Manuscript Collection Number: 287
Accessioned: Purchase, December 1992.
Extent: 2.3 linear ft.
Content: Letters, poems, speeches, sound recording, clippings,
photographs, interviews, notes, newspapers, books,
periodicals, notebooks, pamphlets, calendars, and
drafts (preliminary versions).
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: October 1993 by Anita A. Wellner.
Kay Boyle's career as a writer began in 1923, after moving from St. Paul to New York City, with the publishing of her poem, "Morning," in Harold Loeb's art and literary magazine, Broom. Soon after, she married a French exchange student, Richard Brault, and moved to France for a 20 year period. During that time she divorced Brault and, in 1931, married a fellow expatriate, Laurence Vail (previously the husband of Peggy Guggenheim). She published four novels, Plagued by a Nightmare, Year Before Last, Gentlemen, I Address You Privately, and My Next Bride, which reflected her experiences in France. Boyle divorced Vail and, in 1943, married Baron Joseph von Franckenstein. The two were together until his death in 1963.
A prolific short story writer, Boyle won the first of her two O. Henry short story awards in 1935 for the title story of The White Horses of Vienna and Other Stories. Her second O. Henry was awarded in 1941 for "Defeat." She continued to write short stories throughout her life. The last collection, Life Being the Best and Other Stories, was published in 1988. In addition to the O. Henry award she was a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship (1934) and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
In 1960 Boyle moved to San Francisco and took a position as an English professor at San Francisco State University. Kay Boyle's later works include the 1967 Autobiography of Emanuel Carnevali and a 1968 revision of Robert McAlmon's memoirs, Being Geniuses Together, 1920-1930, to which Boyle added several supplementary chapters.
Throughout her life, Kay Boyle was politically active. This activism reflected a general belief, fostered by her mother, that privilege demands social responsibility. In the 1950s her activism became reinvigorated as she worked toward furthering integration policies, civil rights, a ban on nuclear weapons, America's withdrawal from Southeast Asia, women's rights, and global peace initiatives.
Kay Boyle died on December 27, 1992 in Mill Valley, California.
Note: Biographical data is also derived from material contained in the collection.
Three-quarters of the papers relate to research completed by Kay Boyle for a book on Irish women. Kay Boyle was very interested in the struggles which women faced throughout history in their attempts to achieve civil and economic rights. That interest, in addition to curiosity about the Boyle family ancestry in Ireland and concern for a peaceful settlement of troubles in Northern Ireland, brought her to Ireland in 1976 to begin research for a book about the women of Ireland.
Series I consists of material which documents Boyle's trips to Ireland between 1976 and 1977, records her interviews with numerous Irish women, and includes literature she gathered during her research. The book on Irish women, which was to have been published by Doubleday & Company, was never written and the contract for the book was cancelled in 1980.
Although Boyle never completed this book, she did draft several chapters for it. These drafts, which are found in Series I.3, indicate that Boyle intended to portray the lives and issues of a wide spectrum of women in Ireland. Kay Boyle interviewed women with extremely divergent political, religious, and social views, as well as different lifestyles. Boyle developed lasting friendships with several of the women, including Bernadette Quinn, Mary Fay, Hilary Boyle, and Mairin de Burca. Brief biographical sketches for these women are included in Series I.1.
Boyle's drafts incorporate information gathered from the interviews (Series I.2), her journal notes (Series I.2), letters from women she met (Series I.1), and the clippings and Irish publications which these women sent to her (Series I.6 and I.7).
Series I also includes photographs of Boyle taken during her 1976 trip to Ireland (I.4); a reel-to-reel tape of a program which included Mairin de Burca (I.5); and finally files of clippings and U.S. publications, collected by Kay Boyle during her research on Irish issues.
The notebooks, which contain Boyle's journal during her travels to Ireland and her notes from interviews, also include several poems inspired by her experiences in Ireland and notes for some of her other writing projects, including her unpublished research toward a book on German women (See Ms 131 Kay Boyle Papers).
Series II consists of material which is unrelated to Boyle's research on Irish women. Letters written to Boyle from her many friends, including noted writers, are found in Series II.1. Notable correspondents include Kenneth Burke (who also sent two of his poems), William Dickey, John Hersey, Denise Levertov, Archibald MacLeish, Arthur Miller, Studs Terkel, Robert Penn Warren, Charles Henri Ford, Hugh Ford, and Jacques Barzun. Among topics discussed in the correspondence are the American Academy of Arts and Letters, to which Boyle had been elected, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, writing projects, and the writers' daily lives.
