Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

Consists primarily of manuscripts of unpublished biographies, plays, and short prose. Correspondence with many prominent journalists, historians, novelists, and other early 20th century literati includes both criticism of Phelps's writing and general discussion of the writer's craft. Accompanied by research materials, photos, and illustrations for several works including her only published book, Kate Chase, dominant daughter (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1935); 1 scrapbook; and 1 record book showing the dates manuscripts were sent to and returned by publishers.

This collection is comprised of correspondence, research notes and related materials, and short prose. It is arranged into four different series.

The Mike Gold (Irwin Granich)/Mike Folsom Papers date from about 1901 to 1990, and measure about thirteen linear feet. They are divided into twelve series: Correspondence (1901-1990 and undated); Writings (1904-1989 and undated); Biographical Materials (1954-1969 and undated); Individual Files (1905-1978 and undated); Periodicals (1913-1958 and undated); Newspaper Clippings (1924-1980s and undated); Events and Activities (1935 1972 and undated); Notes and Journals (1906-1962 and undated); Personal (1930s-1967 and undated); Miscellaneous (1935-1970s and undated); and Visual Materials (1923-1960s and undated).

The first series, Correspondence, contains items dating from 1901-1990, and measures 1.5 linear feet. It includes correspondence materials from both Mike Gold and Mike Folsom, as well as some materials written between two other outside parties which it seems that Folsom used in his research and writing. It also includes letters to and from Gold and his wife, Elizabeth, as well as their sons, Carl and Nick. There are a variety of prominent figures included in the correspondence, including such persons as Theodore Dreiser, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Joseph Freeman, Ernest Hemmingway, Walter Lowenfels, Lewis Mumford, and Upton Sinclair, along with a host of others. Of particular interest is the early correspondence between Sinclair and Gold, the H.L Mencken correspondence (on microfilm), Folsom's correspondence with Gold and other literary figures and writers in the 1960s and 1970s, and the topical folders on Gold's application for a Guggenheim fellowship in 1928-1929 and 1935-1936, and on the Estate and Papers of Mike Gold, which provides some insight into the history of the papers themselves. It should be noted that in particular during the 1960s it is often difficult to distinguish between the correspondences of Gold and of Folsom because many letters are simply addressed, "Dear Mike".

The second series, Writings (1904-1989 and undated) is the largest series at about 7 linear feet. It primarily contains manuscript and published materials by Mike Gold, including books (no manuscripts), fiction (including many manuscripts), drama (including manuscripts), poetry (including many manuscripts), song lyrics (mostly published), columns and articles (mostly published, also including some manuscripts), and other writings (some manuscripts and some published materials). Also included in the series are the writings of Mike Folsom (including manuscripts and published materials), and the writings of other people (including his wife), such as dissertations, published articles, and a number of manuscripts.

The third series, Biographical Materials (1954-1969 and undated) includes about 0.75 linear feet of materials. There are some of Gold's manuscripts for the autobiography/memoir book he was working on towards the end of his life, as well as transcripts from interviews with Mike Folsom and some notes, and a few published items relating to Gold's life. Most of the items in this series seem to have been produced by Gold and Folsom during the time they were working together on Gold's autobiography/memoir, although a few items dated earlier suggest that Gold had been working on and off on the project himself for some time before collaborating with Folsom.

The fourth series, Individual Files (1905-1978 and undated) measures about 0.25 linear feet. This series is composed of folders relating to a specific individual, including a number of prominent people as well as some lesser-known figures. The materials included in the series are mostly notes and articles, although in some cases there are other items such as pamphlets and images included in the folders. Most of the people included in the series figured prominently into Gold's life (either personally, professionally, or both), or into Folsom's own research on Gold or other proletarian writers.

The fifth series, Periodicals (1913-1958 and undated) also measures about 0.25 linear feet. It includes mostly small collections of such titles as The Flame, The Liberator, The Masses, The New Masses, The Oakland Post Enquirer, and The Scarsdale Inquirer, for which Gold wrote over a period of years or months. These contain published versions of Gold's writings (some under the name Irwin Granich) and give an idea of how his writings appeared to readers at the time of their original publication.

