| Wesley McNair Papers: Manuscript Materials |  |
|
SERIES E: CONTENT DESCRIPTION Drafts of McNair’s early cartoons, poems, and short stories. Also included: correspondence, contracts, promotional materials and reviews for major book and editing projects. Inclusive dates: 1950s to the present. Click here to read McNair's full comments on his early writings, the significance of the cartoons and short stories to his later poetry, and his writing process. (See Youth and Attempts To Be A Poet sections.) SERIES E: CONTAINER LISTS
Cartoons – 7th and 8th grades (3 sheets)
“The cartoon gave me a way to explore two things that became important to my poems, namely, humor and the popular culture.” Inclusive dates: 1953 – 1955.
ROLLED STORAGE
Sheet E1: “Cartoon Carnival” (various faces and cartoon frames with captions) Sheet E2: Cartoons of political figures (Truman, Ike and others) Sheet E3: Primarily, drawings of hands
Later cartoons
Inclusive dates: early 1960s -- 1990s.
FOLIO BOX E1
Folder F-E1-1: “Cartoons done for Diane” – photocopies Folder F-E1-2: Small cartoons – originals and photocopies Folder F-E1-3: Medium-sized cartoons -- originals Folder F-E1-4: Large cartoons – originals
First poems in free verse
McNair was reading Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the Beat poets, John Dos Passos, e. e. cummings and T.S. Eliot at this time. “I was doing in these poems what young writers do, trying out a variety of writing styles, not yet ready to assimilate them into a style of my own.” Inclusive dates: 1958 – 1959.
BOX E1
Folder E1-1: Handwritten poems (24 pages) by McNair plus several items by others Folder E1-2: Preservation photocopies of poems
Later poems, essays and short stories
Loose items arranged alphabetically by title. Each title is in a separate folder, which may contain different versions of the text. Inclusive dates: mid 1960s -- 2006 and undated
BOX E2
The abandonment (poem, first published 1989) Advice for beginning poets (essay, first published 2003) As if the voices in the background when my mother calls (poem, first published 2006)
Big dog, little dog (poem, first published 1998) The bird man (poem, first published 1993) Boothed (essay, first published 2003) The boy carrying the flag (poem, first published 2006) Brothers (short story, mid - late 1960s, unpublished)
Cars (chapbook, undated, unpublished) The carpenter's leg (poem, undated, unpublished) Cattails (short story, late 1960s, unpublished) Charles by accident (poem, first published 2002) The chore (poem, undated, unpublished) Christa McAuliffe and the small - town dream of America (essay, ca. 1987, unpublished) Christa McAuliffe in print: A troubling retrospective (essay, ca. 1987, unpublished)
BOX E3
The client (poem, undated, unpublished) Coming for Brad Newcomb (poem, first published 1993) Craft and technique: Four poets (essay, first published 1997) [The crossing] (short story, late 1960s, unpublished) Currants (short story, mid-late 1960s, unpublished)
Disavowal (poem, first published 1998) Discovering Emily Dickinson (essay, first published 2000) The discovery (poem, first published 1995) Door (short story, mid-late 1960s, unpublished) Driving to dark country (poem, first published 2000)
The egg ball (poem, undated, unpublished) Elegy, or eight reflections by the poet on the transience of hair (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) Elegy for a college (poem, 2003, unpublished)
Father, daughter (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) First class in night school (poem, first published 1998) Flying on Monhegan Island (poem, first published 1992) The forest and the trees (essay, first published 2003) Francis bound (poem, first published 1993) Francis, Frost and the vocation of poetry (essay, undated, unpublished)
BOX E4
Glass night (poem, first published 1994) A goal in life (short story, 1965, unpublished) Goodbye to the old life (poem, first published 2001) A government of two (essay, first published 1998)