Of historical interest are four letters written by San Francisco activist and attorney Fay Stender, who defended Black Panther leader Huey Newton and sought prison reforms in California. The letters originated from Hong Kong where Stender had fled following an attempt on her life which left her disabled. The letters convey her bitterness and confusion following the assassination attempt by a black militant. Her final letter to Boyle was written on the day Stender committed suicide.
Series II.2 "Poetry written by Kay Boyle" includes a notebook of drafts for eight poems. There are from four to seventeen drafts for each poem, each demonstrating Boyle's meticulous attention to detail in her writing and revealing her style in revising her work.
The second series also includes drafts of "In Memory of Joseph Franckenstein," a tribute Boyle delivered at the Low-Heywood Thomas School in Connecticut (II.3), where her late husband taught in the 1950s. Several notebooks, containing ideas for stories and poems (II.4), and four calendars bearing Boyle's daily appointments (II.5) complete the second series.
Although the bulk of the material in these papers chronicles a relatively brief period of Kay Boyle's life, the material reflects her constant efforts to promote peace, political justice, and the rights of women.
The arrangement of material in each series and subseries varies and is described in the series and subseries notes.
Ms 103 John Malcolm Brinnin Papers
Ms 110 Pagany Archive
Ms 131 Kay Boyle Papers
Ms 262 Kay Boyle Papers Relating to The Citizen's Mission to Cambodia
I. Material related to research on Irish women, 1974-1986
1. Letters to Kay Boyle, 1974-1986
Hilary Boyle, 1976-1986
Mairin de Burca, 1976-1981
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980
Mary Fay, 1976-1981
Nuala Fennell, 1977
Nancy [Allitt] McCarthy, 1976-1980
Margaret MacCurtain, 1974-1978
Bernadette Quinn, 1976-1981
Miscellaneous letters and receipts, 1977-1979
2. Notebooks and notes, 1972-1987
3. Drafts for chapters of a book on Irish women,
1977-1979
4. Photographs of Kay Boyle in Ireland, 1976
5. Tape of program with Mairin de Burca, [n.d.]
6. Publications of Irish organizations concerning
Irish women and issues, 1920-1984
7. Clippings from Irish publications, 1975-1980
8. U.S. publications and clippings related to Irish
issues, 1959-1981
II. Letters, manuscripts, and ephemera unrelated to Irish
women, 1956-1988
1. Letters to Kay Boyle, 1969-1988
2. Poetry written by Kay Boyle, 1960-1985
3. Speech by Kay Boyle and related material, 1964-1984
4. Notebooks and notes by Kay Boyle, 1956-1981
5. Calendars kept by Kay Boyle, 1980-1985
1 Series I. Material Related to Kay Boyle's research on
Irish women, 1920-1987
Series I.1. Letters to Kay Boyle from Irish Women,
1974-1986
All letters are written to Kay Boyle unless
otherwise noted.
Hilary Boyle, 1976-1986
Dublin activist Hilary Boyle was born in Jamaica, but spent
most of her childhood in Ireland. She left Ireland as a young
married woman but returned in 1934 to stay. In 1962 she
moved to Dublin where she became the garden columnist
for Hibernia and contributed radiospots for RTE radio's
Sunday Miscellany. She was active with the Dublin
Housing Action Committee and has championed
a variety of causes, including peace issues.
Clippings, carbon copies of letters from Kay Boyle, and
photocopies of some of Hilary Boyle's articles,
particularly her gardening column for Hibernia, are
enclosed in some of the 63 letters.
F1 1976
With Hilary Boyle's Ts essay titled "Bernadette," about
Irish politician Bernadette McAlisky.
F2 1977
With an autograph poem by Hilary Boyle, and her Ts
essay titled "To Unite Ireland."
F3 1978
F4 1979
One letter from Hilary Boyle to The New York Times.
F5 1980
F6 1981
F7 [n.d.]
Five Ts essays by Hilary Boyle concerning peace, the
Third World, and religion as the root of the problem in
Northern Ireland, and a photograph of H. Boyle.
