Manuscript Collection Number: 131
Accessioned: Purchase, 1989-1995
Extent: 6 linear ft. (677 items)
Content: Correspondence, essays, plays, histories, translations, speeches, lectures, research notes, eulogies, photographs, passport, contract, appointment book, poems, clippings, drawings, ephemera, and reviews.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: Originally processed in 1990 and revised in 1996 by Anita A. Wellner
Born on February 19, 1902, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kay Boyle has been known for her work and achievements as a poet, short story writer, novelist, journalist, teacher, and political activist. One of the most prominent American expatriates during the 1920s and 1930s, much of Kay Boyle’s work reflects the influences of that literary circle.
Kay Boyle’s first contribution to a national publication was a letter to the editor, published in Harriet Monroe’s Poetry: A Magazine of Verse in 1921. By 1922, with the support and encouragement of her mother, Boyle moved to New York City and began working for the fashion writer Margery Welles. Later that year she began working for Lola Ridge, the American editor of Broom, an art and literary magazine published by Harold Loeb in Rome and later in Berlin. While working in New York, Boyle had contact with many literary persons and developed her writing. In January of 1923, her poem, “Morning,” was published in Broom.
In 1922 Kay Boyle married a French exchange student, Richard Brault. A 1923 visit to meet Brault’s family in Brittany, France, turned what was to have been a brief visit into a twenty-year stay in Europe. During her years in France, Boyle was associated with several innovative literary magazines and became acquainted with many of the literary figures writing for them. Her writing appeared in issues of This Quarter, edited by Ernest Walsh, and transition, edited by Eugene Jolas. Through these editors and others she associated with such writers as James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, William Carlos Williams, Robert McAlmon, Emanuel Carnevali, and Harry and Caresse Crosby. It was the Crosbys’ Black Sun Press that published Kay Boyle’s first book of fiction, Short Stories, in 1929. Crosby also published her translation of the first chapter of Rene Crevel’s Babylone as Mr. Knife and Miss Fork in 1931.
In respect for her friendship with Emanuel Carnevali, Kay Boyle made a commitment to see to the posthumous publication of his autobiography. Her promise was realized in 1967, when The Autobiography of Emanuel Carnevali was published. She compiled it from bits and pieces of writing Carnevali had sent through the ten years of their friendship.
Robert McAlmon was Boyle’s lifelong friend. Being Geniuses Together, 1920-1930, McAlmon’s memoirs, was revised by Kay Boyle in 1968, with several supplementary chapters that chronicle her own experiences during the 1920s and 1930s.
By the summer of 1928, Kay Boyle had met Laurence Vail, who was then Peggy Guggenheim’s husband. They were married in 1932. In addition to three children of their own, Boyle also cared for Vail’s two children from his marriage with Peggy Guggenheim, and her own daughter by Ernest Walsh, Sharon. Many of Boyle’s experiences during the 1920s found expression in her novels, Plagued by the Nightingale (1931), Year Before Last (1932), Gentlemen, I Address You Privately (1933), and My Next Bride (1934).
In 1934 Boyle compiled an anthology which was to have been titled “Short Stories 1934.” The original idea for the anthology was to gather 365 single-page stories to represent the year 1934 in fictional accounts. The anthology was eventually published in 1936 as 365 Days and included 97 stories by Boyle. Other contributors to the anthology included Nancy Cunard, Charles Henri Ford, Langston Hughes, James Laughlin, Robert McAlmon, Henry Miller, William Saroyan (who originally submitted 365 stories), Parker Tyler, and Emanuel Carnevali.
The White Horses of Vienna and Other Stories, also published in 1936, was a significant collection of Boyle’s short stories. The title story won the O. Henry Short Story Award for 1935. She continued to write short stories throughout her life, including a late collection, Life Being the Best and Other Stories (1988).
In her later years Kay Boyle was recognized for her political activism. Fostered by her mother in the belief that privilege demanded social responsibility, she championed integration, civil rights, the ban of nuclear weapons, and America’s withdrawal from Vietnam.
Kay Boyle died December 27, 1992, at the Redwoods, a retirement community in Mill Valley, California.
Quartermain, Peter (ed.) American Poets, 1880-1945. Second Series. Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 48. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1986. Pages 45-51.
Rood, Karen Lane (ed.) American Writers in Paris, 1920-1939. Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 4. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1980. Pages 46-56.
The correspondence section includes letters from family and professional colleagues, with a significant collection of eleven letters from British writer, James Stern. Additionally, Series I includes letters from such literary notables as Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, and Virgil Thomson.
Series II, which consists of manuscript material written by Kay Boyle, includes articles, a play, book reviews, a novel, poems, and drafts toward several works of nonfiction. Research material and drafts of her unpublished histories, "The Noblest Witnesses: A Modern History of Germany" and "A History of German Women," comprise over four boxes of these papers. Boyle's one act play, "The Double Cage", based on the life and letters of Rosa Luxenburg, is also unpublished and the only play known to be written by Boyle. Drafts of Boyle's translation of Rene Crevel's Babylon and Boyle's letters to Robert McAlmon, which were included in her revision of his Being Geniuses Together 1920-1930 are also included in this collection.
Series II also includes drafts of articles, poems, book reviews, speeches, and pages of the underground novel, The Underground Woman, all written by Boyle. Although the majority of Boyle's articles concern topics related to Germany, there are essays in this section on the American male, American writers, and writing and language. Boyle's book reviews are almost exclusively related to books written by German authors. The section of lectures and speeches includes an eulogy for San Francisco mayor George Moscone, a speech delivered at a protest against the Vietnam war, and an address written for a 1991 meeting of Amnesty International.
