]> po1000-158 Guide to the Poetry at the Honors College and Connecticut Poetry Circuit Records, 1966 - 1990 Processed by: Kate Levy; machine-readable finding aid created by: Valerie Gillispie &hdrsca;

© 2008 Wesleyan University. All Rights Reserved.

 Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: September 2008 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS Guide to the Poetry at the Honors College and Connecticut Poetry Circuit Records, 1966 - 1990 Special Collections & ArchivesWesleyan University Middletown, CT, USA

© 2008 Wesleyan University. All Rights Reserved.

 Descriptive Summary Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.). Honors College. Connecticut Poetry Circuit. Poetry at the Honors College and Connecticut Poetry Circuit Records, 1966 - 1990 1000-158 Material in English 10 20 For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Special Collections & Archives staff. The Honors College, housed in Russell House, was a program for distinguished students in the Wesleyan community. In addition to informal lectures by young men and women, the Honors College hosted a series of music concerts and poetry readings by distinguished, young American poets. The poetry series at the Honors College also came to include an opportunity for Wesleyan students to share their own work for an audience. The Connecticut Poetry Circuit is a non-profit organization that provides three poetry reading programs for colleges and some preparatory schools. The intention of the circuit was to bring established yet unpublished poets to colleges and universities, as well as a competition among students throughout Connecticut to travel the circuit as student poets. The winners of the competition are chosen by a selection committee to tour the state reading their poetry. The connection between the Connecticut Poetry Circuit and Wesleyan University is that Jean Maynard, the assistant director of the Honors College, was the director of the Connecticut Poetry Circuit. The collection contains material about the poetry at the Honors College; information on the student poets on the Connecticut Poetry Circuit; detailed information about the poets who read at the Honors College and toured on the circuit; and administrative information, mostly from the Connecticut Poetry Circuit, including correspondence, requests from poets to be included in the tour, financial information, information about the selection committee, and some history of the circuit. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

 Copyright Notice

Copyright for Official University records is held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Poetry at the Honors College and Connecticut Poetry Circuit Records, Collection #1000-158, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.

 Acquisitions Information

Given by Jean Maynard in June 1990.

 Processing Information

Processed by Kate Levy, October 2008

Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, October 2008

 Historical Note

This collection of poetry is comprised of information regarding the poetry presented at the Honors College. The Honors College, housed in Russell House, was a program for distinguished students in the Wesleyan community. In addition to informal lectures by young men and women distinguished in the arts, sciences, and professions, the Honors College hosted for its members (and later, the public) a series of music concerts and poetry readings by distinguished, young American poets beginning in either 1964 or 1965. The poetry series at the Honors College also came to include an opportunity for Wesleyan students to share their own work for an audience. In April of 1984, the Honors College hosted an anniversary poetry festival with over 30 poets participating to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Wesleyan Press Poetry Program.

Another large part of this collection is the work with the Connecticut Poetry Circuit. The Connecticut Poetry Circuit is a non-profit organization that provides three poetry reading programs for colleges and some preparatory schools. The Connecticut Poetry Circuit was founded as the New England Poetry Circuit in 1963, but after August, 1968, the New England Poetry Circuit split into the New England Poetry Circuit and the Connecticut Poetry Circuit. The intention of the circuit was to bring established yet unpublished poets to colleges and universities, as well as a competition among students throughout Connecticut to travel the circuit as student poets. The winners of the competition (usually four students, sometimes five) are chosen by a selection committee to tour the state reading their poetry. The first group of student poets to tour around Connecticut was in 1970. While not a major part of the poetry circuit, the Connecticut Commission on the Arts awards grant money to the circuit to allow for the poets to tour. The connection between the Connecticut Poetry Circuit and Wesleyan University is that Jean Maynard, the assistant director of the Honors College, was the director of the Connecticut Poetry Circuit. She organized the committee to select the student poets, as well as find and invite poets to join the circuit.