F8 Clippings and magazines, [1976-1986]
Material sent to Kay Boyle by Hilary Boyle, but removed
from the letters.
1 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.1. Letters from Irish women (cont'd)
Mairin de Burca, 1976-1981
Irish activist Mairin de Burca was a member of Sinn
Fein, the political arm of the Irish Republican Army,
from 1955-1977 and its General Secretary from 1965-1977.
She has also been an advocate for the rights of
Irish prisoners and women, active in seeking prison
reform, and an opponent of the Vietnam War. She was a
contributor to Hibernia, supplying book reviews and
social commentaries. She was a plaintive in a court
case which won the right to serve on juries for women
and persons not owning property in the Republic of
Ireland. She has advocated the unification of Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
In addition to the 14 letters from de Burca, the
folders include clippings of articles written by de
Burca. See also F62 for other articles written by de
Burca.
F9 Letters, 1976-1977
F10 Letters, 1978-1981
F11 Clippings, 1980
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980 May 30
F12 Letter cancelling Boyle's contract for the book on
Irish women, signed by Boyle.
Mary (Faysie) Fay, 1976-1981
Seamstress Mary Fay (nicknamed Faysie) was one of the
Catholic women Kay Boyle interviewed in Dublin. Fay
made uniforms for a convent school for girls in Dublin.
Her letters to Boyle are filled with her philosophy of
life; her opposition to abortion, contraception, and
euthanasia; her strong support for education; and a
discussion of the illegal Irish Hedge Schools which
taught the Gaelic language and Irish traditions.
In addition to the 24 letters, there are photographs of
Mary Fay's daughter and granddaughter. For drafts of
Boyle's chapter on Mary Fay see F36-37.
F13 Letters, 1976
F14 Letters, 1977
F15 Letters, 1978-1979
F16 Letters, 1980-1981
1 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.1. Letters from Irish women (cont'd)
Nuala Fennell, 1977 Nov 2
Irish journalist Nuala Fennell was a columnist for the
Evening Herald and a founding member of Irish Women's
Liberation, the Action Information Motivation (AIM)
group, and Women's Aid. She has written several books
on Irish social issues, including Irish Marriage, How
Are You? (Dublin: The Mercier Press, 1974).
F17 Includes one letter from Fennell, a copy of Irish Marriage,
and a brochure on the purpose and objectives of the AIM group.
Nancy (Allitt) McCarthy, 1976-1980
Cork County book shop owner Nancy McCarthy wrote to
Boyle of her business, daily life, vacations, and
involvement in the Cork Film Festival.
F18 Includes eleven letters and a photocopy regarding the
"Boyle" family heritage.
Margaret MacCurtain (Sister Benevenuta), 1974-1978
Noted Dublin educator Sister Benevenuta was educated at
the University of Cork. She entered the Dominican
order in Dublin at the age of 21. She participated in
Vatican II, has lectured at the University College,
Dublin, and did programs on Radio Eireann and Irish
television on women's issues in Ireland.
F19 Includes six letters and two Ts (photocopy) essays by
MacCurtain titled "Women, the Vote, and the Revolution"
and "Women--Irish Style."
Bernadette Quinn, 1976-1981
Irish activist and writer Bernadette Quinn was a
founding member of Ireland's Women's Liberation
movement and the AIM group. She organized AIM's
Committee on Education which focuses public attention
on the need for educating young people for marriage.
Born in Mayo County, married and mother to three
children, Quinn has written and lectured on issues of
Irish women's equality.
Includes 40 letters which discuss the changes toward
equality for women in Ireland, her family and daily
life, Irish politics and elections, the AIM group, and
Irish education. Also includes essays and a short
story by Quinn, clippings, and publications.
F20 Letters, 1976
Includes a copy of The Law of Nullity in Ireland(1976)
and a Ts of Quinn's short story "Sandra."
1 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.1. Letters from Irish women (cont'd)
Bernadette Quinn (cont'd)
F21 Letters, 1977 Feb-Aug
Includes Ts of Quinn's lecture on marriage titled "Talk
to Maynooth."
F22 Letters, 1977 Sep-Dec
Includes Irish Sweepstakes tickets.
F23 Letters, 1978
Includes Ts of Quinn's essay titled "AIM's Loss is
Women's Loss."
