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Michael Palmer Collection

 Collection
Identifier: PCMS-0025

Scope and Content Note

The Michael Palmer Collection includes 3,500 pages of manuscripts, primarily handwritten, for several of Palmer's books; 1,800 letters from such writers as Paul Auster, Charles Bernstein, Clark Coolidge, Bill Corbett, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Lyn Hejinian, Susan Howe, and John Taggart; course material and other documents relating to Palmer's teaching in the Poetics Program at the New College of California; dance manuscripts and other material for over a dozen performances of the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company produced by Palmer; and printed material relating to various poetry, dance, music, and theater events.

Dates

  • 1963-1988

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material in English.

Terms of Access

The Michael Palmer Collection, 1963-1988, is open for research.

Copyright

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Poetry Collection before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Biographical Note

Michael Palmer is a poet, translator, and educator known for his lyric meditations and interdisciplinary collaborations with dance and the visual arts. He has published books of poetry regularly since 1971, as well as essays and translations, and has created and adapted work in collaboration with the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. With Clark Coolidge he edited the literary magazine Joglars in the mid-1960s.

Extent

14.375 Linear Feet (35 containers)

Abstract

Michael Palmer is a poet, translator, and educator known for his lyric meditations and interdisciplinary collaborations with dance and the visual arts. He has published books of poetry regularly since 1971, as well as essays and translations, and has created and adapted work in collaboration with the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. The Michael Palmer Collection includes six boxes of manuscripts material, primarily handwritten, for several of Palmer's books; 20 boxes of correspondence from such writers as Paul Auster, Charles Bernstein, Clark Coolidge, Bill Corbett, Robert Creeley, Robert Duncan, Lyn Hejinian, Susan Howe, and John Taggart; course material and other documents relating to Palmer's teaching in the Poetics Program at the New College of California; dance manuscripts and other material for over a dozen performances of the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company produced by Palmer; and printed material relating to various poetry, dance, music, and theater events.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in five series:

  • Manuscripts, 1972-1988
  • Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, 1975-1984
  • Correspondence, 1964-1987
  • New College of California, 1979-1987
  • Printed Material and Ephemera, 1975-1985 (bulk)
  • Acquisition Information

    Purchased from Michael Palmer in 1992.

    Accruals and Additions

    No further accruals are expected to this collection.

    Processing Information

    Collection processed by Marie Elia, 2016-2017. Collection was previously inventoried for appraisal purposes and has been made accessible to researchers while unprocessed, therefore original order cannot be ascertained. Where materials were grouped by manuscript title or correspondent, these groupings were preserved and described as such.

    Source

    Title
    Finding aid for the Michael Palmer Collection, 1963-1988
    Status
    Completed
    Author
    Finding aid prepared by Marie Elia.
    Date
    2017
    Description rules
    Describing Archives: A Content Standard
    Language of description
    English
    Script of description
    Latin
    Language of description note
    Finding aid written in English.

    Repository Details

    Part of the The Poetry Collection Repository

    Contact:
    420 Capen Hall
    Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
    716-645-2917
    716-645-3714 (Fax)