Professional Poets at the Honors College 1966-1967 Bink Noll A.R. Ammons Jon Silken Adrienne Rich 1967-1968 Richard Howard Donald Petersen Edward Weismiller F.D. Reeve James Scully Marge Piercy Philip Levine Richard Wilbur 1968-1969 Tony Connor Michael Benedict James Wright William Jay Smith William Meredith Mark Strand Gray Burr Leonard Nathan Barbara Howes John Montague Vito Hannibal Acconci 1969-1970 Louis Simpson Charles Levendosky James Seay Thomas Kinsella Gwendolyn Brooks Daryl Hine Richard Tillinghast Anne Stevenson Ken Smith Robert Peters 1970-1971 Michael Hamburger Stanley Burnshaw Michael Goldman Dugan Gilman John Haines Anthony Hecht Phyllis Thompson Clarence Major William Harmon Philip Appleman 1971-1972 Tony Connor W.S. Merwin Irving Feldman Derek Walcott Richard Wilbur The Blue Cat Michael Harper Andrew Gaus Edmund Helminski 1972-1973 Carolyn Kizer Robert Huff Donald D. Walsh Lawrence Lipking Richard Howard Wilbert Snow Peter Klappert Thom Gunn 1973-1974 Lucille Clifton Josephine Miles James Tate Rex Warner Rosemarie & Keith Waldrop Christopher Montgomery Maxine Kumin William Jay Smith Constance Carrier Robert Penn Warren 1974-1975 Richard Wilbur Robert Fitzgerald Muriel Rukeyser Thomas Kinsella Marge Piercy William Heyen Robert Siegel John Ormand 1975-1976 Denise Levertov Brendan Galvin Robert Francis Michael Hamburger Charles Wright Calvin Forbes John Hollander 1976-1977 Mark Strand Charles Simic John Ashbery Peter Fallon F.D. Reeve Samuel Hazo David Walker Partizia Cavalli Judith Minty Leon Forrest Michael Harper 1977-1978 Tony Connor Margaret Atwood Richard Hugo Brendan Kennelly Ellen Bryant Voigt Ruth Stone Thom Gunn Robert Hayden Michael Harper Richard Eberhart 1978-1979 Richard Willar Linda Pastan Derek Walcott Robert Morgan F.D. Reeve Ricardo Alonso Stephen Policoff Judith Hemschemeyer Frank Bidart Galway Kinnell 1979-1980 Mark Strand Vernon Yang Steve Orlen Lucien Stryk Robert Pinsky William Stafford Diana Der Hovanessian James Merrill Alfred Corn Annie Dillard 1980-1981 Edmond Jabès Tony Connor Rosemarie Waldrop Daniel Haberman Robert Fitzgerald Philip Martin John Peck Daniel Hoffman William Meredith Sherley Anne Williams Linda Pastan Irving Feldman 1981-1982 Richard Wilbur Tony Connor Wilbert Snow Charles Olson Constance Carrier Elizabeth Spires Robert Neal Norma Blacke-Bragg Dean Holmes Donald Justice Jane Cooper Richard Tillinghast Allen Grossman Judith Moffett John Malcolm Brinnin 1982-1983 Alastair Reid Katha Pollitt Galway Kinnell Gillian Clarke John Ormond Robert Minhinnick William Jay Smith F.D. Reeve Seamus Heany J.D. McClatchy Charles Wright 1983-1984 James Merrill David Ferry Brendan Galvin Tony Connor Brad Leithauser James Tate George Starbuck Robert Bly Yehuda Amichai Derek Walcott April 1984 25th Anniversary Poetry Festival: James Dickey Richard Howard Sherman Hawkins Susan Mitchell Jean Maynard Richard Tillinghast Robert Brown Garrett Hongo Bonnie Costello Charles Wright David Ingatow Carl Viggiani Mark Schafer Tony Connor David Lehman Margaret Gibson Gertrude Hughes Annie Dillard Louis Simpson Grace Shulman Richard Stamelman Harvey Shapiro Richard Wilbur Richard Katrovas Jonathan Galassi Yusef Komunyakaa Brendan Galvin