F24 Letters, 1979
F25 Letters, 1980
Includes two books inscribed by Quinn to Boyle titled
Education Is Everybody's Business (includes speeches by
Quinn and her daughter Veronica) and Can You Stay
Married? (by Quinn, Fennell, and Deidre McDevitt).
F26 Letters, 1981
Includes an offprint of Quinn's "Women and the Church."
Miscellaneous Letters and Receipts, 1977-1979
F27 Arranged in chronological order, the folder includes
notes from Geraldine Neeson and Cosette, receipts for
Boyle's Irish accommodations, a letter and article from
David Lawlor of Government Information Services.
Series I.2. Notebooks and notes related to Irish
women, 1972-1987
The six notebooks, plus loose notes, include
interviews with various Irish women; poetry
composed by Boyle (inspired by her experiences in
Ireland); lists of names, addresses, appointment
times, and phone numbers of women visited. The
notebooks have been arranged in chronological
order.
F28 Notebook and Notes, 1972-1987
Notebook bears the cover title, "The Underground
Woman," and includes 12 pages of revisions for a book
by this title. Also includes notes on Howard Nemerov's
Gnomes and Occasions, a story line for A Play, an
untitled poem with the first line "I reach my arms up
to the sky," and notes from an interview with several
Irish women, including Jenny Boyle. Laid in notes
include four poems by Boyle; two untitled and one
titled "Bloomsday, June, 1977," and the other titled "A
Poem for Connection" (dated June 15, 1987).
1 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.2. Notebooks and notes (cont'd)
F29 Notebook, 1976-1979
Notebook bears the cover title "German Women Irish
Women Notes" and includes notes from interviews with
Sister Benevenuta, Carmencita Hederman, Mairin de
Burca, as well as mentions of Eileen Desmond, Pat
Carroll, Ben Kiely, Bernadette Quinn, and Mary Fay.
This is the only notebook in this collection which also
includes notes for Boyle's unpublished research toward
a book on German women. The fifty-seven page notebook
also includes an untitled poem dated August 7, 1976,
and indicates that Boyle was in Ireland from July to
October 1976, July and August 1977, and in Paris in
June 1977. A page of notes and a clipping are laid in.
F30 Notebook, 1976 Jun 21-Aug 7
The first page of the notebook bears the title "Irish
Journal." The thirty-nine pages include poems; an
interview with Mary Fay; descriptions of Limerick,
Galway, and Dublin; mentions of Mary Robinson, Valerie
Mcauliffe, Pat McHugh, Hilary Boyle, Nora Donnelly,
Bernadette Quinn, Cristabel Bielenberg; Boyle's notes
taken during meetings of AIM and CHERISH; and mentions
of Boyle's health problems.
F31 Notebook, 1976 Jul
The sixteen pages include extensive notes about Mary
Frances Hogan, notes from discussions with Mairin de
Burca and Sister Benevenuta, and information about AIM
and CHERISH.
F32 Notebook, 1977-1979
Cover bears the title "Kay Boyle Irish Women," and the
notebook's six pages include information about Mary Fay
and a story about Bill March.
F33 Notebook, 1977 Jul
The notebook's thirty-three pages include notes on
Mairin de Burca, Sister Benevenuta, Mary Fay, and
Hilary Boyle, as well as notes from James Stephens's
The Insurrection in Dublin.
F34 Notebook, 1977-1979
Includes jokes, quotes from Padreigin McGillicuddy's
writings, and notes on Hilary Boyle and Nancy McCarthy.
1 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.3. Drafts of chapters for a book on Irish
women, 1977-1979
These drafts and notes are arranged alphabetically
by title. The pages within each title are in the
order in which they were originally received.
Most of the drafts are incomplete typescripts with
extensive autograph revisions.
F35 "Dublin Summer," 1979 Apr 30-May 1
Includes three drafts of this title, all incomplete
(8p).
F36 "Excerpts from a Book on Irish Women," 1979 Nov
The Ts and two Ts (carbon) drafts of this chapter about
Mary Fay are a rewrite of the draft "Faysie" (F37).
All three drafts bear extensive autograph revisions and
dates of revisions (23p).
F37 "Faysie," 1977-1979
Numerous Ts and Ts (carbon) pages of incomplete drafts
toward a chapter about Mary Fay and Bernadette Quinn.