The sixth series, News Clippings (1924-1980s and undated) includes 0.5 linear feet of folders containing dated and undated news clippings. These appear to be items clipped by Gold (to 1967) and Folsom, sometimes used for research or to write an article, or for personal interest. A few of the folders are somewhat topical within a time frame, such as pertaining to the H-bomb and McCarthyism, but most contain articles on a variety of subjects.

The seventh series, Events and Activities (1935-1972 and undated) is about 0.25 linear feet in size. It includes materials from events Mike Gold attended as well as a number of events held in his honor, and materials from his national speaking tour in 1954 in honor of his sixtieth birthday, including manuscripts.

The eighth series, Notes and Journals (1906-1962 and undated) contains both 0.75 linear feet of foldered materials and two boxes of card files. There are a large number of Gold's notebooks and notes, a diary, as well as some address books and address and business cards, and a childhood autograph book. Also included are Folsom's loose and topical notes (although Folsom's notes, where possible, have been kept with the materials with which they were found in the papers) and a notecard file housed in two small shoebox-sized boxes. Most notebooks and notes are not labeled or dated, making it difficult to distinguish what they are about and when they were written.

The ninth series, Personal (1930s-1967 and undated) is the smallest series at about 0.1 linear feet. It contains folders on such subjects as Gold's family, medical and financial information (mostly social security), and his death, including articles and obituaries.

The tenth series, Miscellaneous (1935-1970s and undated) measures about 0.65 linear feet. It includes some topical files on subjects, a variety of items on various social, political, and scholarly interests, and some folders relating to Folsom's own interests and activities, particularly after Gold's death, and general materials which did not fit in elsewhere in the papers.

The eleventh, Visual Materials (1923-1960s and undated), measures about 0.5 linear feet and is housed in a separate smaller box. It includes photographs, microfilm, and a few illustrations. Most of the items are undated, except the microfilm. The photographs date from Gold's childhood to the end of his life, but most appear to be from the 1920s through the 1940s. A number of photographs are from Gold's visit to Ernest Hemingway's home in Florida, where Gold vacationed and went fishing in about 1929- 1930. There are also some unlabeled and unidentified photographs, and some photographs which have been removed from other items in the collection (such as correspondence) for preservation purposes.

The twelfth and final series, FBI File, measures about .75 linear ft. In 1978 Mike Folsom requested Mike Gold's FBI file under the Freedom of Information Act. He received photocopies of the documents in Gold's file with some information blacked out by the FBI to protect the privacy of informants and other individuals. In 2002 Nick Granich offered the Labadie copies of his copies of Mike Gold's file. Since the Labadie's copies are at least third generation some information is obscured, but for the most part the documents are legible. The documents were left in the order in which the Labadie received them. The organizational scheme is primarily topical and chronological. If any records did seem out of place, they were left as is to preserve the original order. The FBI reports cover the years 1941 to 1967 with additional correspondence between Mike Folsom and the FBI in 1978.

The Ogden E. Edwards Family Papers span over a hundred years (1820-1938) and through multiple generations of the Edwards' family. The focus of this resource is primarily on Ogden Ellery Edwards II, who acted as a businessman as well as an American consul in the Philippines after leaving California in the early 1850s. The resource is made up by letters between members of the Edwards family and their acquaintances, personal recollections from Ogden Ellery Edwards II, and various print materials.

The Ogden E. Edwards Family Papers consists of correspondence and other genealogical records that trace the family history of Ogden Ellery Edwards II, who had a prolonged stay in the Philippines (specifically, in Manila) operating a trade venture. It includes records of the generations before and after Edwards II, as well as specific writings reflecting on his time in the Philippines. This collection contains four series: Correspondence, Manuscript, Diary, Visual Material, and Periodicals.

Other members of the family featured in this collection, include, but are not limited to: Ogden Ellery Edwards I, Catherine Shepherd, Nellie Edwards, Annie Edwards, Fanny Edwards, Robert Edwards, Warren Rogers II, Henrietta Shepherd, Ogden Ellery Edwards III, and Ogden Ellery Edwards IV.

