Guide to the Bradford Morrow Papers , 1912-2001

(bulk 1973-2001)

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2022

Collection Overview

Title:	Bradford Morrow papers
Date range:	1912-2001, (1973-2001)
Creator:	O'Brien, Geoffrey
Extent:	45 Linear Feet 32 records center boxes, 9 document boxes, 1 oversize box
Abstract:	The Bradford Morrow papers include manuscripts, typescripts, correspondence, notebooks and research materials, including books, related to Morrow's novels, poems, essays and other writings, as well as writings by Martine Bellen, Don DeLillo, Patrick McGrath and Geoffrey O'Brien. The papers also include some of Morrow's personal notebooks, diaries and photographs, and materials from Bradford Morrow Bookseller and Conjunctions Magazine. Most of the materials are dated from 1973 to 2001.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.2005.15

Scope & content

The Bradford Morrow papers have been organized into the following five series:

Series I. Writings contains materials dated from 1955 to 2001. It has been arranged into the following subseries:

Subseries A. Bibliographies contains material such as drafts and proofs related to Morrow's A Bibliography of the Black Sparrow Press, 1966-1978 (1981) and A Bibliography of the Writings of Wyndham Lewis (1978). This series also includes a hardcover copy of Blast: 3 (1984), which contains writings by and about Wyndham Lewis, and two issues of Enemy News, the newsletter of the Wyndham Lewis Society. The materials in this subseries are arranged into a sub-subseries for each bibliography and are dated from 1978 to 1984.

Subseries B. Essays, criticism and speeches contains Morrow's first published scholarly article, "A Source for 'Palace in Smoky Light' ", as well as essays about Kenneth Rexroth, William Makepeace Thackeray's Henry Esmond, and Ezra Pound. Many of the essays in this series were written while Morrow was doing graduate work at Yale and are unpublished. This series also includes other literary essays, commentaries, and introductions. This material is dated from 1973 to 1988.

Subseries C. Novels contains materials, chiefly working manuscripts and correspondence, related to Morrow's novels. Many of the manuscripts are annoted by his editors. This subseries has been arranged into the following sub-subseries:

• Sub-subseries 1. Almanac Branch, Morrow's second novel, contains manuscripts in various stages. One manuscript contains corrections and comments by David Foster Wallace. These materials are dated circa 1990.
• Sub-suberies 2. Ariel's Crossing contains notebooks and working manuscripts written under two titles: Ariel's Crossing and Nambe's Crossing, which was a later title for the novel that was eventually published as Ariel's Crossing. These materials are dated from 1999 to 2001. Some supplementary materials such as material for the book jacket and a biographical sketch of Morrow are also included in this subseries.
• Sub-subseries 3. Come Sunday, Morrow's first novel, contains various drafts and manuscripts as well as some research materials related to the book. Some of the manuscripts are labeled using the name of the editors who reviewed them and some are labeled with the names of the places where they were written (Montauk and Sea Cliff on Long Island, New York; Longmeadow, Massachusetts, etc.). The books used for research for this novel are found in Series 4. Books. These materials are dated from 1955 to 1986.
• Sub-subseries 4. Giovanni's Gift, Morrow's fourth novel, contains early drafts, manuscripts written under alternate titles, correspondence, permissions, and an article from New York Magazine about the novel. These materials are dated from 1993 to 1997.
• Sub-subseries 5. Trinity Fields, Morrow's third novel, contains contracts, drafts in various stages, edited manuscripts and some correspondence and research materials related to the novel. Books used for research for this novel are found in Series 4. Books. These materials are dated from 1993 to 1996.
• Sub-subseries 6. Quagg contains the manuscript for Morrow's unpublished novel Quagg. Books used for research for the novel are found in Series 4. Books. The manuscript is not dated.

Subseries D. Plays contains the scripts of two unpublished plays written by Morrow in the early 1970's: Le Peuplier and Persephone and Hephaistos.

Subseries E. Poetry contains both published and unpublished poems. Drafts and the final version of his published work Posthumes are included in this series, as well as drafts, contracts and correspondence related to the children's book Bestiary. This series also includes unpublished song lyrics written in collaboration with Brazilian guitarist Sergio Assad. These materials are dated from 1970 to 1994.

Subseries F. Short fiction contains both published and unpublished short stories and magazine articles written by Morrow, as well as the only extant story version of Morrow's abandoned first novel Ennui. These materials are dated from 1974 to 1999.

Subseries G. Translations contains plays, poems, novellas, and short stories translated from Italian into English by Morrow. Most of the material that Morrow translated was written by Leonardo Sciascia and Luigi Pirandello. These materials are dated from 1971 to 1982.

Series II. Correspondence contains Morrow's correspondence with publishers and agents regarding his writings as well as letters to and from other authors and fans. Correspondence may also be found in Series 1. Writings and Series 3. Personal papers. This series is dated from 1980 to 1999.

Series III. Personal papers includes maps and ephemera from the year Morrow spent as an exchange student in Italy, informal diaries and notebooks containing writings on various topics such as the Vietnam War, a diary concerning Kenneth Rexroth's funeral, photographs, copies of articles from various newspapers and magazines, material from Morrow's business, Bradford Morrow Bookseller, including material related to its publication John Steinbeck: A Collection of Books and Manuscripts; pamphlets and other ephemera related to the litarary magazine Conjunctions; royalty statements from the New Directions Publishing Corporation for 1991-1997, biographical information about Morrow, reviews of his writings, and promotional materials regarding his books and personal appearances. These materials are dated from 1968 to 1993.

Series IV. Books contains books Morrow used for research in writing his novels, primarily Come Sunday, Trinity Fields, and Quagg. The majority of the books are related to Latin American politics and history. The books are dated from 1912 to circa 1985.