Drafts of three poems composed by Kay Boyle are found in Series II, including two titled "Sanci" and "Mothers." Several other poems, or fragments of Boyle's poems, are also available on the verso of notes found in the research file in Series VI.
Finally, Series II includes a group of miscellaneous manuscripts composed by Kay Boyle, including a letter to the parents of the Low-Heywood Thomas School, material about the history of the short story, and a statement regarding The New Yorker's withdrawal of Boyle's accreditation as a foreign correspondent in 1952 and her husband's Loyalty-Security Hearings.
Series III consists of two pieces about Boyle: an introduction to Sandra Spanier's biography, Kay Boyle, and Helga Einsele's "A Friendship Across Two Continents." Series IV comprises miscellaneous items related to Boyle, including her 1976 passport, an appointment book (which includes thoughts about William Carlos Williams and Rene Crevel, as well as chapter outlines for The Underground Woman), a contract for the publication of Fifty Stories, an autograph notebook, and a copy of her lawsuit against The Paget Press. Series V includes a variety of journals, magazines, clippings, and tear sheets collected by Boyle. The material supports her research on Germany or pertains to social issues with which Boyle was concerned, such as the Vietnam War and labor issues.
Series VI contains Boyle's file of research material arranged by subject. It includes her autograph notes and collection of articles toward her history of Germany. Because Boyle recycled paper by using the back, the notes in this file are occasionally written on the verso of poems or correspondence. These poems or letters are noted in the folder descriptions.
Mss 103 John Malcolm Brinnin papers
Mss 110 Pagany Archive
Mss 262 Kay Boyle papers relating to the Citizens' Mission to Cambodia
Mss 287 Kay Boyle papers relating to Research on Irish Women
Mss 410 Kay Boyle letters to Robert Nellen
I. Personal and Professional Correspondence, 1948-1991 II. Manuscripts Written by Kay Boyle, 1930-1991 1. "The Noblest Witnesses: A Modern History of Germany," 1963-1976 2. "A History of German Women," 1944-1981 3. "German Post-War Literature," 1960-1974 4. Translation of Babylon 1930-1984 5. "The Double Cage," 1959-1966 6. Being Geniuses Together 1920-1930, 1932-1965 7. The Underground Woman, [1975] 8. Articles Written by Kay Boyle, 1960-1984 9. Book reviews Written by Kay Boyle, 1962-1963 10. Poems written by Kay Boyle, 1962-1963 11. Lectures, addresses, and speeches by Boyle, 1965-1991 12. Miscellaneous Material Written by Kay Boyle, [1957]-1987 III. Material written about Kay Boyle, 1986-1988 IV. Miscellaneous material related to Boyle, 1946-1990 V. Printed material collected by Boyle, 1955-1984 VI. File of research material, 1952-1981 List of printed material in the Kay Boyle Papers, 1954-1984
1 Series I. Personal and Professional Correspondence, 1948-1991
F1 American Audio Prose Library (Kay Bonetti), 1984-1985
Includes a signed contract (1985) for Boyle's reading for the Library, letters,
and a catalog. 5 items (25 leaves).
F2 Angelou, Maya.
[1981: June 12] ALS 1p
Boyle, Kay, 1902-
Letters from Boyle to the following individuals.
F3 Beja, Morris
1984 Apr. 8 AL (draft) 1p
Note: Includes the James Joyce Foundation Newsletter (1984 Apr).
F4 Reagan, Ronald
1981 Aug 9 TL (c) signed 1p
F5 Smith, Mr.
[n.d.] AL (draft) 2p
F6 Unidentified
1950 Sep 7 AL 2p
Note: Incomplete
F7 Byrne, John.
Letters concerning a publication in honor of James Stern.
1974 Jul 11 TLS 1p
Jul 30 TLS 1p
Oct 1 ALS 1p
1975 Jan 13 ALS 1p
F8 Cardoro, Nancy
1981 Nov 17 ALS 1p
F9 Codrescu, Andrei, 1946-
Editor of Exquisite Corpse.
1986 Sep 28 TLS 1p
Oct 31 TLS 1p
F10 Coselle
1981 Nov 6 TLS 2p
Note: Includes photocopied clippings on Amnesty International,
Chile, and North Point Press.
F11 Davis Gwen
1980 Dec 27 TLS 2p
F12 de Burca, Mairin.
1981 Aug 14 TLS 1p
Note: Includes a clipping, two photocopied articles and a
check from Boyle.
F13 Ellsberg, Robert
1979 Aug 20 TLS 1p
Note: Includes clippings from the Catholic Worker.
F14 Garchik, Jerome M. and Leah
1981 Jan 10 TLS 1p
1981 Jun 25 ACS 1p
1981 [Sep14] ACS 1p
1981 Nov 16 TLS 3p
F15 Gude, Helen
1981 Feb 17 ALS 3p
F16 Kahler, Alice
1980 Dec 10 TLS 1p
1981 Nov 27 TLS 2p
F17 Kastner, Doug and Sue
1985 Jun 14 ACS 2p
1985 Oct 5 ALS 1p
1985 Nov 6 ALS 1p
[n.d.] AN 1p
F18 Kirshenbaum, Sandra
Editor of Fine Print writes concerning Mr. Knife and Miss Fork
1975 Sep 20 ALS 2p
1975 Nov 17 ALS 1p
Note: Includes a TL (c) to Max Ernst and the Autumn 1974 issue of
The Private Press.