The pages bear extensive autograph revisions and
revision dates. Parts of these drafts are included in
"Excerpt from a Book on Irish Women" (F36). Includes a
letter from Boyle to Mary Fay with a list of questions
which Fay answered and returned to Boyle (59p).
F38 "Mrs. Minch and Hilary Boyle," 1979 Apr-May
Numerous Ts drafts bearing extensive autograph
revisions, for a chapter on Hilary Boyle. Includes
autograph notes about Hilary Boyle, a photograph of H.
Boyle, and excerpts from Edward R. Tannenbaum's 1900
(31p).
F39 "St. Stephen's Green," 1977-1979
Ts and Ts (carbon) drafts of material similar to
"Dublin Summer" (F35).
Series I.4. Photographs of Kay Boyle in Ireland, 1976
F40 Photographs, 1976
Fourteen photographs which include Kay Boyle, Hilary
Boyle, Mary Fay, and possibly Fay's family.
Series I.5. Tape of program with Mairin de Burca,
[n.d.]
F41 Reel to reel Tape, [n.d.]
Also includes cassettee recording for use by
researchers, see audiorecordings shelf (Range 76b).
1 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.6. Publications of Irish organizations
concerning Irish women and issues, 1920-1984
Books, pamphlets, newsletters, magazines, and
journals concerning a variety of issues related to
Irish women, Northern Ireland and the Irish
Republic, peace, and Ireland's social problems.
Many of these items may have been enclosed in the
letters from Quinn, Hilary Boyle, and de Burca.
The material is arranged in alphabetical order by
name of the organization publishing the material.
AIM (Action Information Motivation) Group, 1976-1980
The AIM group was begun in 1972 to campaign for law
reform in areas related to women and the family. The
group's Women's Centre, opened in 1975, provides
support, advice, and information on legal and marital
problems for women. Nuala Fennell and Bernadette Quinn
were among the founders of AIM.
F42 AIM group pamphlets, [1976]
Six pamphlets describe AIM's programs and objectives.
F43 "AIM Group Report Number Two: Legal Separation in Ireland," 1976 Apr
F44 AIM Group Newsletter, 1975-1978
Eleven issues.
F45 Women's AIM, 1979-1980
Issues 1-6.
Arlen House, 1975
Founded by Catherine Rose, this Galway publisher prints
the writings of Irish women, particularly related to
social and women's issues.
F46 Copy of The Female Experience: the story of the woman
movement in Ireland (1975) by Catherine Rose.
2 C.F.N., 1974
Republic of Ireland publisher.
F47 Copy of Songs and Recitations of Ireland (Cork, C.F.N.,
1974).
2 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.6. Publications-Irish organizations (cont'd)
CHERISH, 1974-1976
Founded in 1972, CHERISH is an association of single
unmarried parents, which provides encouragement and
help for the parents and works on related social
issues. Mary Robinson was the first president of the
organization.
F48 Includes a history of the group, and a publication
resulting from the conference "The Unmarried Parent and
Child in Irish Society" (1974).
DAWN: an Irish Journal of Nonviolence, [1978]
Journal produced by an untitled group from Dublin,
Belfast, and Derry, associated with War Resisters
International.
F49 Two issues, one on nonviolence in Irish history.
The Fertility Guidance Company, [n.d.]
F50 Copy of Family Planning: a guide for parents and
prospective parents, published by this Dublin group.
The Irish Homestead, Ltd., [1920]
This publication was a weekly journal of Irish co-operative activities.
F51 Issue which includes George Russell's A Plea for
Justice: being a demand for a public enquiry into the
attacks on co-operative societies in Ireland. Also
includes a list of co-operative societies destroyed or
damaged by the British.
Irish Republic, Commission on the Status of Women, 1972
F52 Copy of Report to the Minister of Finance complied the
Commission on issues of Irish women's employment and
equal compensation.
Irish Women United, [1978]
This group of Irish women's liberationists advocate
equal rights for women and publish a journal titled
Banshee.
F53 Two issues of Banshee.
2 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.6. Publications-Irish organizations (cont'd)
Justice Movement, 1977 Aug 1
This peace group is organized by Ubique Dwyer.
F54 Leaflet promoting a "Peoples Festival."
