Pym-Randall Press (Mss. Gr. 19)

The Pym-Randall Press Archives were purchased by purchased by Special Collections at the University of Rhode Island on September 4, 1974, and were then organized and arranged by Gregory Curtis and David Titus under the direction of David Maslyn, Head. In 1980 and 1986, significant additions of material dating from 1964 to 1982 were added to the body of the collection. In 2002, in conjunction with an exhibit put on by Special Collections, Leslie Tobias Olsen integrated these three accessions of various records of the Pym-Randall Press Archives into one manuscript group.

The Pym-Randall Archive consists of correspondence, books, proof sheets, manuscripts, and business records. Most of the materials currently in the archive are from the years 1964-1974.

The archive has been arranged into five series:

Series 1, Correspondence, 1964-1982, contains correspondence between the owners of the Pym-Randall Press, James and Joanne Randall, and persons interested in the press or its business. The letters are both personal and business related. There is also some outgoing correspondence from James and Joanne Randall concerning various publications of the press. Significant correspondence deals with the production of the press’s books, but there are also personal letters with many important contemporary poets. Poetry manuscripts enclosed in letters were removed and placed in Series 3, Manuscripts, 1964-1982, since many such enclosures were already separated from the covering letters.

Series 2, Books, 1964-1982, contains copies of books and pamphlets published by the Pym-Randall Press. It also contains books published by Pym-Randall poets with other presses.

Series 3, Manuscripts, 1964-1982, contains poetry manuscripts many of which were enclosed in the Correspondence series. They were removed and placed in this series, since other such enclosures were already separated from the covering letters.

Series 4, Business Records, 1964-1974, contains the business records of the Press from the years 1964 to 1974, mostly cash disbursements, receipts, ledgers, records of the sales of books, and other financial statements.

Series 5, Permissions, 1964-1976, contains permission agreements to reprint materials.