F19 McGraw, Jim
1981 Aug 5 TL 1p
1981 Aug 5 TLS 1p
F20 Millar, David
1981 Apr 26 TLS 1p
F21 Nadel, Ira Bruce
1984 Jul 23 TLS 2p
1984 Aug 13 TL (c) 1p (Boyle to Nadel)
F22 Nowlin, Bill
1981 Jun 18 ALS 2p
F23 Ondine, [George]
1981 Aug 3 TLS 1p
1981 Nov 18 TLS 1p
F24 Reed, Ishmael, 1938-
1975 Dec 17 TLS 1p
Note: Includes copy of a Village Voice article, and copies
of letters to Reed from David Marsh of Rolling Stone and
Pat Strachan.
1975 Dec 18 Photocopies 2p
Note: Articles about Reed from Jet Magazine and The Real Paper.
F25 Ryan, David
1981 Jan 13 TNS 1p
Note: Includes photocopy of "Fighting Words on the Future
of the Earth" by Russell Means from Mother Jones.
2
F26 Spanier, Sandra Whipple, 1951-
1981 Mar 15 TLS 1p
F27 Shirer, William L. (William Lawrence), 1904-
1981 Nov 21 TLS 1p
Note: Includes two photographs.
F28 Stern, James, 1904-.
1985 Apr 26 TLS 2p
1985 Jun 6 ACS 1p
1985 Jul 26 ACS 2p
1985 Aug 8 TLS 2p
Note: Includes clippings and photocopy.
1985 Aug 22 ACS 1p
1985 Sep 22 ALS 2p
1985 Oct 4 ALS 4p
1985 Oct 27 ALS 4p
Note: Includes a clipping
1986 Feb 18 ALS 2p
Note: Includes photograph.
1986 Feb 21 ALS 1p
1986 Jun 26 ALS 2p
F29 Thomson, Virgil, 1896-
1976 Feb 16 TLS 1p
1976 Feb 26 TNS 1p
1985 Mar 27 TNS 1p
Note: Includes a photocopy of an article by Thomson
1985 Jul 25 ACS 1p
F30 Toomer, Marjorie Content
1981 Jul 17 TL (c) 2p (Boyle to Toomer)
1981 Jul 21 ALS 4p
Note: Includes typescript (photocopy) of Boyle's manuscript with
autograph corrections and additions by Toomer.
F31 A. Watkins, Inc. (Robin Rue)
1981 Jun 11 TLS 1p
Note: Includes photocopy list of copyrights for Boyle's material.
F32 Wong, Shawn, 1949-
1980 Dec 2 TLS 1p
1981 Jun 15 TLS 1p
[n.y.] Christmas ACS 1p
F33 Miscellaneous Correspondence 1949-1984
Includes correspondence from Helga, Fred R. Griffith, Bob,
Nancy G. Mc Dermid, Drury Contracting, a plumber,
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, George Popper,
Dorothy MacK..., Ellen Binder (PEN), and Herman Kogan.
Also includes a few letters from Boyle to others and clippings.
Arranged in chronological order. (28 pp.).
Family Correspondence, 1948-1991
Includes correspondence from Boyle's children and grandchildren
as well as some photographs and artwork.
F34 Rosenblum, Clover [Vail], 1948-1968
Includes letters from Boyle's daughter, as well as photographs
and artwork by Colver Vail as a child. Also includes a 1950 issue
of the Bulletin of the Art Institute of Chicago (ca. 60 pp.)
F35 Rosenblum, Sidney, 1961
Three poems by Rosenblum and two poems unidentified.
F36 Stone, Thomas
1989 Dec TLS (x) 1p
Note: Photocopy of a letter-poem, signed by Boyle.
1991 Mar 21 ALS (draft) 2p
Note: Letter includes a photocopy of Boyle's first published poem,
"Monody to the Sound of Zithers," as published in Poetry and
typescript (photocopy) drafts of her poem, "A Lesson in Anatomy."
F37 Vail, Katherine (Katy), 1977.
Includes the correspondence among Boyle's daughter Katherine Vail, Vail's
lawyers, Kay Boyle, and others concerning her divorce and related matters.
F38 Vail, Katherine (Katy), 1956
Clippings concerning her performance in Peter Ustinov's "Romanoff and Juliet."
F39 "Boo" 1961-1962
Letters written while a student at the University of Connecticut (29 pp.).
F40 Bobby, 1961
Letters from Paris (4 pp.).
F41 "Mouse," 1961
Letters, photographs, and artwork (20 pp.).
F42 Miscellaneous family material., 1950-1984
Includes photographs which include Kay Boyle, clippings, drawings and art
by "Bootsie" and Ian Franckenstein as children, and an English report by
Devin Rosenblum (21 pp.).
3
Series II. Manuscripts Written by Kay Boyle, 1930-1991
Includes material toward an unpublished book on the history of Germany,
a work on "A History of German Women," her translation of Crevel's
Babylon, a play entitled "The Double Cage," an update
of McAlmon's Being Geniuses Together, draft pages for
The Underground Woman, plus articles, book reviews,
lectures and miscellaneous writings.
Series II.1. The Noblest Witnesses: A Modern History of Germany, 1963-1976.
An unpublished work on the history of Germany from Charlemagne
to the eve of World War II. The subject file contains portions
of the research material Boyle gathered towards this work.