Peace People, 1976-1979
This Irish group is composed of individuals in Belfast
who support the peace movement and publish the magazine
Peace by Peace.
F55 Eleven issues of Peace by Peace and some clippings.
Some issues have been removed to the Oversize section.
Prisoners Rights Organization, [1976-1977]
This Dublin group informs the Irish public of the
present conditions of prisons and works for prison
reforms.
F56 Five issues of the group's publication, Jail Journal.
Sinn Fein, 1975-1984
This political organization is linked to the Irish
Republican Army (IRA) and represents the Roman Catholic
minority in Northern Ireland. It espouses the motto
"Ourselves Alone" and seeks to establish a Democratic
Socialist Republic in Northern Ireland and to be united
with the Republic of Ireland. Related organizations
include the National Women's Committee, Republican
Clubs, and Irish Republican Clubs of North America.
F57 Booklets and journal, 1975-1977
Copies of Manifesto of Sinn Fein, The Rights of Women
in Ireland, and one issue of Teoiric: theoretical
journal of the Republican Movement.
F58 United Ireland Solidarity Newsletter, 1977-1984
Published by the Irish Republican Clubs, USA, which is
a support group for the official Republican Movement,
Sinn F‚in, and the IRA. Includes four issues of the
newsletter, brochures, and tear sheets.
Women's Political Association, 1977
Organization working for the political empowerment of
women through the election of women, reformation of
laws, and education.
F59 One issue of Women's Political Association Journal,
flyers, a program, and fact sheets.
2 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.6. Publications-Irish publications (cont'd)
Miscellaneous Irish publications, 1973-1981
F60 Includes a copy of J.A. Fahy's tourist guide, The Glory
of Cong, Galway-Salthill Tourist Guide '76; and issues
of Books of Ireland, Observer, Farm Exam, Hibernia,
Financial Times, The Irish Times Annual Review, Sunday
World, and The Sunday Tribune. Some items removed to
the oversize section.
Series I.7. Clippings from Irish publications,
1975-1980
Most of these clippings were sent to Boyle in
letters from the Irish women identified in Series
I.1. The material is organized in alphabetical
order by subject titles assigned to groups of
clippings by Kay Boyle. Preservation photocopies
have replaced many of the clippings.
F61 "The Abbey Theatre and the Pub Situation," 1977
F62 "Mairin de Burca," 1977-1980
F63 "Hibernia," 1976-1980
Some clippings removed to oversize section.
F64 "Irish Prisons," [n.d.]
F65 "Irish Times," 1975-1977
F66 "Miscellaneous (Cork, Church, and Peace Movement Dissent),"
1977
F67 "Northern Ireland," 1976-1979
F68 "SDLP," 1977
Series I.8. U.S. publications and clippings related
to Irish issues, 1959-1981
F69 Amnesty International, 1978
Report of an Amnesty International Mission to Northern
Ireland.
F70 Ducas, 1977
Two issues published by the Irish American Cultural
Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota.
F71 Fellowship, 1976-1980
Four issues published by Fellowship of Reconciliation.
2 Series I. Material related to Irish women (cont'd)
Series I.8. U.S. publications and clippings (cont'd)
F72 Miscellaneous, 1976-1981
Issues of The Catholic Worker, The Conspiracy, Women's
International League, The Weekly People, The Irish
Worker, Newsletter of the Resource Center for
Nonviolence, Liberation, War Resister, and Labor News.
Some items removed to oversize section.
F73 The Nation, 1976-1978
F74 Clippings, 1959-1981
Preservation photocopies have replaced most of the
clippings.
Series II. Letters, manuscripts, and ephemera
unrelated to Irish women, 1956-1988
Series II.1. Letters written to Kay Boyle, 1969-1988
Arranged in alphabetical order by correspondent.
All letters are addressed to Kay Boyle unless
otherwise indicated.
F75 Barzun, Jacques, 1907-
1983 May 31 TLS 1p
Jun 1 TLS 1p
Jun 15 TLS 1p
Note: Includes a TL (carbon) from Boyle to
Barzun.
F76 Blume, Peter, 1906-
1980 Mar 11 ALS 2p
Mar 27 ALS 3p
F77 Burke, Kenneth, 1897-
1980 Jan 15 TL 1p
Note: Includes two Ts (photocopy) poems by
Burke titled "A Clima(c)tic Situation" and
"Out of Backwards Sidewise Toward Fromwards."
