Michael Gizzi papers (Ms.2011.025)

The Michael Gizzi papers have four main series that shape the collection: writings, correspondence, printed materials, and graphic and audio materials. The collection as a whole represents his professional experiences and professional relationships which occasionally provide a glimpse into his personal life. Writings comprises manuscripts by Michael Gizzi include numerous drafts in manuscript and printed formats, as well as personal notebooks. Writings of others contain predominately printouts and page proofs with limited annotations by either the author or Michael Gizzi. In addition there are a number of collaborative works including editorial and publishing projects. The correspondence component is professional in nature and describes the network of writers in which Gizzi was involved. It should be noted that every series is populated with correspondence or mail to Michael Gizzi but the pieces separated into other series were left to support the material they accompanied. The Clark Coolidge manuscripts are an exceptional example of this occurence.The printed materials contain a range of printed ephemera including broadsides, invitations, clippings, pamphlets, and booklets. The graphic and audio materials include a range of art works including collages, paintings, and photographs as well as audio recordings of poetry-related events.

Series 1 Writings: The writing series contains four subseries: Manuscripts, Notebooks, Manuscripts of others, and Editorial and publishing projects. Manuscripts by Michael Gizzi includes identified manuscript and printed drafts arranged alphabetically, followed by unsorted manuscript drafts and fragments. Much of this material consists of printouts and photocopies with autograph annotations. There are multiple copies of his work No Both and In This Skin in box one. A unique piece and possibly his last contribution to another artists' work is lyrics he provided for a music score in August 2010, accompanied by a CD, also located in box one. Much of the material is undated, whenever possible, dates have been added.

The second subseries is Michael Gizzi's notebooks. Dated notebooks are arranged in chronological order (boxes 2-3). A significant component of the series is undated, and these are filed immediately following the dated notebooks (boxes 3-4). The notebooks cover a broad time period, 1974-2007, and include notes, drafts of poems, and sketches.

The third subseries is writings by others which is arranged in alphabetical order over five boxes. The works in this subseries are typically accompanied by letters either of friendly well wishes or professional requests for review and consideration for publication. They are generally printouts and photocopies with occassional annotations either by the creator or by Michael Gizzi. Works of note include materials by John Ashbery (box 5), Clark Coolidge (boxes 5-6), Peter Gizzi (box 7), Bernadette Mayer (box 8), and Keith Waldrop (box 9).

The fourth subseries consists of editorial and publishing projects in which Michael Gizzi was involved. This includes interviews with John Ashbery, Clark Coolidge, and Bernatte Mayer (box 10); Qua Books publishing projects with John Ashbery, Merrill Gilfillan, and George Stanley (box 10); as well as a project edited by Michael Gizzi, "Writing for Bernadette" (box 11), a collection of signed broadside editions of works by fifty-two writers.

Series 2 Correspondence: The correspondence series is arranged alphabetically over four boxes. There are folders of correspondence from his first wife, Ippy, second wife, Barbieo, and brothers, Thomas and Peter. The series includes extensive correspondence from the following: Paul Auxméry, Clark Coolidge, Sylvia Coolidge, Ray DiPalma, Merrill Gilfillan, Bernadette Mayer, Keith Waldrop, Rosemarie Waldrop, Craig Watson, and Geoffrey Young. Correspondence from John Ashbery is predominantly from his secretary on Ashbery's behalf and related to the Qua Books publication of Ashbery's As Umbrellas Follow the Rain (2002). The sorted correspondence is followed by a range of miscellaneous correspondence, arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Series 3 Printed materials: The printed materials include broadsides, journals, poetry booklets, invitations, press releases, and other printed ephemera. Journals include Shuffle Boil, Poetry Project, and numerous others with published poems by Gizzi or colleagues. The booklets include monographic editions and anthologies, many mailed to Gizzi, including the Tolling Elves series (box 16). A significant component of the series consists of clippings and photocopied reviews and research (box 17). In addition, there is a 1966 yearbook from Bishop Hendricken High School (Warwick, Rhode Island) and Gizzi's Brown diploma (box 16).

Series 4 Graphic and Audio materials: The graphic and audio materials series provides an interesting insight into Michael Gizzi's personal life and includes photographs of Gizzi's public readings (box 18). These photos are supported by the audio materials which contain some recordings of poetry readings (box 21). The series also includes a number of collage works intended as gifts or cards from Barbieo Barros Gizzi (box 19-20). There are assorted event posters and an oversized oil painting. One posters, for a Keith Waldrop exhibition in France, is housed separately.