F43 Proposal for a grant renewal, [n.d.]
Typescript (carbon) which states the purpose and extent of the project (4 pp.).
F44 Outlines for chapters 8 and 9, 1966 Feb
Typescript with autograph corrections and revisions (4 pp.)
F45 Research notes, [n.d.]
Autograph, typescript, and clippings of research, with a typescript (carbon)
untitled poem that begins "The bugles of headlines blow in the gutter" (87 leaves).
F46 Notes for the chapter on Martin Luther, [n.d.]
Autograph, typescript, and printed material (40 leaves).
F47 Notes for chapter 8, [n.d.]
Typescript and autograph notes (53 leaves).
F48 Notes and a partial draft of chapter 9, [1964]
Typescript, autograph, and printed material (55 leaves).
F49 Partial draft, [n.d.]
Typescript with extensive autograph revisions and additions, bears the note: "To
follow the Formation of the Modern States" (17 leaves).
F50 "Insertions," [n.d.]
Autograph and typescript notes and text to be inserted at various points in the
draft (43 leaves).
F51 "Excerpt From Notes Toward a Modern History of Germany," 1975-1976
Typescript and typescript (carbon) drafts for this excerpt, also titled "Excerpt
From Work in Progress." Each draft varies, covering different segments of
German history. Drafts bear autograph revisions (33 leaves).
4 Draft, [n.d.]
Typescript and typescript (carbon) draft bearing autograph revisions, with many
added pages and two copies of the introduction and chapter one (417 leaves).
F52 Pages 1-73
F53 Pages 74-219
F54 Pages 220-321
5 F55 Partial draft, [1963 Dec 6]
Typescript and typescript (carbon) draft for pages 126-245, with autograph
revisions. Bears the note: "December 6th, 1963, revised copy" (161 leaves).
F56 Partial draft for chapters 7 and 9, [n.d.]
Typescript and typescript (carbon) draft with autograph revisions (86 leaves).
5 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.1. "The Noblest Witnesses" (cont'd)
F57 Partial draft, [n.d.]
Typescript (carbon) with a few typescript pages, all bearing extensive autograph
revisions (114 leaves).
F58 Partial draft, [n.d.]
Typescript and typescript (carbon) draft pages with autograph revisions.
Pages 1-35, 64-120 and miscellaneous pages (205 leaves).
6 F59 Bibliography, [n.d.]
Four typescript or typescript (carbon) copies, with one draft bearing autograph
corrections and additions (147 leaves).
F60 Index, [n.d.]
Two typescript and one typescript (carbon) drafts of the index, all with autograph
corrections and additions (78 leaves).
F61 "Introduction to a Modern History of Germany," 1971 Fall
Copy of issue #3 of Prose, which includes Boyle's article, "Introduction to a
Modern History of Germany."
7 Series II.2. "A History of German Women," 1944-1981
Research materials, notes, correspondence, translations of texts from
German, typescripts about noted German women, printed material, and an
essay, "An Excerpt From a History of German Women." Folders of
general material are followed by folders of notes about individual women,
which are arranged alphabetically by name.
F62 Correspondence with Louise W. Holborn, 1965-1970
The letters discuss a proposed book on German women and contain statistics on
German women in academic roles (8 leaves).
F63 "An Excerpt From a History of German Women," 1976-1981
Typescript, typescript (carbon), and typescript (photocopy) drafts, some bearing
autograph corrections and revisions (46 leaves).
F64 Drafts for chapters on German women, [n.d.]
Typescript and typescript (carbon) drafts (most bearing autograph revisions) of
essays on German women, possibly for chapters for "A History of German
Women." Titles include "Statistics about Women in German Parliaments 1919-1953"
and "The Parliamentary Work of Women Under the Weimar Republic."
Also includes an untitled essay concerning the German Women's Movement.
7 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.2. "A History of German Women" (cont'd)
F65 Notes and Research Material, 1951-1979
Autograph and typescript (carbon) notes, plus a copy of the article, "The Suffrage
Movement in Western Europe," and the pamphlet, "Was Is, Was Will, Was Tut:
Die Westdeutsche Frauenfriedensbewegung?" Also includes a letter from Elly
Steinmann to Boyle (80 leaves).
F66 Emmi Bonhoeffer, 1951 Feb
Translation of a letter from Bonhoeffer and typescript (carbon) drafts concerning
Bonhoeffer (7 leaves).
F67 Ricarda Huch, 1948-1963
Autograph notes, clippings, and typescript draft, with autograph corrections, of a
chapter on Huch (19 leaves).
F68 Friederike Kempner, 1975-1977
Letters from Helga Kuhnert, photocopy of an article concerning the Kempner
family, and a typescript draft of Boyle's chapter on Kempner (22 leaves).
Women in Nazi Germany, 1944
Written by Ruth and Robert Kempner, this mimeographed study of women in
Nazi Germany in divided into four parts. Copies bear page markers and autograph
notes made by Kay Boyle (300 leaves).
F69 Parts I and II
F70 Parts III and IV
8 F71 Kathe Kollwitz, 1968-1971
Includes correspondence between Boyle and "Nele," articles and notes of research
on Kollwitz, a typescript titled "The Diary and Letters of Kathe Kollwitz," and
translations of some of Kollwitz's letters (107 leaves).
F72 Helene Lange, [n.d.]
Photocopy of an article on Lange and a typescript draft of the chapter "The
Childhood of Helene Lange" (23 leaves).
