Papers of Lyn Hejinian, American poet, publisher and editor of Tuumba Press, co-editor of POETICS JOURNAL, and co-director of the literary project Atelos. She has been a member of the Poetics Faculty at the New College of California and is a professor in the English department at the University of California, Berkeley. Hejinian has spent most of her life in the San Francisco Bay Area and is associated with the Language School of contemporary poetry. Prominent correspondents in the collection include Charles Bernstein, Jack Collom, Arkadii Dragomoshchenko, Ted Greenwald, Susan Howe, Hank Lazer, Katy Lederer, Alice Notley, Bob Perelman, Tom Raworth, Kit Robinson, Leslie Scalapino, Ron Silliman and Michael Palmer, as well as many younger experimental writers and students. The papers contain manuscripts and annotated typescripts of Hejinian's published and unpublished poetry; drafts for MY LIFE (1987), THE HUNT (1991), OXOTA: A SHORT RUSSIAN NOVEL (1991), THE CELL (1992), THE COLD OF POETRY (1994), HAPPILY (2000), THE LANGUAGE OF INQUIRY (2000), BORDER COMEDY (2001), and THE BEGINNER (2002); notebooks; and critical writings. Other notable material includes translations of Russian poet Arkadii Dragomoshchenko's DESCRIPTION and XENIA; collaborations; editorial projects, especially for Atelos and Tuumba Press; lecture and teaching materials; and audiorecordings of Hejinian's poetry readings and talks.

Lyn Hejinian was born in 1941 in San Francisco. After spending high school and college years in New England, Hejinian returned to California in 1968. In the late 1970s Hejinian began publishing Tuumba chapbooks, which was to become one of the most important series of chapbooks of contemporary poetry in the United States. Her own published work began with The GREAT ADVENTURE (197_?), following which appeared A THOUGHT IS THE BRIDE OF WHAT THINKING (Tuumba, 1976), WRITING IS AN AID TO MEMORY (The Figures, 1978), GESUALDO (Tuumba, 1978), A MASK OF MOTION (Burning Deck, 1980), MY LIFE (Burning Deck, 1980; and Sun and Moon, 1987), THE GUARD (Tuumba, 1984) and REDO (Salt-Works Press, 1984).

47.60 linear feet (119 archives boxes and 2 card file boxes)

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.