Clark Ashton Smith papers (Ms.79.3)

The Clark Ashton Smith papers are organized in 14 series and consist of 25 linear feet of material. It includes over 200 items of his working manuscripts of fiction, mostly in the form of carbon copies that consist of his most famous tales of fantasy. There are also a number of original manuscripts (handwritten and typewritten) of his juvenilia, prose poems (some of which are unpublished or never collected into his volume Poems in Prose), and other fiction. Some of the fantasy tales bear the date of writing, and others bear annotations and revisions by Smith and others to whom he sent the manuscripts before publication.

His poetry manuscripts (nearly 1000 items) are largely handwritten rough drafts, some scribbled on envelopes and other odd scraps of paper. The poems are in English, French, Spanish, and Latin. Many drafts of Smith's translations of French and Spanish poetry exist; of particular note are his translations of Baudelaire, which run the gamut from literal prose translations to rough drafts to final drafts.

Few non-fiction manuscripts exist, but included among them are several drafts of Smith's memoir of the eminent American poet George Sterling (with whom he had engaged in lengthy correspondence) and essays on the aesthetics of poetry and fantasy fiction.

Book-length manuscripts include original typescripts or carbon copies of several of his published books. The Hill of Dionysus, Selected Poems, and other collections of unpublished tales or poems. Most of these letters were prepared by Smith, Mrs. Clark Ashton, after her husband's death.

There are numerous letters from noted figures in modern fantasy and science fiction. In addition, the collection includes correspondence from personal friends and from various publishers. Much of the correspondence discusses Lovecraft, H.P., Sterling, George, and other important literary figures. There is also a series of correspondence by or to Smith by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Timeus Smith, that consists largely of greeting cards received over the years from friends and acquaintances.

The printed material within the collection consists of periodicals or tear sheets of periodicals containing Smith's work. Newspaper clippings of Smith's poetry and whole issues of newspapers (particularly the Auburn Journal, San Francisco Examiner, and other San Francisco Chronicle) are included, and many book catalogs, some from France, others from Germany, Spain, and Holland, are included. Finally, there are a great number of photographs of Smith, his family, and his artwork, and old photographs apparently collected by Smith's parents.