F73 Louise Otto-Peters, [n.d.]
Autograph notes and photocopied articles (21 leaves).
F74 Lydia Rabinowitch-Kempner, 1975
Includes letters from Helga Kuhnert and Robert Kempner, photocopied articles,
and typescript drafts of the chapter, "Lydia Rabinowitch-Kempner" (31 leaves).
8 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.2. "A History of German Women" (cont'd)
F75 Clara Schumann, [n.d.]
Typescript draft of a chapter on Clara Schumann (11 leaves).
F76 Bettina von Arnim, 1977
Includes a letter from Helga Kuhnert, photocopied articles, autograph notes, and a
typescript of Boyle's chapter on von Arnim (49 leaves).
F77 Bertha von Suttner, [n.d.]
A copy of Bertha von Suttner und ihre Tochter - Ein Versuch, written by Dr.
Klara-Marie Fassbinder, with a letter and partial translation of this booklet by
Sarah Agnes Marshall (73 leaves).
9 Series II.3. "German Post-War Literature" 1960-1974
F78 Notes, articles, journals, letters, and clippings, 1960-1974
-80 Material towards an article on German post-war literature (119 leaves).
10 Series II.4. Translation of Babylon, 1930-1984
Kay Boyle's translation from French of Rene Crevel's Babylon. Although
first translated by Boyle in 1930, only chapter one was published by the
Black Sun Press as Mr. Knife and Miss Fork (1931). The drafts included
here were published in 1985 by North Point Press as the complete text of
Crevel's Babylone.
F81 Correspondence, Contract, and Copyright, 1930-1984
Includes photocopies of Boyle's letters (1930s) to Caresse Crosby about Mr. Knife
and Miss Fork, as well as correspondence with A. Watkins, Sandra
Kirschenbaum, David Rattray. Also includes articles about Crevel, the copyright
registration for Babylon (1978), a contract, portions of an interview with Crevel
by Rattray, and a translation of Etes-Vous fons? (Are You Mad?) (81 leaves).
F82 Notes and articles toward the preface to Babylon, 1984
Notes by Boyle toward the preface, tear sheets of articles and a photocopy of
Crevel's "The Negress in the Brothel" (translated by Samuel Beckett) (6 leaves).
F83 "Translator's Foreword," 1978
Typescript draft (3 leaves).
F84 "A Conversation with Rene Crevel," 1984 Oct-Nov
Numerous autograph, typescript, typescript (carbon), and typescript (photocopy)
drafts, most of which extensive autograph additions and revisions (48 leaves).
11 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.4. Translation of Babylon (cont'd)
Draft of translation, [n.d.]
F85 Typescript (carbon) draft of Boyle's translation, with a few typescript (photocopy)
pages (191 leaves).
F86 Original binder, [n.d.]
F87 Draft, [n.d.]
Typescript draft, with some typescript (carbon) and typescript (photocopy) pages
added, all bearing extensive autograph corrections and revisions. The draft
includes both duplicate pages and missing pages (159 leaves).
F88 Draft, 1983 Mar-Aug
Typescript (carbon) draft, with some typescript and typescript (photocopy) pages
inserted. The draft bears extensive autograph revisions and has duplicate pages
interleaved (186 leaves).
F89 Miscellaneous draft pages, [n.d.]
Typescript, typescript (carbon), and typescript (photocopy) draft pages, with
extensive autograph revisions (124 leaves).
Series II.5. "The Double Cage," 1959-1966
A one-act play based on the life, personality, and letters of Rosa
Luxemburg.
F90 Letters, notes, and articles for research on Luxemburg, 1960-1966
Includes autograph research notes, letters from Gerry Lukeman, and several
articles (61 leaves).
F91 Drafts of play, 1959
Typescript, typescript (carbon), and typescript (photocopy) drafts bearing
autograph revisions, including several miscellaneous pages (53 leaves).
12 Series II.6. Being Geniuses Together 1920-1930, 1932-1965
Written by Robert McAlmon, Being Geniuses Together 1920-1930, was
revised with supplementary chapters by Kay Boyle and published by
Doubleday in 1968.
F92 Typescript copies of Boyle's letters to Robert McAlmon, 1932-1965
Also includes a clipping (38 leaves).
12 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.7. The Underground Woman, [1975]
Published by Doubleday in 1975.
F93 Autograph and typescript draft pages, [1975]
These pages refer to Shawn Wong and Edward Guerrero (9 leaves).
Series II.8. Articles written by Kay Boyle, 1960-1984
Boyle wrote numerous articles on a wide variety of topics, ranging from
the American male to the German language.
F94 Untitled article on the American male, 1975
Three typescript or typescript (photocopy) drafts, with extensive autograph
revisions, and a copy of a letter from Boyle to "Paul" (15 leaves).
F95 Untitled article about American writers, [1984]
Typescript and typescript (photocopy) pages of a draft bearing extensive
autograph revisions, and including Boyle's "Excerpt From a
Long Poem for Samuel Beckett" (14 leaves).
F96 Untitled article for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom,
1964-1965
The article celebrates the League's 50th anniversary. Includes correspondence
with officials of the League about the article, research notes, and a draft of the
article (24 leaves).
F97 "Frankfurt Re-Visited," [n.d.]
Typescript (carbon) draft, with autograph revisions (8 leaves).
F98 "Has Germany Changed?" 1960
Autograph notes, typescript (carbon) draft of the article, and copies of the issue of
Foreign Policy Bulletin (1960 Apr 15), in which the article appeared (24 leaves).
