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Richard Rubenstein Papers
MSS 0229
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Table of contents
Creator:
Rubenstein, Richard
Title: Richard Rubenstein Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1950 - 1959
Extent:
0.40 linear feet
(1 archives box and 1 oversize folder)
Abstract: Papers of Richard Rubenstein, American poet. The papers contain letters (1950-1958) to Rubenstein, letters his wife received
after his death about his manuscripts, manuscripts, and a bound scrapbook of clippings and letters. His correspondence includes
two letters from William Carlos Williams, numerous notes from small press publishers and several letters from admirers of
his poetry. His writings include a typescript of his collected poems, short stories and miscellaneous poems. Also part of
the collection is a typed excerpt of a TV interview entitled the "Beat Generation and the Angry Young Men," presented in January,
1959 by KETC, St. Louis.
Repository:
University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
Collection number: MSS 0229
Language of Material:
Collection materials in English
Collection is open for research.
Not Available
Richard Rubenstein Papers, MSS 0229. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Born on January 2, 1922, Richard Rubenstein began his literary career in a local prep school when he won a poetry contest.
Associated with the Beat Poets in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rubenstein worked to found and edit several small press poetry
journals--NEUROTICA, first published in spring of 1948; INFERNO, in late 1949; and GRYPHON, in spring of 1950. In GRYPHON
he published early works of Robert Creeley and Denise Levertov, as well as the established authors Henry Treece, D.H. Emblem.
e.e. cummings, and Cid Corman. He himself published a small chapbook, BEER AND ANGELS, and produced a long manuscript of
collected poems which went unpublished. Rubenstein's health deteriorated because of his long-standing nervous condition and
the alcohol he drank to combat it. He died there on Yom Kippur in 1958.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Richard Rubenstein Papers consist of correspondence sent to Rubenstein from 1950-1958 and manuscripts of his collected,
unpublished poems. Also included is his personal scrapbook with pasted letters and newsclippings. Samuel Umland, a professor
of literature at the University of Nebraska, wrote a short biographical article for the collection. The papers are arranged
in four series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS, 3) NEWSCLIPPINGS, and 4) SCRAPBOOK.
SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE
The CORRESPONDENCE series includes two folders: one for materials sent to Rubenstein between 1950-1958 (including two 1950
letters from William Carlos Williams and several from playwright Bill Inge), and five letters sent to his wife Anne Rubenstein
after his death--condolence messages and letters regarding the possible of publication of his collected poems.
SERIES 2: WRITINGS
The WRITINGS series includes a typed draft of his entire collected poems, an edited fragment of that same work, a transcript
from part of a 1959 interview on poetry for the St. Louis Public TV station KETC entitled "The Beat Generation and the Angry
Young Men," typed drafts of short stories, and Samuel Umland's "A Note on Richard Rubenstein."
SERIES 3: NEWSCLIPPINGS
The NEWSCLIPPINGS series contains a single file containing photocopies of items Rubenstein filed or pasted in his scrapbook.
SERIES 4: SCRAPBOOK
Rubenstein's scrapbook contains pasted-in memorabilia.
SEPARATION NOTE
Books and journals received in the Richard Rubenstein Papers have been separated from the collection and added elsewhere to
the Mandeville Special Collections Library's holdings. To identify and list these items, conduct an author search in ROGER
on the term "Rubenstein, Richard former owner."
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Rubenstein, Richard -- Archives
American poetry -- 20th century
Beat generation
Bohemianism -- United States
Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963, -- correspondent
Inge, Bill, -- correspondent
Umland, Samuel J. -- Note on Richard Rubenstein