Colleen McElroy Krishna Winston Hilary Mullins Collin Camobell Norman Shapiro James Tate 1984-1985 John Tranter Amy Clampett John Haines Norman Shapiro Rosanne Coggeshall Philip Levine Robert Mezey Dave Smith Joseph Brodsy Lisel Mueller 1985-1986 Liam Rector Harvey Shapiro Charles Simic Joanne Burns Pi O Geoff Page John A. Scott George Garrett Rachel Hadas Sharon Olds Peter Davison John Ash T. Carmi Richard Katartrovis Brad Leithauser 1986-1987 Sandra Mcpherson Michael Collier Marilyn Wanick Neely Bruce reads Gertrude Stein Gjertrud Schnackenberg Edmond Jabès Dana Gioia David Ingatow Richard Wilbur Tony Connor 1987-1988 Mark Anderson Mark Schafer Laurie Duggan Helen Garner Michael Heyward Susan Mitchell Rennie McQuilkin Michael Standon Mary Jo Salter Charles Wright David Lehman Yusef Komunyakaa Dick Allen 1988-1989 James Merrill Nancy Willard Wendy Larsen Tran Thi Nga Richard Kenney J.D. Reeve Judith Baumel James Tate Katha Pollitt Wesleyan Student Poets 1967-1968 John Barlow Andrew Gaus Edmund Helminski Lynn T. Kozlowski Jeff Wanshel Michael Wolfe 1968-1969 John Barlow Frank Cobb Lynn T. Kozlowski Cedric Noble Jeff Wanshel 1969-1970 Georgia Sassen Andrew Elden Allan Gray Paul Maynard Richard Noble Stephen Policoff 1970-1971 Connie Balides Frederick Lord John Marlone Geoffrey Rips Kit Royce Robert Ulreich 1971-1972 Kate Ballen Michael Carlson John Cox Bonnie Krueger Frank Levering Steven Pope Steven Soria Nathaniel White 1972-1973 Tim Bahti Kate Ballen Michel de Konkoly Thege John Martone Cedric Noble Caroline Sutton 1973-1974 Barbara Bachtell Norma Bragg Peng Khvan Fong Jennifer Gage Robert Lake 1974-1975 Bill Aronstein Carol Cooper John Jackson Seth Lerer Jill Rips Stan Sutton 1975-1976 Stephen Alter Bonnie Bernstein Dean Holmes Jerry McGuire Ruth Pachman Ellen Marks Nina Shengold Tracy Winn Michael Minard 1976-1977 Elissa Ely Judith Harway James Skofield David Wisdo 1977-1978 Nola Butler Michael Dorsey Bryna Goodman Beverly Hinton Elaine Tietjen Elizabeth Weiss 1978-1979 Christopher Breyer Robert Chance Elizabeth Dunn Candace Payne Edwina Trentham Stephen Ward 1979-1980 Christopher Breyer Michael Collins Kenneth Haltman Cynthia Jaffee Lisa Kaufman 1980-1981 Cori Adler Paul Margolis Alan Botsford Becky Shuster James Marcus John Stanizzi 1981-1982 Julia Croston David Frankfurter Jennifer Montgomery Virginia Rye Clara Silverstein 1982-1983 Susan Lepseiter David Lorey Catalina Rios Kirsten Wasson 1983-1984 Nancy Daley Hilary Mullins Jon Sadowsky Liz Solar Molly Willey 1984-1985 Lisa Cook Evelyn Gonzales Rachel Kaplin Spencer Reece Scott Sager Mark Shafer 1985-1986 David Aronson Marcy North Karin Schalm Elizabeth Zsuga 1986-1987 Antonio Jocson Naomi Mezey Amy Schwartz Matthew Weiner 1987-1988 Bethany Casarjian Nicole Grieco Cameron Gearen Lisa Nash Antonio Jocson 1988-1989 Laura Michelle Cherry Daniel Handler Arthur Halpern Ezra Fred Tawil Adina Hoffman Student Poets on the Connecticut Poetry Circuit 1970 Gayle Jones- Connecticut College Raymond A. Biasotti- University of Bridgeport Stephen Policoff- Wesleyan University Daniel Santhouse- University of Connecticut 1971 D.W. Donzella- University of Bridgeport Theodore James Guhl- Central Connecticut State University