F99 "A Writer Looks at Germany," [n.d.]
Typescript draft, bearing autograph revisions (15 leaves).
F100 "The Uses of the German Language," [n.d.]
Four typescript drafts, bearing extensive autograph revisions. Represent three
different versions and include added pages. The first version is incomplete (86
leaves).
F101 Untitled article concerning writing and language, 1961 Oct
Autograph and typescript drafts, bearing autograph revisions (7 leaves).
12 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.9. Book reviews written by Kay Boyle, 1962-1963
F102 Drafts of book reviews for the following titles:
Aichinger, Ilse. Herod's Children. Typescript (carbon) draft (4 leaves).
Esslin, Martin. Brecht: The Man and His Work. Typescript (carbon) draft
(3 leaves).
Geissler, Christian. The Sins of the Fathers. Typescript (carbon) draft (4 leaves).
Grass, Gunter. The Tin Drum. Typescript (carbon) draft and letter (5 leaves).
Kirst, Hans Hellmut. The Seventh Day. Typescript (carbon) draft (4 leaves).
Lorenzen, Rudolf. Anything But a Hero. Typescript (carbon) draft and clipping
(4 leaves).
Peters, H. F. My Sister, My Spouse. Typescript (carbon) draft with autograph
revisions (4 leaves).
Sahl, Hans. The Few and the Many. Typescript (carbon) draft with autograph
revisions and clipping (3 leaves).
Miscellaneous Notes, (6 leaves).
13 Series II.10 Poems written by Kay Boyle, [n.d.]
F103 Three poems, [n.d.]
Includes two typescript poems titled "Sanci" and "Mothers," plus a typescript
(carbon) of an anagram wedding message for Boyle's grandson Benjamin Goeser.
Series II.11. Lectures, addresses and speeches by Kay Boyle, 1965-1991
Public presentation given by Boyle, ranging from formal lectures to
remarks at the memorial service for San Francisco mayor George
Moscone.
F104 Amnesty International address, 1991 Mar 8
Autograph first draft of Boyle's address to Amnesty International on March 9,
1991, at "Plough and Stars," San Francisco, California. Read in absentia.
F105 Untitled remarks about Joan, Joanie and Mimi Baez, [n.d.]
Typescript and typescript (photocopy) draft (2 leaves).
13 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.11. Lectures, Public Addresses and Speeches (cont'd)
F106 Eulogy for George Moscone, 1978
Includes typescript (carbon) and (photocopy) drafts of her eulogy and the poem,
"A Poem for George Moscone, Assassinated November 27, 1978," plus a
photograph of Moscone and Boyle, and newsletters and flyers (11 leaves).
F107 "Writers in Metaphysical Revolt," 1975
A signed typescript draft with some typescript (photocopy) pages, all bearing
autograph revisions (32 leaves).
F108 Untitled lecture about Germany, [n.d.]
Typescript (carbon) draft, bearing autograph revisions and the note: "Lecture at
Herald Tribune" (5 leaves).
F109 Material toward untitled lecture at Bowling Green, 1981 Apr
Typescript, typescript (photocopy), and typescript (carbon) drafts, bearing
extensive autograph revisions. Includes a story, "Where It Is Always Spring," an
introductory paragraph, and a draft of autobiographical information (14 leaves).
F110 Untitled speech at a Vietnam protest, [1965]
Typescript (carbon) draft, bearing autograph revisions and a copy of Liberation,
(18 leaves).
F111 Material for untitled seminar, [n.d.]
Autograph and typescript drafts, bearing extensive autograph revisions. Includes
introductory comments, a section of commentary about writers and writing, and
excerpts from Boyle's history of Germany (31 leaves).
Series II.12. Miscellaneous writing by Kay Boyle, [1957]-1987
F112 Letter to the Parents of Low-Heywood Thomas School, 1984 Jan 11
Photocopied letter which concerns the Franckenstein scholarship at Low-Heywood Thomas School (6 leaves).
F113 Statement regarding The New Yorker's withdrawal of Boyle's accreditation in
1952 and her husband's Loyalty-Security hearings, 1981
Signed typescript (carbon) draft (4 leaves).
F114 Notebook pages about history, a partial book review, and a poem, [n.d.]
Autograph pages from a notebook with corrections and revisions (15 leaves).
F115 Depiction of the development of the short story, [1957]
Includes a letter from a University of Delaware student bearing an autograph note
by Boyle, a depiction of the development of the short story, plus notes (6 leaves).
13 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series II.12. Miscellaneous writing by Boyle (cont'd)
F116 Letters responding to reviews of Sandra Spanier's Kay Boyle: Artist and Activist,
1987 Jun-Jul
Autograph and typed photocopies of drafts of letters to Ann Davidson and Paul
Pintarich. The letters respond to their reviews of Spanier's biography of Boyle
and also defend her mid-forties novels about France and the Resistance. Also
includes a letter from Pintarich, copies of the reviews, and biographical
information on Boyle (26 leaves).
F117 Miscellaneous pages, 1972 and [n.d.]
Includes autograph notes and typescript (photocopy and carbon) notes regarding
the Christian Church, poetry, and Somerset Maugham, plus a quote from Samuel
Beckett, and comments on writing Generation Without Farewell (4 leaves).
14 Series III. Material written about Kay Boyle, 1986-1988
F118 "Introduction to Kay Boyle" by Sandra Whipple Spanier, [n.d.]
