Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1964, 1979-1982 (Creation)
Level of description
Ffeil / File
Extent and medium
1 small box (0.009 m³)
Context area
Name of creator
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers, the majority being photocopies, relating to Tony Curtis's period of study for a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree at Goddard College, Vermont, 1979-1980, comprising:
Material relating to Tony Curtis's research into the works of poet, playwright and translator Seamus Heaney, including: critical paper by Tony Curtis relating to Seamus Heaney's collection of poems Field Work (Faber & Faber, 1979) (see, for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_Work_(poetry_collection)); photocopied letter, 12 November 1982, to Tony Curtis from Seamus Heaney relating to the publication of Tony Curtis (ed.): The Art of Seamus Heaney (Poetry Wales Press, 1982); photocopied texts taken from printed sources; bibliographies; footnotes; appendix; and press cuttings (one of which refers to Tony Curtis (ed.): The Art of Seamus Heaney (Poetry Wales Press, 1982).
Draft poetry by Tony Curtis, with observations and comments by Curtis's course supervisor Thomas Lux, whose covering letters to Curtis are included with each batch of poems. WARNING: POEM TITLED 'THE FREEZER' CONTAINS REFERENCE TO THE DISCOVERY OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL REMAINS IN A HOUSE. NO APPARENT EVIDENCE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE EVENT WAS FACTUAL.
Draft title, contents pages and abstracts of Tony Curtis's academic thesis 'Preparations', 'being a collection of poems completed during the four semesters spent in the [Master of Fine Arts] program', abstract of Curtis's critical paper titled 'Imagination under duress: Seamus Heaney's 'Field Work' ' and covering letter from Curtis to Michelle Blake Simons, Director of the Master of Fine Arts programme.
Details of academic course run by Tony Curtis titled 'How Green Was My Valley?'
Critical studies by Tony Curtis; bibliography in reference to Tony Curtis's submitted academic work; Master of Fine Arts course instructions and schedules; administrative and other correspondence; deadline timetable for submission of academic work; study plans and course summaries drawn up by Tony Curtis; copies, Summer 1980, October 1980 (incomplete) and December 1980, of Associated Writing Programs (AWP) newsletters; photocopied texts from printed sources; copies of poems by poets other than Tony Curtis; and press cuttings.
Printed copy of The Bread of Truth, a collection of poems by Anglo-Welsh poet R. S. Thomas (Rupert Hart-Davis, 1963; this edition 1964) (see, for example: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34527720-the-bread-of-truth). Loose within the volume are an 'Introduction' to an unnamed publication, poems by R. S. Thomas excised from a printed source and typescript copies of the poems 'Vocation' and 'Richard Hughes' by R. S. Thomas, all of which material is annotated in what appears to be R. S. Thomas's hand, as is the page in The Bread of Truth headed 'By the same author'.
Letter from Tony Curtis to Dannie [Abse?] (discussing poetry).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Each batch of Tony Curtis's poems arranged in alphabetical order of title (disregarding preposition 'The'). Multiple versions of each poem grouped together. Poem titled 'The Freezer' marked with cautionary 'post-it' note (see note above).
Administrative correspondence arranged chronologically.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
One press cutting torn: kept in marked envelope.
Seamus Heaney material: bibliography partly excised: kept in marked envelope.
One copy of the poem 'Land Army Photographs' torn at upper right-hand corner: kept in marked envelope.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Goddard College is a liberal arts college situated in Vermont, United States (see, for example: ee https://www.goddard.edu/). For the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course see, for example: https://www.goddard.edu/academics/graduate/master-of-fine-arts-in-creative-writing/. Updated information: It appears that Goddard College closed its doors at the end of the spring term 2024 (https://www.goddard.edu/important-announcement/)
Ronald Stuart (R. S.) Thomas was an Anglo-Welsh poet and Anglican priest noted for his nationalism, spirituality and dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._S._Thomas)
Poet, playwright and translator Seamus Heaney was born in Tamniaran, Northern Ireland and educated at Queen's University, Belfast. Among his best-known works is Death of a Naturalist (1966), his first major published volume. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Heaney)
The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) is a nonprofit organisation that provides support, advocacy, resources and community to writers, creative writing courses and writing organisations. (https://www.awpwriter.org/)
Poet Thomas Lux, the author of eighteen books of poetry, joined the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program for Writers at Goddard in 1979 and taught in the program at the Warren Wilson campus until 2006. (https://friendsofwriters.org/2017/02/07/thomas-lux-1946-2017/)
For poet and writer Michelle Blake (also publishing under the name Michelle Blake Simons) see, for example: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/michelle-blake/; https://pshares.org/authors/michelle-blake-simons/.
For Emily Chatfield (administrative correspondence) see, for example: https://pshares.org/authors/emily-chatfield/.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Thomas, R. S. (Ronald Stuart), 1913-2000 (Subject)
- Goddard College (Vermont, USA) (Subject)
- Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) (Non-profit organisation) (Subject)
- Lux, Thomas, 1946-2017 (Subject)
- Simons, Michelle Blake (Subject)
- Heaney, Seamus, 1939-2013 (Subject)