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Collection Overview

Creator:
Kinnell, Galway (1927-2014)
Collector:
Crosby, Anne Buchanan (1929-)
Title:
Anne Buchanan Crosby Collection of Galway Kinnell Letters and Manuscripts
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/v692tg72p
Dates:
circa 1957-2006 (mostly 1957-1995)
Size:
2 boxes and 0.63 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Boxes B-001619 to B-001620
Language:
English

Abstract

Consists of letters from American poet Galway Kinnell (1927-2014) to English artist Anne Buchanan Crosby (b.1929), together with several annotated poetry typescripts and manuscripts authored by Kinnell.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Content Description

This collection consists of letters from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning American poet Galway Kinnell (1927-2014) to English artist Anne Buchanan Crosby (b.1929). Kinnell and Crosby met in Paris in the late 1950s and maintained a strong connection spanning several decades. Part travelogue, Kinnell's letters touch on themes that are reflected in his work and document in detail the varied landscapes surrounding the poet as he travelled the world, including New York City, the artists' community, Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, and New England. Several letters are postmarked from the South and Mississippi, where he spent time during the Civil Rights Movement, as well as countries throughout Europe and Asia. Over a dozen capture his time in Tehran. Some of the letters include photographs.

Also included in the collection are several annotated poetry typescripts and manuscripts authored by Kinnell dating from the late 1950s to early 1960s.

Collection Creator Biography:

Crosby

Anne Buchanan Crosby (1929-) is an English artist. Born in London, Crosby lived abroad for several years in Rome, Paris, and the Var region of France. After returning to London, she painted and taught at an art school. Crobsy married architect Theo Crosby in 1960 with whom she had two children before the couple divorced. One of their children, Matthew, who was born with Down syndrome, was the subject of a memoir Crosby published in 2009 entitled Matthew (Haus Publishing).

Crosby became close friends with Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning poet Galway Kinnell (1927-2014) after meeting him in Paris in the late 1950s.


Kinnell

Galway Kinnell (1927-2014) was an award-winning American poet, translator, essayist, civil rights activist, orator, and teacher, including serving as professor and director of the creative writing program at New York University.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Kinnell served in the Navy during World War II. He graduated from Princeton University in 1948 (his roommate was the poet W. S. Merwin), and received a master's degree from the University of Rochester a year later. He held several teaching positions early on both in the United States and abroad, including a tour in Tehran that led to the writing of his only novel, "Black Light." His "Selected Poems" won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1983, and a share of the National Book Award the same year.

In 1965, Kinnell married Spanish translator Ines Delgado de Torres with whom he had two children. The couple divorced after 20 years. In 1997, Kinnell married Barbara Kammer Bristol.

Kinnell became close friends with English artist Anne Buchanan Crosby (1929-) after meeting her in Paris in the late 1950s.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchased from Christie's New York in 2021. AM 2022-011

Appraisal

No materials were removed from the collection during 2021 processing beyond routine appraisal practices.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Faith Charlton in August 2021. Finding aid written by Faith Charlton in August 2021.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Anne Buchanan Crosby Collection of Galway Kinnell Letters and Manuscripts; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/v692tg72p
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Boxes B-001619 to B-001620