Typescript (photocopy) with autograph revisions made by Boyle (12 leaves).
F119 "A Friendship Across Two Continents" by Helga Einsele, [n.d.]
Includes a typescript (photocopy) with extensive corrections and revisions made
by Boyle, a typescript (photocopy) with autograph corrections, and one page of
revisions suggested by Boyle (13 leaves).
F120 Editorial and crossword puzzle related to Boyle, 1986-1988
Includes a tear sheet of a crossword puzzle (The New York Times Magazine)
which includes a reference to Boyle and a photocopy of an editorial from The
Torch regarding Boyle's 1986 visit at Valparaiso University.
Series IV. Miscellaneous material related to Kay Boyle, 1946-1990
F121 Passport, 1976 May 28
Issued to Kay Boyle Franckenstein (12 leaves).
F122 Autograph notebook, [n.d.]
Small leather notebook with autograph notes, listing telephone numbers and
information about Madame DuPont and other individuals.
14 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series IV. Miscellaneous material related to Kay Boyle (cont'd)
F123 Appointment book, 1971-1984
Appointment book containing autograph notes and a diary kept by Boyle.
Includes material dated 1971-1972, 1978, 1980 and 1984. Entries mention Maud
Gonne, Harry Moore, Henry Miller, West With the Night by Beryl Markham, and
Howard Nemerov's Figures of Thought. Also mentioned are Gerassi, William
Carlos Williams, Ian, Rene Crevel, as well as comments on faith, and writing. A
poem titled "The Road" is present, as are chapter outlines for The Underground
Woman (38 leaves).
F124 Contract for Fifty Stories, 1981 Oct 22
Contract between Boyle and Penguin Books Limited (England) for hardcover and
paperback editions of Boyle's Fifty Stories (4 leaves).
F125 Boyle's lawsuit against Paget Press, 1984
Typescript copy of the lawsuit and correspondence related to Boyle's legal action
(handled by Jerome M. Garchik) against Paget Press for printing an excerpt from
Being Geniuses Together without permission and including a photograph of Kay
Boyle. The excerpt appeared as the preface to Confessions of a Harvard Man
(memoir of Harold Stearns) (28 leaves).
F126 "Supply Operation in Swiss Border Area--Forts Aid Maquis at Grassy," [1940s]
Photograph of a military supply operation (1 leaf).
F127 List of 11th and 12th grade students, [n.d.]
Autograph list made by Boyle on a manilla folder (1 leaf).
F128 Medical notes on Boyle's health, 1977 and 1990
Boyle's autograph notes written in May 1977, for her doctor, in which she
describes her medical problems. Also includes notes made by Boyle's daughter,
describing her mother's behavior following her surgery on October 10, 1990.
F129 Amtliches Fernsprechbuch fur Marburg [Lahn], 1946
Telephone book (18 leaves).
F130 Scroll of appreciation from the School of Humanities, San Francisco State
University, 1979 Dec 18
Autograph note of appreciation with various signed messages (1 leaf). Scroll
removed to Map Case.
F131 Christmas messages on a scroll, [n.d.]
Christmas messages on an oversize scroll, one says: "Ho Chi Minh Kay Boyle is
Going to Win!" (1 leaf). Scroll removed to Map Case.
14 Series II. Manuscripts written by Kay Boyle (cont'd)
Series IV. Miscellaneous material related to Kay Boyle (cont'd)
F132 Miscellaneous items, [n.d.]
Empty notebook, packets of mounting corners, paper bag and a scarf (5 items)
15 Series V. Printed material collected by Kay Boyle, 1955-1984
Includes journals, magazines, tear sheets, and clippings, on topics related
to Germany and social issues.
F133 Material Related to Germany, 1955-1967
-135 473 leaves.
F136 Material concerning social issues, 1962-1984
Issues include the Vietnam War, peace, and labor relations (148 leaves).
16 Series VI. File of research material arranged by subject, 1952-1981
A file of research material on a variety of subjects, most of which Boyle
used in writing chapters of her unpublished history of Germany. Includes
autograph notes, clippings, tear sheets, as well as typescript and typescript
(carbon) draft pages. Some poems and drafts of letters are found on the
verso of some of the notes. Such items are noted in the folder list.
F137 Advent of Christianity (27 leaves).
F138 Arendt, Hannah (10 leaves).
F139 Arius and Aryan (4 leaves).
F140 Bach (130 leaves), with two untitled poems and a fragment of a poem.
F141 Beckett, Samuel (2 leaves).
F142 Bees (10 leaves).
F143 Bible (2 leaves).
F144 Berlin (19 leaves).
F145 Bismarck (48 leaves).
F146 Bonhoeffer (12 leaves).
F147 Brecht (7 leaves).
F148 Charlemagne (16 leaves).
F149 City and country conflict (4 leaves).
F150 Clovis (1 leaf).
F151 Constantine (2 leaves).
F152 Dante (1 leaf).
F153 Marie de France (10 leaves), with letter from Robert Hatch of Nation.
F154 Dehmel (1 leaf).
F155 Descartes (1 leaf).
F156 Doloi, Danilo (2 leaves).
F157 Eichmann, Adolf (43 leaves).
16 Series VI. File of research material arranged by subject (cont'd)
F158 Einstein, Albert (7 leaves).
F159 Elbe (5 leaves).
F160 Empire, division of (17 leaves).
F161 Erasmus (4 leaves).
F162 Existentialism (4 leaves).
