Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Powys, John Cowper, 1872-1963. |
| Title: | John Cowper Powys Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1890-1972 |
| Quantity: | 3.0 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Papers of the British novelist, poet, author. Collection includes correspondence (1927-1965); manuscript notebooks containing holograph fragments of essays, novels, plays, poems, prefaces (1890-1966); and memorabilia including clippings, pamphlets, and a Powys family photograph album. Correspondents include Graham Ackroyd, Fred Bason, Norman Denny, Lucile Grebenc, Warren Penn Kime, George L. Lewin, Laurence Pollack, Dorothy M. Richardson, Asta Fleming Sullivan, Sven-Erik Tāckmark, and Clifford Tolchard. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 http://scrc.syr.edu |
John Cowper Powys, English essayist, novelist and poet, was born in Shirley, Derbyshire, England, on October 8, 1872. He received his education at Sherborne Preparatory School and later at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he earned his degreee in history.
In 1896 and 1899, Powys published two volumes of poetry, Odes and Other Poems and Poems, respectively. Then, for several years he was primarily occupied with lecturing, first for the Oxford and Cambridge Extension, for whom he gave his first American lecture in 1910, and later on his own.
In 1915 his first novel, Wood and Stone, appeared. Two years later, his third volume of poetry, Mandragora, was published in America, followed by Samphire in 1922. From that point on his prolific output of essays, novels and poems continued until 1980, his eighty-eighth year.
John Cowper Powys married Margaret Alice Lyon on April 9, 1898, and they had one child, a son. Powys died June 17, 1963.
The John Cowper Powys Papers consist of correspondence, writings and memorabilia. The materials date from 1890-1972.
Correspondence from the early years is that from Powys to others, while later correspondence is to and from others discussing Powys. An index to the correspondents appears at the end of this finding aid.
Writings consists primarily of unpublished fragments and notebooks of essays, novels, plays, poems, and prefaces. Also included here are Powys' letters compiled by Penn Kime in book form, and a typescript of Llewelyn Powys' Swiss Essays.
Memorabilia contains newspaper clippings, two published pamphlets on John Cowper Powys and the Powys family, and a Powys family photograph album.
Correspondence is arranged chronologically; undated items are at the end, arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Writings are arranged first by type and then by title.
There are no access restrictions on this material
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Other John Cowper Powys letters exist in the Eric Wilson Barker Papers and the Edmund B. Chaffee Papers, and in the papers of Professor A. E. Johnson in the Syracuse University Archives.
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
John Cowper Powys Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Library
Gift of Marian Powys Grey, 1964 and purchase, 1962-1973.
Created by: BEB
Date: 31 Oct 1973
Revision history: 3 Oct 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC)
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1927-1965, undated | ||||||||||
| Writings | |||||||||||
| Books | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Autobiography 1934 - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | In Spite Of 1953 - fragment, holo, chapter 1, tsc. rev. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Mortal Strife 1943 - Chapters 1-5, tsc rev. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Morwyn 1937 - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Owen Glendower 1940 - fragment, holo.; chapters 1-6 and 8, tsc. rev. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Untitled [early novel] c.1894 - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Untitled [the life of a street girl] c.1900 - notebook, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Untitled c.1904 - two notebooks, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Weymouth Sands 1934 - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Wolf Solent 1929 - fragment, holo.; chapters 19-24, holo. | ||||||||||
| Essays | |||||||||||
| Box 3 | "The Inhumanity of Liberal Protestantism" undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | "The New Paganism" c.1910 - notebook, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On America undated - fragment and notes, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On being happy with a woman undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On contemplating life and death undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On Dorchester undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On Dostoievski undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On "The Ichthian Act" undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On Mr. James Flanders at Wealden undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On the purpose of life undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On Several Subjects – and From Several Points of View c. 1894 - notebook, holo | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On two sisters – Fanny and Lubie Howard undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | On vivisection and fascism undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | What I expect from Life undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | What is Happiness undated - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Unidentified fragment undated - holo. | ||||||||||
| Plays | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | The Idiot 1922 - Acts I-IV, holo. and tsc. | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | With Love Away, and other unpublished fragments and poems c. 1894 - 3 notebooks | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Transcription by Paul Roberts 1993 | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Untitled c.1894 (five notebooks, holo.) | ||||||||||
| Poetry | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Burpham Journals c. 1909, c. 1919 (2 notebooks) | ||||||||||
| Box 5, 6 | Cambridge and Southwick Journals c.1890-96 (9 notebooks) | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Samphire c. 1912, c. 1922 - notebook, published material | ||||||||||
| Prefaces | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | To the May Chesshire Letters c.1935 - fragment, holo. | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | To Stern c. 1948 - fragments, unpublished holo., tsc. | ||||||||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | Letters from a Modern Welsh Merlin to Penn Kime 1964 - ts. | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Swiss Essays by Llewelyn Powys, 1947 - tsc. | ||||||||||
| Memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | Newspaper clippings, and autograph 1955-1972 | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Philobiblon, published by Colgate Univ. Press 1966 | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Photograph album, Powys family | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | The Powys Family, by Littleton C. Powys 1952 | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Copy negatives from photograph album (not all-inclusive) | ||||||||||