John Maynard- Wesleyan University Don Shambroom- Yale University 1972 Katherine Royce- Wesleyan University Leonard Marcus- Yale University Sarah Meisner- Manchester Community College Raja Changez Sultan- Trinity College February 1973 Rika Lesser- Yale University Frank Levering- Wesleyan University Shelley Strohm- Manchester Community College Chase Twichell- Trinity College February 1974 Elizabeth Egloff- Trinity College Peter Kerr- Jarreti- Yale University Jerry McGuire- Manchester Community College David Weinstock- Wesleyan University 1975 Michael Collier- Connecticut College Dederick Finne- Yale University Binnie Klein- University of Bridgeport James Stefon- Mohegan Community College 1976 Robin Green- University of Bridgeport Dean Holmes- Wesleyan University Melinda Kahn- Yale University Philip Paradis- Central Connecticut State University 1977 Nina Shengold- Wesleyan University Starry Schor- Yale University Elizabeth Tyson- Trinity College Nina George- Connecticut College 1977-1978 Madelyn Flammia- University of Bridgeport Susan Ralph Jackman- University of Connecticut Mark Malone- Western Connecticut State University John Stanizzi- Manchester Community College 1978-1979 Allan Garry- Mohegan Community College Langdon Hammer- Yale University Vincent Kay- Central Connecticut State University Judith Shaw- Trinity College 1980 Carolyn Abbott- Connecticut College Jon Davis- University of Bridgeport Martha Hollander- Yale University Amy Pattullo- Wesleyan University 1981 Particia Daddona- Connecticut College Nancy Kamm- Manchester Community College David Leavitt- Yale University Michael Lohnes- Southern Connecticut State Maddy Sheinberg- University of Bridgeport 1982 Cori Adler- Wesleyan University Robert Breen- Fairfield University John Carey- University of Connecticut Elena Vira- Trinity College 1983 Barbara Browning- Yale University Cheryl Bouteneff- Central Connecticut State Ted Lord- Trinity College Francis Drapeau- Fairfield University Doug Swift- University of Bridgeport 1983-1984 Kaci Kinne- Connecticut College Dale Mantautas- Trinity College Lisa Mierzejewski- Central Connecticut State Mark Shafer- Wesleyan University Claude Solnik- Southern Connecticut State 1984 James Aquilino- Southern Central Community College Thomas Curtis- Connecticut College Mara Eilenberg- Trinity College Carol Foster- Hartfold College for Women 1985-1986 Meg Bishop- Trinity College Jane Mendelsohn- Yale University Anne Minicozzi- University of Hartford Ralph Savarese- Wesleyan University 1986-1987 John Hamlett Barker- Yale University Mary Kane- University of Connecticut Joseph Pandolfo- Eastern Connecticut State Karin Schalm- Wesleyan University 1987-1988 Nan Cohen- Yale University Anne de Kay- Mohegan Community College Claudia Grandi- Manchester Community College Antonio Jocson- Wesleyan University Susan Pfeil- University of Bridgeport 1988-1989 Adina Hoffman- Wesleyan University Sung-San Hong- Trinity College Monica Prasad- Yale University John Stambaugh- University of Bridgeport 1990 Hanneli Ansel- Mohengan Community College Lawrence Berger- Yale University Robin Delman- Wesleyan University Kimberly Peters- Trinity College Khan Wong- University of Connecticut Collection Overview

