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Stephen Enniss on Ted Hughes & Archives

Stephen Enniss, the Eric Weinmann Librarian at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC and former Director of Emory University’s Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, has an article in the current Times Literary Supplement called "Ted Hughes, archives and alligators: How – and why – writers' papers end up in British and American libraries."

A fascinating article.
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  1. The Plath Diaries28 April, 2011 19:56

    I love the new design Peter! You've made a great job of it! :)

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  2. panther29 April, 2011 15:11

    What an interesting article. . .I suspect that Hughes never dreamt in his early years as a poet that ANY manuscript could be bought and sold for such high sums.

    But I'm surprised that handwritten COPIES of poems, made years and years after the poem's creation, could fetch much. Drafts showing how the poem evolved in the mind of the poet are a different matter.

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  3. Peter K Steinberg30 April, 2011 06:33

    Thanks Maeve - you know I'm so used to the other template that when I do have reason to visit the blog it takes me a second to realize where I am!

    Panther! I agree about the poetry drafts and that they should have an intrinsically higher value. Everything is collectible and I think the handwritten copies made years after the poem's creation is almost like an autograph. Or, it is like an intimate inscription, something specially commissioned, if you will. It is the poet/writer taking time to re-create the poem for someone.

    pks

    ReplyDelete
  4. A Piece of Plathery30 April, 2011 23:35

    Thanks Peter

    ReplyDelete

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