Richard Rubenstein Papers
Special Collections & Archives
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Copyright 2005
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Business Number: 858-534-2533
Fax Number: 858-534-5950
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Descriptive Summary
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: Richard Rubenstein Papers
Creator:
Rubenstein, Richard
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0229
Physical Description:
0.4 Linear feet
(1 archives box and 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): 1950 - 1959
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.
Languages:
English
.
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unpublished poems.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 three series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS, and 3) SCRAPBOOK.
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."
Biography
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 on Yom Kippur in 1958.
Publication Rights
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Preferred Citation
Richard Rubenstein Papers, MSS 0229. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquisition Information
Acquired 1992
OFF-SITE STORAGE
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE: ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bohemianism -- United States
Beat generation
American poetry -- 20th century
Inge, William
Umland, Samuel J.
CORRESPONDENCE
Scope and Content of Series
SERIES 1) CORRESPONDENCE: 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.
Box 1, Folder 1
Miscellaneous correspondence
1950 - 1958
Box 1, Folder 2
Anne Rubenstein
1958 - 1959
WRITINGS
Scope and Content of Series
SERIES 2) WRITINGS: 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."
Box 1, Folder 4
Collected Poems - Typescripts of early poems and hospital poems
Box 1, Folder 5
Collected Poems - Typescripts fragments
Box 1, Folder 7
Miscellaneous unpublished poems
Box 1, Folder 9
Umland, Samuel J. "A Note on Richard Rubenstein"
1992
SCRAPBOOK
Scope and Content of Series
SERIES 3) SCRAPBOOK: Includes Rubenstein's scrapbook containing pasted-in memorabilia. Also included is a single file containing
photocopies of items Rubenstein filed or pasted in his scrapbook.
Box 1, Folder 10
Newsclippings - Scrapbook articles
Box 1, Folder 11, Oversize FB-002-22
