George Oppen Letters (Ed. Rachel Blau DuPlessis)

Mandeville Special Collections Library

The UCSD Libraries

9500 Gilman Drive

University of California, San Diego

La Jolla, California 92093-0175

Phone: (858) 534-2533

Fax: (858) 534-5950

URL: http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/

Descriptive Summary

Creator: DuPlessis, Rachel Blau

Title: George Oppen Letters (Ed. Rachel Blau DuPlessis),

Date (inclusive): 1930-1982

Extent: 1.40 linear feet (4 archive boxes)

Abstract: Research files compiled by Rachel Blau DuPlessis concerning American poet George Oppen, comprising photocopies of Oppen's letters (1930-1982), copies of Oppen's FBI file, and miscellaneous correspondence between DuPlessis and others pertaining to those Oppen materials. The results of DuPlessis's research were published in THE SELECTED LETTERS OF GEORGE OPPEN (1990). The addition processed in 1993 consists of letters from George Oppen to Rachel Blau DuPlessis from August 1965 to April 1977.

Repository: University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.

La Jolla, California 92093-0175

Collection number: MSS 0205

Language of Material: Collection materials in English

Access

Copies of Oppen letters in this collection that are identified as being held in the original elsewhere may not be photoduplicated. Researchers wishing to quote from the unpublished Oppen letters received in 1993 are required to ask for permission from Rachel Blau DuPlessis

Acquisition Information

Not Available

Preferred Citation

George Oppen Letters (Ed. Rachel Blau DuPlessis), MSS 0205. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.

Publication Rights

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Biography

An Oppen family friend for more than twenty years, Rachel Blau DuPlessis is Professor of English at Temple University. She is also both a poet and literary critic. Among her publications are WRITING BEYOND THE ENDING: NARRATIVE STRATEGIES OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY WOMEN'S WRITING (1985) and H.D.: THE CAREER OF THAT STRUGGLE (1986).

In 1980, George and Mary Oppen gave DuPlessis permission to collect, select and edit George's letters. The collected letters were culled from holdings at numerous institutions and in private hands, including libraries at UC San Diego, Yale, Harvard, AND SUNY-Buffalo.

Scope and Content of Collection

Accession Processed in 1992

The Rachel Blau DuPlessis papers, comprising 1.4 cubic feet (4 archives boxes) of research files, consists mainly of photocopies of the collected letters (1930 to 1982) of Objectivist American poet George Oppen (1908-1984) from which DuPlessis edited and published THE SELCTED LETTERS OF GEORGE OPPEN (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1990). Also included is a censored photocopy of Oppen's FBI file (1941 to 1966) acquired in 1988 through the Freedom of Information Act. Occasional research notes dot the collection, and some of DuPlessis's inquiries regarding letters and the responses from correspondents are also included.

The papers are arranged in two series:1) CORRESPONDENCE and 2) FBI MATERIALS.

CORRESPONDENCE, mainly photocopies, the bulk of which was originally written between 1963 and 1976, is arranged chronologically. Prominent correspondents include family members June Oppen Degnan and Linda Oppen Mourelatos; poets William Bronk, Cid Gorman, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, David Ignatow, Robert Kelly, Denise Levertov, Ezra Pound, Charles Reznikoff, Jerome Rothenberg, John Taggart, William Carlos Williams, Louis Zukofsky, and others; editors, publishers, and professors, including John Crawford, L.S. Dembo, Milton Hindus, Eric Homberger, Hugh Kenner, David McAleavey. Oppen's letters detail his life not only at the forefront of contemporary American poetry, but en famille. In them he reveals his love of conversation, his coming to fame, his various public stances, his aesthetic opinions and positions, his participation in publishing. The CORRESPONDENCE series also includes "Miscellaneous queries," which contain name and address lists of Oppen correspondents, DuPlessis's letters of inquiry,and negative, but at times anecdotal, responses to her letters.

FBI MATERIALS contains Oppen's censored file, together with correspondence with the FBI and CIA regarding its release.

Accession Processed in 1993

The accession processed in 1993 is made up of 43 typed letters, 1 autograph letter, 1 telegram, and 1 invitation that George Oppen sent to Rachel Blau DuPlessis between August 1965 and April 1977.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Oppen, George -- Correspondence

DuPlessis, Rachel Blau

American poetry -- 20th century

Poets, American -- 20th century -- Correspondence

Contributors

Oppen, George, -- correspondent

Collection Contents

Accession Processed in 1992

CORRESPONDENCE

box 1, folder 1

Oppen, George 1930 - 1934

box 1, folder 2

Oppen, George 1935 - 1955

box 1, folder 3

Oppen, George 1958 - 1958

box 1, folder 4

Oppen, George 1959 - 1959

box 1, folder 5

Oppen, George 1960 - 1960

box 1, folder 6

Oppen, George 1961 - 1961

box 1, folder 7

Oppen, George 1962 - 1962

box 1, folder 8

Oppen, George 1963 - 1963

box 1, folder 9

Oppen, George PREFW REPORTPOS F 49155 11691020040129 1964 - 1964

box 2, folder 1

Oppen, George 1966 - 1966

box 2, folder 2

Oppen, George 1967 - 1967

box 2, folder 3

Oppen, George 1968 - 1968

box 2, folder 4

Oppen, George 1969 - 1969

box 2, folder 5

Oppen, George 1970 - 1970

box 2, folder 6

Oppen, George 1971 - 1971

box 2, folder 7

Oppen, George 1972 - 1972

box 3, folder 1

Oppen, George 1973 - 1973

box 3, folder 2

Oppen, George 1975 - 1975

box 3, folder 4

Oppen, George 1976 - 1976

box 3, folder 5

Oppen, George 1977 - 1977

box 3, folder 6

Oppen, George 1978 - 1978

box 3, folder 7

Oppen, George 1979 - 1979

box 3, folder 8

Oppen, George 1980 - 1980

box 3, folder 9

Oppen, George 1981 - 1981

box 3, folder 10

Oppen, George 1982 - 1982

box 3, folder 11

Miscellaneous queries- pending to individuals or dead queries 1980 - 1989

FBI MATERIALS

box 4, folder 1

DuPlessis correspondence with CIA/FBI regarding G. Oppen's FBI file 1980 - 1989

Note

Correspondence with CIA and FBI regarding opening of G. Oppen's file.

box 4, folder 2

Oppen, George -- FBI file 1941 - 1955

box 4, folder 3

Oppen, George --FBI file 1956 - 1956

Accession Processed in 1993

LETTERS FROM G. OPPEN TO R. BLAU DUPLESSIS

box 4, folder 4

Oppen to DuPlessis 1965 - 1966

Note

(36 leaves)

box 4, folder 5

Oppen to DuPlessis 1966 - 1969

Note

(21 leaves)

box 4, folder 6

Oppen to DuPlessis 1969 - 1977

Note

(19 leaves)

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