F78 Coates, Gary
[1980 Aug 10] ALS 2p
F79 Cohn, Ruby
[1980: Sep 15] ANS 1p
F80 Davidson, Alfred E.
1983-1984 Letters 5p
Note: Letters concerning Boyle's daughter
Kathe Vail and her legal case in Tunisia.
F81 Dickey, William
1980 Jun 9 TLS 1p
2 Series II. Material unrelated to Irish women (cont'd)
Series II.1. Letters (cont'd)
F82 Dzwonkoski, Peter
1980 Jan 22 TLS 1p
Note: Includes two TL (carbon)s from Boyle.
F83 Einsele, Helga
1980 Mar 26 TLS 1p
F84 Ferencz, Benjamin B., 1920-
1979 Dec 8 TLS 1p
F85 Ford, Charles Henri
1979 Dec 23 ALS 1p
Note: Verso bears a photocopy review of Om
Krishna I.
1980 Jan 11 ALS 1p
Note: Addressed to Sharon Fisch.
1980 Mar 20 ACS 1p
F86 Ford, Hugh, 1925-
1980 Jan 22 ALS 3p
Feb 18 ALS 2p
Note: Includes a program of The American
Place Theatre production of "Paris Lights."
May 29 ALS 2p
Note: Includes an ALS from Therese.
Aug 23 ALS 2p
F87 Garchik, Jerome M.
1981 Apr 9 TLS 1p
Note: Includes TL (carbon) from Boyle and
several photocopied pages from the FBI file
on Boyle.
F88 Gordiner
[1980 Mar 26] ACS 1p
F89 Hersey, John, 1914-
1980 May 3 ANS 1p
F90 Levertov, Denise, 1923-
1980 Feb 3 ALS 3p
F91 Lochner, Robert H.
1980 Jan 2 TLS 2p
F92 McCormick, Ken, 1906-
1980 Jan 17 TLS 1p
Note: Includes reviews of Boyle's Fifty
Stories.
F93 McKeen, Lila Jewel
1970 Jan 14 ALS 1p
2 Series II. Material unrelated to Irish women (cont'd)
Series II.1. Letters (cont'd)
F94 MacLeish, Archibald, 1892-
[1980] May 1 ALS 1p
F95 McReynolds, David
1980 May 4 TLS 1p
F96 Miller, Arthur, 1915-
1980 May 11 TNS 1p
F97 New Jersey State Parole Board
1980 Feb 7 TLS 1p
F98 Porter, Katherine Anne, 1890-1980
1980 Mar 31 TL (photocopy) 1p
F99 Renek, Morris
1988 Program 5p
Note: Program tribute to Boyle titled "Say
Hello to Kay Boyle."
F100 Saler, Herimone
1980 Jan 24 TLS 1p
Note: Includes a TL (carbon) from Boyle.
F101 Schlesinger, Arthur Meier, 1917-
1980 Mar 21 TLS 1p
F102 Schneider, Harold K.
1979 Oct 8 TLS 1p
Oct 17 TLS 1p
Note: Includes a TL (carbon) from Boyle to
Schneider.
F103 Stender, Fay
1980 Letters 8p
Note: Includes a letter from Priscilla Camp
to Boyle explaining Stender's death.
F104 Stephenson, Gregory, 1947-
1981 Jun 4 ALS 1p
1982 Jun 30 ALS 1p
F105 Terkel, Studs, 1912-
[1980 Apr 30] ALS 1p
F106 Thompson, Mildred
1980 ACSs 4p
F107 Thomson, Virgil, 1896-
1983 Sep 3 TLS 1p
F108 Toomer, Marjorie Content
1980 Feb 29 TLS 2p
2 Series II. Material unrelated to Irish women (cont'd)
Series II.1. Letters (cont'd)
F109 Virago Limited
1980 Letters 4p
Note: Letters concerning Boyle's preface for
Plagued by the Nightingale.
F110 Warren, Robert Penn, 1905-
1980 Aug 2 TNS 1p
F111 Watkins, Armitage
1980 Letters 3p
Note: Includes amended contract with
Doubleday signed by Boyle.