The collection is made up of 20 Hollinger boxes. The first seven boxes contain material about the poetry at the Honors College each year beginning in 1966. The material in these boxes includes announcements of poets coming to campus to read, as well as Wesleyan student poets reading at the Honors College. Information for the 1975-1976 year is not present. Boxes 8 through 11 contain information on the student poets on the Connecticut Poetry Circuit for every year from 1970 to 1990. (A list of the names of the off-campus poets and student poets for both the Honors College and the Connecticut Poetry Circuit can be found above.) Boxes 12 through 14 contain more detailed information about the poets who read at the Honors College and toured on the circuit (and are listed alphabetically). The final six boxes of the collection contain more administrative information, mostly from the Connecticut Poetry Circuit, including correspondence, requests from poets to be included in the tour, financial information, information about the selection committee, and some history of the circuit.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--History. Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Poetry. Connecticut--Poetry. Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.). Honors College. Connecticut Poetry Circuit. Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.)--Students. Maynard, Jean. Poetry --Competitions. Samuel Russell House (Middletown, Conn.) Detailed Description of the Collection Poetry at the Honors College

Please note: Information for the 1975-1976 year is not present.

 1 1966-1967 1 1967-1968 1 1968-1969 1 1969-1970 1 1970-1971 2 1971-1972 2 1972-1973 2 1973-1974 3 1974-1975 3 1976-1977 3 1977-1978 4 1978-1979 4 1979-1980 4 1980-1981 5 1981-1982 5 1982-1983 5 1983-1984 6 1984-1985 6 1985-1986 6 1986-1987 7 1987-1988 7 1988-1989 Connecticut Student Poets 8 1970 8 1971 8 1972 8 February 1973 8 February 1974 8 1975 8 1976 9 1977 9 1977-1978 9 1978-1979 9 1980 9 1981 9 Letters of Support: Connecticut Student Poets program, 1982 9 1982 10 1983 10 1983-1984 10 1984 10 1985-1986 10 1986-1987 11 1987-1988 11 1988-1989 11 1990 Connecticut Poetry Circuit Individual poets 12 Dick Allen 12 Frank Bidart 12 Amy Clampitt 12 Jane Cooper 12 Alfred Corn 12 Irving Feldman/ John Haines 12 David Ferry 12 Brendan Galvin 12 George Garrett 12 Thom Gunn 12 Michael Harper 12 Seamus Heaney 12 William Heyen 12 Daryl Hine 12 Edward Hirsch 12 John Hollander 12 Richard Howard 13 13 Barbara Howes 13 Richard Hugo 13 Richard Kenney 13 Thomas Kinsella 13 Brad Leithauser 13 J.D. McClatchy 13 Sandra McPherson 13 James Merrill 13 Robert Mezey 13 Judith Moffett 13 Howard Moss 13 Linda Pastan 13 John Peck 13 Robert Pinsky 13 Katha Pollitt 13 Frank Reeve 14 Mary Jo Salter 14 Gjertrud Schnackenberg 14 Charles Simic 14 Louis Simpson 14 William Jay Smith 14 Ruth Stone 14 George Starbuck 14 James Tate 14 Diane Wakoski 14 Derek Walcott 14 David Walker 14 Charles Wright 14 Connecticut College: Publicity for William Meredith 14 Publicity for Mark Strand Administrative Information 15 Requests to tour the circuit, 1970-1977 15 Requests to tour the circuit, 1978-1983 15 Requests to tour the circuit, 1984-1989 15 Requests to tour the circuit, poets A-D 16 Requests to tour the circuit, poets E-K 16 Requests to tour the circuit, poets L-M 16 Connecticut Poetry Circuit correspondence and finances, 1968-1969 16 Connecticut Poetry Circuit correspondence, 1969-1970 16 Connecticut Poetry Circuit correspondence, 1970-1971 16 Connecticut Poetry Circuit correspondence, 1970-1976

2 folders.

 16 Connecticut Poetry Circuit correspondence, 1977-1990 17 Correspondence with schools/colleges, 1969-1978, schools A-H 17 Correspondence with schools/colleges, 1969-1978, schools M-S 17 Correspondence with schools/colleges, 1969-1978, schools T-Y 17 1981/1982 calendar 17 1982/1983 calendar 17 1983/1984 calendar 17 1984/1985 calendar 17 1985/1986 calendar 17 1986/1987 calendar 17 1987/1988 calendar 17 1988/1989 calendar 18 Connecticut Poetry Circuit expense summaries, 1968-1983 18 Cheryl Bouteneff- fund raising 18 Requests to foundations 18 Academy of American Poets 18 Connecticut Commission on Arts, 1983-1987 18 New England Foundation: Connecticut Commission on Arts, 1983-1987 19 Connecticut Commission on Arts: Grants, 1968-1977 19 Connecticut Commission on Arts: Grants, 1978-1984 19 Connecticut Commission on Arts: legal correspondence and paper work, 1975-1983 19 Selection Committee, 1969-1972 19 Selection Committee, 1973-1974 19 Selection Committee, 1974-1976 20 Selection Committee, 1977-1978 20 Selection Committee, 1979-1981 20 Selection Committee, 1982-1985 20 Selection Committee, 1987-1990 20 History of the beginning of the circuit and the Wesleyan circuit, 1963-1973 20 Connecticut Poetry Circuit history 20 Announcements of past circuit programs