60
March 7, 1972
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:61
June 7, 1972
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:62
June 10, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:63
June 16, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:64
June 18, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:65
June 25, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:66
June 28, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:67
June 30, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:68
July 6, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter with 1 poem titled "The Uses of Light"
Note
Box 1:69
July 6, 1972
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:70
July 9, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:71
July 12, 1972
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:72
July 23, 1972
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:73
November 9, 1972
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:74
November 2, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:75
November 4, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:76
November 8, 1973
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:77
November 11, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:78
November 17, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:79
November 21, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:80
November 26, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:81
March 1974
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:82
July 1, 1974
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:83
August 7, 1974
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope, 2 photographs
Note
Box 1:84
August 25, 1974
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:85
August 27, 1973
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:86
September 10, 1974
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:87
January 31, 1975
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:88
February 13, 1975
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:89
October 9, 1975
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:90
October 1975
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:91
1976?
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:92
January 3, 1977
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:93
January 6, 1977
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:94
April 13, 1977
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:95
1977?
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:96
February 19, 1978
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:97
February 27, 1978
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:98
November 26, 1978
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:99
April 13, 1980
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:100
April 13, 1980
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:101
February 11, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Letter #1
Box 1:102
February 11, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Letter #2
Box 1:103
September 13, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:104
September 25, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:105
October 6, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Box 1:106
October 7, 1981
Physical Description:
1 card, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:107
October 9, 1981
Physical Description:
1 postcard
Note
Box 1:108
October 17, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Letter #1
Box 1:109
October 17, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
Letter #2
Box 1:110
October 17, 1981
Physical Description:
1 letter, 1 envelope
Note
Box 1:111
1981
Physical Description:
1 letter
Note
