Papers of Ruth Whitman, 1930-1998 (inclusive), 1940-1996 (bulk)

The papers of poet and instructor Ruth Whitman include diaries; drafts, published and unpublished poems and writings; personal and professional correspondence; syllabi, course lists, planning notes and other teaching materials; publicity about poetry readings and appearances; clippings and reviews documenting Whitman's life and works; photographs; and a number of audiovisual recordings of Whitman's poetry readings. The collection includes correspondence by and about poet Eve Merriam, as, per Merriam's request, Whitman oversaw the publication of Merriam's book, Embracing the Dark, following Merriam's illness. The majority of audio recordings are on cassette tapes. Folder arrangement was created by the archivist. Folder and audiovisual titles appearing in quotation marks were created by Whitman.

Electronic records were received in 28 5.25" disks. Disks were imaged using FTK imager. Selected data has been converted to PDF/A for preservation and delivery.

Series I, BIOGRAPHICAL, PERSONAL, AND CORRESPONDENCE, 1936-1998 (#1.1-10.11, PD.1, T-433.1 - T-433.5, E.1-E.2), includes contacts; clippings; correspondence; diaries; interviews; journals; medical information; notebooks; travel itineraries; some biographical material about Morton Sacks, Whitman's third husband, and scant information about her children. It is divided into two subseries.

Subseries A, Biographical and personal, 1936-1997 (#1.1-4.13, PD.1, T-433.1 - T-433.5, E.1), contains clippings, biographical sketches, interviews, personal and professional contacts, awards, resumes, health and education information, and diaries. Most diaries chronicle the relationships Whitman had with her parents, her three husbands and her children; they discuss in great detail the death of her parents, her intense and conflicted relationship with Morton Sacks (whom she called Moon). They also document her declining health and struggle with leukemia and well as her estrangement from her children. Some diaries include copious notes on traveling, detailed recollections of dreams, ideas and drafts of poems, and research notes. Audiotapes of interviews with Whitman broadcast on local public or university radio stations are also found in this subseries. The subseries is arranged alphabetically. Folder titles appearing in quotation marks were created by Whitman.

Subseries B, Correspondence, 1936-1998 (#4.14-10.11, E.2), contains letters of both a personal and professional nature. Much of the correspondence regards Whitman's writing, and includes commentary by friends and professional contacts; acceptance and rejection letters; poetry received from other poets; requests for appearances at conferences, book signings, and other events; fan letters, etc. Of particular note is her correspondence with fellow poets T. Carmi, Peter Denzer, Robert Friend, and Edmund Pennant, which often include personal anecdotes along with drafts of poems. A close friend of writer Eve Merriam, Whitman handled correspondence regarding the publication of Merriam's book, Embracing the Dark, when Merriam became ill (#6.5-6.6). Other correspondents of note include fellow poets Rosellen Brown, Jacob Glatstein, Edwin Honig, Denise Levertov, Adrienne Rich, and May Sarton. Additional correspondence with the same authors is located throughout the collection. See Series II, which contains correspondence regarding specific volumes of poetry, translations, and other writing, and Series III, which includes correspondence from university administration (and, to a lesser degree, students) as well as invitations and itineraries for various readings, lectures, and appearances. The collection contains scant correspondence with family; see (#11.8) for correspondence between Whitman and her daughters' attorneys. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by correspondent followed by primarily professional correspondence arranged chronologically.

Series II. POETRY, WRITINGS, AND RELATED, 1930-1998 (#10.12-29.7. PD.2-PD.6, T-433.6 - T-433.28, Vt-222.1 - Vt-222.3, E.3-E.4), contains drafts, unpublished and published poems, essays, reviews, nonfiction monographs, and translations (primarily of Yiddish poetry) by Whitman. It also includes poetry notebooks; reviews about Whitman's volumes of poetry; publicity; correspondence; contracts; royalty statements; drafts of individual poems; essays, reviews, and translations written by Whitman and off-prints of the same; short stories; three editions of an anthology of Yiddish poetry edited by Whitman; and an instructional text, Becoming a Poet. In several cases, the sequence of drafts is recorded. Correspondence in this series generally regards submissions, acceptances and rejections, criticisms and praise for both published and unpublished works, and permissions to publish, etc. Titles represented in this series include some of her more prominent collections of poems: The Passion of Lizzie Borden, The Testing of Hanna Senesh, Tamsen Donner: A Woman's Journey, and To Dance Is to Live. Less well-documented are her early collections of poems, Blood and Milk Poems and The Marriage Wig. This subseries also includes some audio recordings of Whitman reading from her volumes of poetry; these tapes are primarily recordings of public readings with audiences, but some appear to be Whitman reading poems aloud, alone, as part of her editorial process (#T-433.30 - T-433.44, side 1). Of particular note is the recording of a WGBH radio show, The Women's Show, featuring Whitman reading her volume of poetry The Marriage Wig (#T-433.6), about which there is scant material in the collection. Also of note in this series are the lyrics and sheet music for "Appletree Madrigals," the lyrics for which Whitman wrote in honor of the apple tree in Radcliffe Yard which held great meaning for alumnae. Additional audiotapes (#T-433.25, T-433.27 - T-433.29) contain recordings of readings in Yiddish by Jacob Glatstein and are followed by Whitman's translation. Videotapes of theater and dance performances of Tamsen Donner: A Woman's Journey based on Whitman's poem, are also included here. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by genre or topic and thereunder by title; untitled essays and loose poems are arranged chronologically. Folder and audiovisual titles in quotation marks were created by Whitman.

Series III. TEACHING MATERIALS, LECTURES, READINGS, APPEARANCES, AND RELATED, 1960-1996 (#29.8-33.5, PD.7, T-433.29 - T-433.64), contains correspondence; posters and publicity materials regarding public poetry readings; schedules for readings and courses; notes; syllabi, lists, lectures, and other course materials; and some audiotapes of public readings (some of which were broadcast on local public or university radio stations). Whitman also recorded (on cassette tape) several sessions of a Radcliffe seminar she led, "Contemporary Women Poets" (#T-433.42 - T-433.62). These tapes feature Whitman reading poetry of featured poets as well as instructing class and leading discussion. This series also documents Whitman's instrumental role in the Poetry in Schools program. The series is arranged alphabetically according to activity: lectures and readings are arranged chronologically thereunder; teaching materials are arranged alphabetically thereunder. Folder and audiovisual titles appearing in quotation marks were created by Whitman.

Series IV. PHOTOGRAPHS AND OVERSIZED, 1963-1985 (#PD.8- PD.11, FD.1,- FD.5, F+D.1-F+D.4, OD.1), contains posters, programs, and photographs used to promote books and speaking engagements. Also included is oversized material removed from other series. Most of the photographs in this collection are or will be digitized and available online.