Happy birthday (poem, 1987, unpublished) Heads (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished) Her shyness (poem, undated, unpublished) His stepfather's hands (poem, undated, unpublished) History of George B. Yeaton (poem, first published 1996) Home (poem, first published 2002) The house (short story, mid - late 1960s, unpublished) House at night while turning (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) House in spring (poem, first published 1991) The houses (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished)
In my son’s room late at night (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) Indirect entry: Notes on poems in progress (essay, ca. 2003, unpublished) The invention of the present (poem, first published 2002) The invitation (poem, early 1990s unpublished) It (poem, first published 2003)
BOX E5
Late nights, waiting for the child (poem, 1969, unpublished) Leaving the country house to the landlord, five years later (poem, first published 1970) The license photo (poem, first published 2004) The life (poem, first published 2006) Love handles (poem, first published 1994) Love poem (poem, first published 2006) The lover (poem, first published 1994)
The man with the radios (poem, first published 1987) The match (poem, first published 1997) Maxine’s tunnel (short story, undated, unpublished) The memory of my brother (poem, undated, unpublished) Merle walks the dog (poem, 1987, unpublished) The message (poem, first published 1996) Ministers (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished) Mistakes about heaven (poem, first published 2006) Mother's place (poem, first published 1993) My finite eyes (poem, first published 2000)
Notes on poets, poets teaching and poetry (essay, first published 1999)
Old cadillacs (poem, first published 1995) Old gyms (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished) On discovering I am late for commencement exercises (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) The one who will save you (poem, first published 1993)
Pigeons (short story, mid - late 1960s, unpublished) Places in the dark (essay, first published 2001) Planet of the eye (essay, ca. 2003, unpublished) Poem (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished) Poem for my feet (poem, first published 1994)
Reading poems at the grange meeting in what must be heaven (poem, first published 1992) The restorer (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished) The retarded children play baseball (poem, first published 1996)
The secret (poem, first published 1993) Seeing Mercer, Maine (poem, first published 1992) Shaking hands (poem, first published 1998) Shovels (poem, first published 2002) Sleep (poem, first published 2000) Snowplow on Perham Street (poem, first published 1992) Speech (poem, first published 2002) Standard size (short story, mid - late 1960s, unpublished) A story of the wolf (short story, late 1960s, unpublished) String (poem, first published 1989) Sue Reed in Nova Scotia (poem, early 1990s, unpublished) Sue Reed walking (poem, first published 1988) The surprising Chester Greenwood earmuff parade (short story, undated, unpublished)
Talk about time (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished) Teaching, I enter a new year (poem, undated, unpublished) The things my brother did (poem, early 1990s, unpublished) To my son, dancing (poem, 1968, undated) The triumph of Robert Francis (essay, first published 1996) The trouble with hunts (poem, first published 1995) Trying to find her teeth (poem, first published 1990)
Vietnam poem (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) The visit (poem, first published 1989) The voice (poem, mid 1990s, unpublished)