F112 Unidentified, 1969-1980
Series II.2. Poetry Written by Kay Boyle, 1960-1985
Includes individual poems, a list of poems sent to
Sun & Moon, and a notebook titled "My Poetry"
which includes successive drafts of eight poems.
F113 Poems and List, 1969 and [n.d.]
Includes poem titled "For James Baldwin," one untitled
poem with the first line "Tonight I am filled with
dreams," and a list of poems sent to Sun & Moon.
2 Series II. Material unrelated to Irish women (cont'd)
Series II.2. Poetry (cont'd)
F114 "My Poetry" Notebook, 1960-1985
Includes the following poems:
1) "What Parents Do Not Yet Know," 1974-1983, 10 Ts,
autograph, and Ts (carbon) drafts. Originally
titled "Questions" and written for "Poetry in Public
Places."
2) "Advice To The Old (including myself)," 1974-1984,
13 Ts and Ts (carbon) drafts with autograph
revisions.
3) "Poem for a Colleague," 1977-1979, 11 autograph, Ts,
and Ts (carbon) drafts with extensive autograph
revisions. Originally titled "A Poem for Nancy and
Her Children" written after the death of Herb
Wilner.
4) "A Poem For George Moscone, Assassinated November
27, 1978," 1978-1979, 8 autograph, Ts and Ts
(carbon) drafts with extensive revisions.
5) "The Stones of a Seventeenth Century Village," 1974-
1984, 17 Ts and Ts (carbon) drafts with extensive
revisions. Originally titled "The Ruined Village"
or "A Poem About Midi."
6) "A Poem for the Students of Greece (Salonika and
Athens 1973)," 1974-1975, 4 Ts (carbon) and Ts
(photocopy) drafts with autograph revisions.
7) "Poem for a Painter Bent on Suicide," 1960-1983,
4 Ts and Ts (carbon) drafts with autograph
revisions. Originally titled "Poem for a Painter
Who Speaks of Suicide as a Moment as Beautiful as
Poetry."
8) "Poets," 1972-1985, 4 Ts and Ts (carbon) drafts with
autograph revisions.
Series II.3. Speech by Kay Boyle and related material,
1964-1984
Includes drafts of Boyle's speech titled "In
Memory of Joseph Franckenstein," and letters
related to the Low-Heywood Thomas School's foreign
student scholarship honoring her husband, Joseph
Franckenstein, who taught at the Stamford,
Connecticut school for nine years in the 1950s.
F115 "In Memory of Joseph Franckenstein," 1964-1980
Three Ts, Ts (carbon), and Ts (photocopy) drafts with
autograph revisions.
2 Series II. Material unrelated to Irish women (cont'd)
Series II.3. Speech (cont'd)
F116 Letters, 1981-1984
Drafts of Kay Boyle's letters to parents and alumni of
Low-Heywood Thomas School concerning the Joseph
Franckenstein Foreign Student Scholarship. This
scholarship was awarded to one of Bernadette Quinn's
daughters.
Series II.4. Notebooks and notes by Kay Boyle, 1956-
1981
These notebooks and loose notes contain ideas for
stories, poems, and books; as well as notes on a
variety of subjects, including Lippinzanner horses
and Bach. Arranged in chronological order.
F117 Notebook, 1956
Notebook bears the cover title "Notes on Lippinzans"
and includes drawings by a child, notes on Lippinzanner
horses, and an autograph draft of a letter by Joseph
Franckenstein.
F118 Loose notes, 1967-1980
Includes notes about Persia (1967); quotes from music,
magazines, and books, including Lake Woebegone; and
ideas for stories.
F119 "Notes for Stories," 1979-1981
Envelope of autograph notes and copies of newsletters,
articles, and newspapers. Two issues of Cottage Grove
Sentinel (Oregon) are removed to the oversize section.
F120 "First Class in Bach," [n.d.]
Two pages of notes taken by Boyle during a class on
Bach, with a page of notes concerning her car.
Series II.5. Calendars kept by Kay Boyle, 1980-1985
The calendars bear Kay Boyle's appointments during
certain months.
F121 Human Rights Calendar, 1980
August missing.
F122 Ireland Calendar, 1983
Removed to oversize section.
F123 Ben's Country Calendar, 1984
F124 Calendar, 1985
Appointments for March-May have been erased.
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