Series V. Writings by other authors contains a manuscript by the poet Martine Bellen dedicated to Morrow on his birthday, a manuscript of The Phantom Empire by poet and critic Geoffrey O'Brien, the manuscript of Don DeLillo's novel Underworld , the manuscript of The House of Childres by Coleman Dowell, and the manuscript of Patrick McGrath's novel The Grotesque. These materials are dated from 1986 to 1993.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Morrow, Bradford, 1951- --Sources
• Morrow, Bradford
• Morrow, Bradford, 1951- --Archives
• Steinbeck, John
• Lewis, Wyndham

Subject Organizations

• Brown University--Faculty
• Black Sparrow Press

Subject Topics

• Language and Literature
• Authors, American -- 20th century
• American literature -- 20th century
• Poets, American -- 20th century
• American fiction -- 20th century

Document Types

• Translations (documents)
• Poetry
• Essays
• Short stories
• Plays
• Floppy disks
• Letters (Correspondence)
• Manuscripts (documents)
• Bibliographies
• Speeches

Arrangement

The collection is organized in five series:

• I. Writings, 1955-2001
  • A. Bibliographies, 1978-1985
    • 1. Black Sparrow Press bibliography, 1975-1985
    • 2. Wyndham Lewis bibliography, 1978-1984
  • B. Essays, criticism and speeches, 1972-1998
  • C. Novels, 1955-2001
    • 1. Almanac Branch, circa 1990
    • 2. Ariel's Crossing, 1991-2001
    • 3. Come Sunday, 1955-1986
    • 4. Giovanni's Gift, 1993-1997
    • 5. Trinity Fields, 1993-1996
    • 6. Quagg, undated
  • D. Plays, 1972-1972
  • E. Poetry, 1977-1994
  • F. Short fiction, 1972-1999
  • G. Translations, 1971-1982
• II. Correspondence, 1980-1999
• III. Personal papers, 1968-1997
• IV. Books, 1912-circa 1985
• V. Writings by other authors, 1986-1993

Biographical note

Bradford Morrow is an American novelist, essayist, poet, editor, and writer of short fiction. He was born on April 8, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Littleton, Colorado. In 1968 he was awarded an American Field Service scholarship to finish his senior year of high school as a foreign exchange student at the Liceo Scientifico in Cuneo, Italy. In 1972 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree (summa cum laude) from the University of Colorado, Boulder. After doing graduate work in English and comparative literature at Yale University, he began work on a bibliography of the works of Wyndham Lewis, which was published in 1978 by Black Sparrow Press.

Morrow is the founding editor of the literary journal Conjunctions. He became the literary executor of the poet Kenneth Rexroth's estate in 1982 and has edited a number of Rexroth's books, including The Selected Poems of Kenneth Rexroth (1984), Classics Revisited (1986), World Outside the Window: Selected Essays of Kenneth Rexroth (1987), and More Classics Revisited (1989). With Sam Hamill he coedited The Complete Poems of Kenneth Rexroth (2002).

Morrow is the author of six novels: Come Sunday (1988), The Almanac Branch (1991), which was a finalist for the 1992 PEN/Faulkner Award; Trinity Fields (1994), a finalist for the 1995 Los Angeles Times Book Award; Giovanni's Gift (1997), Ariel's Crossing (2002), and The Diviner's Tale (2011). He also wrote two books for children: A Bestiary (1991), illustrated by Gahan Wilson, and Didn't Didn't Do It (2006).

Morrow's short fiction has appeared in a number of anthologies. A collection of his short stories, The Uninnocent, was published in 2011. He also co-edited two anthologies: The New Gothic (1991), and The Inevitable: Contemporary Writers Confront Death (2011).

Morrow has written a number of poetry collections, including Passing from the Provinces (1981),Posthumes (1982), Danae's Progress (1982), The Preferences (1983) and After a Charme (1984).

Morrow was elected to the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa while at the University of Colorado. He was awarded a Danforth Fellowship to do graduate work at Yale. His professional honors include the Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1998), the Coordinating Council of Literary Magazines (CCLM) Editor's award in 1984 and 1988, the Pushcart Prize (2002) for the short story "Amazing Grace", the O. Henry Prize (2003) for the short story "Lush", the PEN/Nora Magid Award for excellence in literary journal editing (2007), and a Guggenheim Fellowship in fiction (2007). The Review of Contemporary Fiction published a "Bradford Morrow issue" in 2000.

Before he began his writing and academic career, Morrow worked as a professional jazz musician and music teacher and as a rare book archivist in California and New York. Morrow has taught at Princeton, Columbia and Brown Universities. In 1990 he joined the faculty of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he is currently a Professor of Literature and a Bard Center Fellow. He is a member of the PEN American Center, where he was a member of the board of trustees from 1998-2002; the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (formerly the CCLM), where he has served on the advisory board since 1986; and the New Writing Foundation.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access for non-digital materials, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. Advance notice is required to view born-digital records. Born-digital materials in this collection have not been reformatted yet. Researchers may request access to copies by contacting the John Hay Library with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. Access to original physical digital media is restricted.
Use of the materials:	Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Brown University Library. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Bradford Morrow Papers, Ms.2005.15, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The Bradford Morrow papers were purchased from George Robert Minkoff Rare Books. Four boxes were purchased in 2002 (A2002-24) and another thirty-six boxes were purchased that same year (A2002-36).
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Brown University Library staff.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-10-21.
Descriptive rules:	Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Sponsor:	Processing funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Additional Information

Related material:

Related Archival Materials Related material may be found in the Conjunctions archive, 1990-[ongoing], in the John Hay Library, Brown University.

Inventory

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