Walking in dark town (poem, first published 1992) Watching cousin Willy and other old family slides (poem, 1960s - 1970s, unpublished) When Paul flew away (poem, first published 1985) When the trees come for you (poem, undated) Where are the Quelches (poem, first published 1989) Wolf (short story, late 1960s, unpublished) Woody and the Chester Greenwood earmuff parade (short story, undated, unpublished)
Young man going uphill with a bird (poem, first published 1993)
Published works
Drafts, galleys, promotional and other materials related to major publication projects. Inclusive dates: mid 1970s -- 2006 and undated
The Faces of Americans in 1853 (c1983, 2001)
BOX E6
Folder E6-1: Handwritten early draft (titled Going Back Poems) -- early 1970s Folder E6-2: Typed early draft (titled Going Back Poems) -- ca. 1975 Folder E6-3: Typed early draft (titled Going Back Poems) -- undated Folder E6-4: Early draft (titled Faces of Americans in 1853) and cover illustration -- 1970s Folder E6-5: Illustrations and letter by Simon Vincent -- 1976 Folder E6-6: Drafts (two versions) -- late 1970s - 1980s Folder E6-7: Draft and caricature of McNair -- 1983 Folder E6-8: University of Missouri galleys and earlier version -- ca. 1983 Folder E6-9: Permission requests -- 1983 Folder E6-10: Promotional materials and correspondence -- 1983 -- 1984 Folder E6-11: Reviews -- 1984
The Town of No (c1989)
BOX E7
Folder E7-1: Handwritten draft -- mid 1980s Folder E7-2: Draft (titled When Paul Flew Away) -- undated Folders E7-3 -- E7-6: Drafts (different versions) -- undated
BOX E8
Folder E8-1: Draft and correspondence from David Godine -- 1987 -- 1988 Folder E8-2: Signatures from printer and book cover sample -- undated Folder E8-3: Promotional materials -- undated Folders E8-4 -- E8-5: Reviews -- 1989 -- 1990 Folder E8-6: Drafts of Town of No play and letters from The Poets Theatre -- 1990
The Works of Robert Frost (produced by NHPTV to air on PBS, 1990 -- 1991)
BOX E9
Folder E9-1: Book excerpt: Frost Today -- undated Folder E9-2: Book excerpt (untitled) -- undated Folder E9-3: Typescript: Robert Frost and the Country of Milk and Sugar -- undated Folder E9-4: Typescript: Robert Frost and the Model of Dramatic Speech -- undated Folder E9-5: Robert Frost Script -- New Version -- undated Folder E9-6: NHPTV interregional program service list and licensees -- April 1989 Folder E9-7: Correspondence and notes -- 1988 -- 1989 Folder E9-8: Promotional materials -- 1989
12 Journeys in Maine (with prints by Marjorie Moore, c1992)
Folder E9-9: Signatures, proofs and letters from Coyote Love Press editor -- 1992 Folder E9-10: Promotional material, reviews -- 1992 -- 1993 and undated
My Brother Running (c1993)
BOX E10
Folder E10-1: "John File" (materials related to McNair's brother) -- ca. 1986 -- restricted Folder E10-2: Preliminary poems and drafts -- undated Folder E10-3: Early manuscripts -- the poem in progress -- undated Folder E10-4: Planning order of the book -- early 1990s
BOX E11
Folder E11-1: Various drafts -- early 1990s Folder E11-2: Draft -- 13 August 1991 Folder E11-3: Draft and contract -- September -- October 1991 Folder E11-4: Drafts -- undated
BOX E12
Folder E12-1: David Godine galley -- 29 June 1992 Folder E12-2: David Godine correspondence and galley -- July -- September 1993 Folder E12-3: Promotional materials -- 1992 -- 1994 and undated Folder E12--4 List or reviewers -- undated Folder E12-5: Reviews and articles -- 1993 -- 1994 and undated
The Quotable Moose (c1994)
BOX E13
Folder E13-1: Correspondence -- 1993 -- 1994 Folders E13-2 -- E13-2: Excerpts -- undated
BOX E14
Folders E14-1 -- E14-2: University Press of New England galley -- undated Folder E14-3: University Press of New England correspondence and contracts -- 1993 - 1994 Folder E14-4: Promotional materials and reviews -- 1994 and undated
The Dissonant Heart (with photocollages by Dozier Bell, c1995)
BOX E15 -- BOX E16
Folder E15-1: Exhibition documents and reviews -- 1995 and undated
[Archival arrangement in process.]