F163 Fichte (4 leaves).
F164 Frederick (II) of Sicily (2 leaves).
F165 Frederick the Great (103 leaves).
F166 French Revolution (1 leaf).
F167 Freud (1 leaf).
F168 Galileo (6 leaves).
F169 Globke (18 leaves).
F170 Gluckel of Hameln (15 leaves).
F171 Gobineau (2 leaves).
F172 Goethe (24 leaves).
F173 Grimm, Jacob (4 leaves).
F174 Guilds (4 leaves).
F175 Haase, Hugo (1 leaf).
F176 Halperin, Irving (2 leaves).
F177 Hardenburg, Karl August von (3 leaves).
F178 Hauptmann, G. (1 leaf).
F179 Haydn, Joseph (3 leaves), with poem titled "Seascape for an Engraver."
F180 Hegel (11 leaves).
F181 Heine, Heinrich (32 leaves).
F182 Hitler (4 leaves).
F183 Holderlin, Johann (3 leaves).
F184 Holy Roman Empire (3 leaves).
F185 Irene (2 leaves).
F186 Jewish ethics, survey of (52 leaves).
F187 Jewish massacres and crusades (23 leaves), with letter fragment from Norman
Holmes Pearson.
F188 Jews (39 leaves).
F189 Junkers (14 leaves).
F190 Justinian (2 leaves).
F191 Kafka (3 leaves).
F192 Kahler, Erich (4 leaves).
F193 Kant (24 leaves), with untitled autograph poem and typescript (carbon) poem titled
"Print From a Lucite Block."
F194 Leibni[t]z (14 leaves), with typescript poem, bearing autograph corrections, titled
"Rendezvous."
F195 Lessing, G. (12 leaves).
F196 Leibknecht, Karl (102 leaves).
F197 Lowell, Robert (3 leaves).
F198 Luther, Martin (45 leaves), with letter from Carl Cohen.
16 Series VI. File of research material arranged by subject (cont'd)
F199 Mann, Thomas (10 leaves).
F200 Marx, Karl (9 leaves).
F201 Mendelssohn (3 leaves).
F202 Mozart (3 leaves).
F203 Nazis (1 leaf).
F204 Neapolitan School (3 leaves).
F205 Nietzsche (12 leaves).
F206 Pope (2 leaves).
F207 Pre-Christian era (27 leaves).
F208 Predestination (2 leaves).
F209 Renaissance (4 leaves).
F210 Reuchlin (2 leaves).
F211 Rilke (5 leaves).
F212 St. Paul (6 leaves).
F213 Schiller (7 leaves).
F214 Sickengen (1 leaf).
F215 Social contract (4 leaves).
F216 Social Democratic Party (6 leaves).
F217 Spengler (11 leaves).
F218 Tacitus (1 leaf).
F219 Telemann (2 leaves).
F220 Teutonic Order (9 leaves).
F221 Theodosian Code (4 leaves).
F222 Vehmic Courts (Fehmic) (4 leaves).
F223 Virgin Mary (9 leaves), with letter from Bob Bucciainelli.
F224 Voltaire (5 leaves).
F225 Von Stein (7 leaves).
F226 Wagner, Richard (16 leaves).
F227 Wallenstein (4 leaves).
F228 Weber, Max (4 leaves).
F229 Wenceslas (6 leaves).
F230 Zwingli (3 leaves).
PRINTED MATERIAL IN THE KAY BOYLE PAPERS
Books
Datner, Szymon. Crimes Committed by the Weirmacht During the September Campaign
and the Period of Military Government.
Emmanuel, Pierre, Alain Bosquet, Eric Heller, and Hans Egon Holthersen. French and German
Letter Today.
Fassbinder, Klara-Marie. Bertha von Suttner und ihre Tochter--Ein Versuch.
Lowenstein, Hubertus Prinz zu. The Conception of Freedom in German History.
Offprints
Cohen, Carl. "Martin Bucer and His Influence on the Jewish Situation," Year Book XIII of the
Leo Baeck Institute, 1968.
Cohen, Carl. "Martin Luther and His Jewish Contemporaries," Jewish Social Studies, 1963 Jul.
Cohen, Carl. "The Road to Conversion," Year Book VI of the Leo Baeck Institute, 1961.
Journals and Magazines
American Scholar, 1978 Spr
Awake!, 1964 May 8
Commentary, 1961 Nov
Congress Bi-Weekly, 1963 Jun 24
Contemporary Issues, 1964 Spr
Coronet, 1960 Feb
The Current, 1963 Fall
Fellowship, 1975 Jun
Foreign Policy Bulletin, 1960 Apr 15
Iberica, 1961 Jun 15
Jewish Spectator, 1963 Jun
Liberation, 1963 Sum, 1964 Oct, 1965 Apr, 1967 Mar
The Nation, 1956-1965 (14 issues)
The New Republic, 1954-1965 (10 issues)
The New York Review, 1964 Oct 22, 1965 Apr 8, 1966 May 12
The New York Times Book Review, 1962 Jan 28
Nova law Journal, 1984 Spr
Poland, 1965 Nov
Prevent World War III, Numbers 47, 53, 55, 63
The Private Press, 1974 Aut
The Progressive, 1966 Sep
The Psychoanalytic Study of Society, volume 4
The Reporter, 1957 Nov 14 and 1961 Sep 14
Shantih, 1974 Win-Spr
Times Literary Supplement, 1960 Sep 23
Village Voice, 1964 Mar 12
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