Guide to the Fil Lewitt (Brown 1963) literary papers, 1941-2016

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 2016

Collection Overview

Title:	Fil Lewitt (Brown 1963) literary papers
Date range:	1941-2016
Creator:	Lewitt, Fil, 1941-
Extent:	1.25 linear foot
Abstract:	This collection documents the literary career of Fil Lewitt and contains prose and poetry in print, ebook, manuscript, and typescript format, also his Ph.D. dissertation, essays, drawings, and photographs, documenting his extensive travels and life as a Zen Buddhist commune director and teacher, professor, and writer.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	MS.2015.021

Scope & content

This collection contains the products of Fil Lewitt's literary career as a poet, novelist and professor of literature and creative writing.

Series 1. Academic Credentials. This series contains the diplomas and certificates Lewitt earned from academic institutions.

Series 2. Articles - published. Published articles related to the topics of poetry and the writing process.

Series 3. Diaries. His diaries record his experiences and are often introspective. They were written primarily during his travels in the United States, Europe and Asia. The notebook titled Talking in Two Worlds is both a diary and a poetry notebook. Many of the volumes include original sketches and drawings. The book titled Book 1A - Kyoto contains descriptions of Lewitt's meeting with Gary Snyder and Rams Dass and an original letter from Gary Snyder to Lewitt written in 1994.

Series 4. Dissertation. A copy of Lewitt's Ph.D. dissertation for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1984.

Series 5. Essays. This includes an essay written during his PhD program about Shakespeare's sonnets, a book review and an essay on a talk by Ram Dass in 1994 that Lewitt attended.

Series 6. Novel. This is the manuscript copy for his novel titled Tight published in 2008.

Series 7. Poetry - published. This series includes poetry published in journals and a copy of his published work Sweet Sweet Cold : Sonnets from Siam.

Series 8. Poetry compilations - manuscript and Series 9. Poetry compilations - typescript contain his poetry in his original manuscripts notebooks and as typed copies. Many of the poems are accompanied by his original sketches and drawings.

Series 10. Literary papers and photographs - electronic copies This is a DVD disk containing his literary works and photographs of his life and family (2 copies). The subseries listed in this series are the titles of the folders on the disk as Lewitt organized them. The disk contains drafts and final versions of his books and poetry; the computer applications he was using to create and publish his books; photographs and designs for the buildings he has lived in and built in California, Japan, and Thailand; photographs of him throughout his life and travels, his family, and his wife Tomomi Maeda; and poetry and prose by other writers that he admires. Access to these materials is available upon request to the Special Collections department at the John Hay Library, Brown University.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Houser, Preston L.
• Snyder, Gary, 1930-

Subject Topics

• Fiction--20th century.
• Poetry--American--20th century
• Poets, American--20th century

Document Types

• Diaries--20th century

Subject Topics

• Language and Literature

Arrangement

This collection is organized in 10 series.

• Series 1. Academic Credentials
• Series 2. Articles – published
• Series 3. Diaries
• Series 4. Dissertation
• Series 5. Essays
• Series 6. Novel
• Series 7. Poetry - published
• Series 8. Poetry compilations - manuscript
• Series 9. Poetry compilations - typescript
• Series 10. Literary Papers and photographs - electronic copies

Biographical note

Fil Lewitt (Philip Jay Lewitt) was born to Albert (Brown 1933) and Rita Lewitt in Boston in 1941 and grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire. He received his B.A. in English Literature from Brown University in 1963. He went on to get his MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University in 1968 and his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1985. In 1964, he bought an old farm in Mendocino City, California, renamed it Big River Farm and learned how to design, build, and keep animals, fruit, and vegetables. In 1970, he turned the farm into a Zen Buddhist commune called “Big River Farm Sangha.” In 1976, he moved to Japan and began a new career as a professor of English and American literature and writing at Tottori National University. He taught there for 12 years. In 1990, he became a Professor of English at Kyoto Seika University, where he also directed the writing program until he retired in 2009. He has also worked as a jazz musician, dishwasher, cook, small bookstore owner, logger, mill worker, farmer, designer, builder, and gardener. He has written 22 books as of 2017, which include poetry, satirical novels, mystery novels, essays, and a handbook on writing for Japanese university students. He and his wife, Tomomi Maeda, currently live in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bibliography: Most of the titles on this list are available at the Brown University Library.

A modern pilgrim : Hi hai high : Zen and the art of backpacking. Hicksville, N.Y. : Exposition Press, 1980.

Movable Text: A Beginning Writer's Notebook, 1993.

Sweet sweet cold : sonnets from Siam : Krabi / Railel Beach / 1991-1993. Kyoto : Scribblers Inc., 1993.

Tight : a novel of the 1960s. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2008.

Dead white males : a Santa Fe novel. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2008.

Millennial blues : a novel of New Mexico. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2008.

The zen follies : (more or less, less is more). Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2010.

Canyon wren's rag : fifty years of selected poems, 1960-2010. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2011.

Bad boy Bill : & his adventures with naughty girls. Charleston, SC : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2011.

Short takes & outtakes : short stories of a father and son. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2014.

Clockwork Cherries: Haiku to Sonnets with Color Drawings 2011-2012. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2015.

Archeopoetics & Other conundrums. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2017.

Pretty city : a novel of crime & mayhem. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2018.

The Mercy Investigation Series:

    Killer picture postcards. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2013.

    Gay blade. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2014.

    Revenge. Charleston, S.C. : Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2015.

    Convictions. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2015.

    While You Were Gone. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2016.

    Stiff. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2016.

    Fault Lines. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2017.

    Quintet. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2017.

    The Bagman. Fictional Enterprises / Amazon, 2018.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, 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.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Fil Lewitt (Brown 1963) literary papers, Ms.2015.021, 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:	Gift of Fil Lewitt in 2015 and 2016.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Karen Eberhart.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2016-07-15
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

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