The Town of No & My Brother Running (1997)
BOX E17
Folder E17-1: David Godine galley -- undated Folder E17-2: David Godine signatures -- undated Folder E17-3: Promotional materials and reviews -- 1999 and undated
Talking in the Dark (c1998)
BOX E18
Folder E18-1: Draft titled Love Handles -- 1998 Folder E18-2: Draft titled Love Handles -- undated Folder E18-3: David Godine galley -- 9 July 1998 Folder E18-4: David Godine galley with annotations -- 23 July 1998 Folder E18-5: Promotional materials and reviews -- 1998 -- 1999 and undated
Mapping the Heart (c2002, 2003)
BOX E19
Folder E19-1: Draft -- 24 December 1999 Folder E19-2: Draft -- 23 January 2000
BOX E20
Folder E20-1: Draft with George Coro's revisions -- 3 December 2001 Folder E20-2: Draft (Version 1) -- undated Folder E20-3: Draft (version 2) -- undated
BOX E21
Folder E21-1: Carnegie Mellon University Press galley (revised) -- 3 December 2001 Folder E21-2: Carnegie Mellon University Press galley (last) -- 11 February 2002 Folder E22-3: Carnegie Mellon University Press contract -- February 2002 -- restricted
Fire (c2002)
BOX E22
Folders E22-1 -- E22-2: Early drafts -- late 1990s -- early 2000s Folder E22-3: Excerpts with annotations -- 2001 and undated
BOX E23
Folder E23-1: Draft -- undated Folder E23-2: Draft -- undated Folder E23-3: Draft -- undated Folder E23-4: Draft -- 11 September 2000
BOX E24
Folder E24-1: Draft (definitive) -- 25 April 2001 Folder E24-2: David Godine galley (round 1) -- January 2002 Folder E24-3: David Godine galley -- 28 January 2002 Folder E24-4: David Godine galley -- 1 March 2002 Folder E24-5: Correspondence -- January -- March 2002 Folder E24-6: Promotional materials and reviews -- 2002
FOLIO BOX E1
Folder F-E1-5: Prospectus and proofs for limited edition with Malcom Cochran -- 2003
The Maine Poets (edited by Wesley McNair, c2003)
BOX E25
Folders E25-1 - E25-5: Project correspondence -- 2003 BOX E26
Folders E26-1 - E26-2: Down East Books galley (next to last) -- 24 September 2003 Folders E26-4 - E26-5: Down East corrected galley for softcover edition -- 3 February 2006
A Place on Water (essays by Robert Kimber, Wesley McNair and Bill Roorbach, c2004)
BOX E27
Folders E27-1 - E27-4: Project correspondence -- 2003 - 2004 Folder E27-5: Essay drafts with annotations -- June -- September 2003 and undated Folder E27-6: Tilbury House galley -- 9 December 2003 Folder E27-7: Tilbury House galley -- 17 December 2003
Contemporary Maine Fiction (edited by Wesley McNair, c2005)
BOX E28
Folder E28-1: Down East correspondence -- 2004 Folders E28-2 - E28-3: Email correspondence -- February - May 2005 Folders E28-4 - E28-5: Down East Books galley and flyer -- April 2005 and undated
The Ghosts of You and Me (c2006)
BOX E29
Folder E29-1: Draft (first version) -- January -- February 2004 Folder E29-2: Draft (second version) -- early 2004 Folder E29-3: Draft -- 15 March 2005 Folder E29-4: Draft -- 2 June 2005
BOX E30
Folder E30-1: Draft -- 19 June 2005 Folder E30-2: Draft -- undated Folder E30-3: David Godine galley and correspondence -- April -- July 2006 Folder E30-4: David Godine galley -- 7 July 2005
BOX E31
Folder E31-1: David Godine galley -- 7 July 2005 Folder E31-2: David Godine galley -- 5 August 2005 Folder E31-3: David Godine galley -- 5 August 2005
BOX E32
Folder E32-1: David Godine galley -- 24 March 2006 Folder E32-3: David Godine galley -- 11 April 2006 Folder E32-3: Correspondence -- 2004 -- 2006
"Stan Spoors and the Hornbook of the Heart" (essay in A Healing Touch, ed. Richard Russo, c2008)
BOX E33
Folder E33-1: Project correspondence - September 2006 - January 2007 Folder E33-2: Notebook and enclosures Folder E33-3: Loose notes and undated items Folder E33-4: Typed drafts - November - December 2006
BOX E34
Folder E34-1: "Sweet Pea" by Bill Roorbach, edited by McNair -- 11 February 2007 Folder E34-2: McNair draft edited by Bill Roorbach -- early March 2007 Folder E34-3: Siri Beckman illustrations -- September 2007 Folder E34-4: Down East typed draft -- September 2007
A Place Called Maine (edited by Wesley McNair, c2008)
BOXES E35 - E37
The Words I Chose (forthcoming memoir) BOX E38 Folder E38-1: Original material: items related to Wilbur McNair - 1957 and undated Folder E39-1: Research materials dated 1969 (photocopies) BOX E40 Folder E40-1: Memoir materials - June 2005 BOX E41 Folder E41-1: Draft excerpt - chapter 4 - 8 August 2006 BOX E42 BOX E43
|