This collection contains material related to the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902. The first series, which makes up the bulk of the collection, is related to the American captain Harry Dey and includes records of battles and skirmishes, quotidien life for American troops in San Francisco and in the Philippines, promotions, roll-calls, maps, a number of photographs, and other material. The second series is the Leyte and Samar Revolutionary Papers (1897 – 1901), which contain correspondence, records, certificates, and other material from Filipino forces.

The Harry Dey series contains documents, photographs, records, and memorabilia related to American military presence in the Philippines before and during the war. It also contains photographs related to military life in and around San Francisco, CA. The Leyte and Samar Revolutionary Papers series contains documents, records, and correspondence from Philippine military sources, including Mariano Pacheco and Ambrosio Moxica.

The Philippine History Small Manuscripts Collection consists of 27 individual manuscripts--each less than 0.25 linear feet--related to the history of the Philippines. The collection includes correspondence, books, diaries, photographs, and microfilm gathered from various sources covering a wide chronological span, from the 17th century through the mid-20th century, with the bulk of the material related to the U.S. occupation of the Philippines from the Spanish-American War (1898) through World War II (1939-1945).

The Philippine History Small Manuscripts Collection consists of 27 small collections (each less than 0.25 linear feet) related to the history of the Philippines. These collections have been compiled over time from various sources. The materials cover a wide span in chronology and content, from 17th century Spanish Jesuit ethnology to mid-20th century photographs of Filipino politicians. The bulk of the material covers the period from the Spanish-American War (1898) through World War II (1939-1945), primarily representing American perspectives and stories. For instance, there are many examples of U.S. soldiers' diaries, recording their military experiences in the Philippines, especially during the Philippine-American War. Of particular note are two collections authored by Emilio Aguinaldo and Manuel Quezon, both Filipino politicians and presidents who played important roles in shaping the history and governance of the Philippines following independence from Spain.

The Rabbi Levin collection contains his two books (in three volumes), Sefer Ha-Aderet Veha-Emunah. Many of Levin’s ideas concerning various Talmudic tractates are collected in these volumes. The chapters are arranged by the order of the Mishnah, and in the last volume he discusses some biblical matters. The published volumes have been removed from the collection of manuscript material and cataloged separately. The collection also contains family documents, manuscript notebooks, and miscellaneous notes.

The manuscript materials have been organized to facilitate research. Four files contain a variety of materials relating to Rabbi Levin and his family. The first file contains biographical details about Rabbi Levin. The second file has information about his son, while the third file contains all the information about Levin’s patent for a calculating machine. In addition to being rabbi, Levin was also an inventor. He invented one of the earliest machines that was able to perform simple calculations involving adding and subtracting. The original machine is currently housed in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The fourth file contains correspondence between Levin and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Chief Rabbi of Palestine. The letters from Rabbi Kook are on his personal stationery.

The core of the collection consists of Rabbi Levin’s twenty two notebooks. Each notebook was assigned a distinct identification number. The numbers are arbitrary and do not represent any chronological or thematic order. The notebooks are all in Levin’s hand, written in a mixture of Yiddish and Hebrew, but also in English written in Hebrew letters. The majority of the notes written in the notebooks are drafts of text, or fragments of drafts, in preparation for sermons he gave in various synagogues, or for lectures he presented on special occasions. There are also notes and ideas that apparently never were developed into complete essays or speeches. The sermons and lectures were for all kinds of occasions, which are summarized under the following titles: Ceremonies, Biblical Sermons, Holidays and Festivals, Additional Talmudic Sermons, and General.

Ceremonies cover all stages of a person’s life, from birth to death. In some cases, Levin prepared general orations for funeral or wedding services to be used as needed; while others are specific, and the name of a person and details about that person are included. An example is the memorial for Dr. Theodor Herzl (Notebook #14). In many cases, Levin explained the custom of the ceremony and would often include an analysis or argument. For example, in one of the orations for brit milah (circumcision ritual), Levin argued that the meaning of the ceremony was not just religious, but also had a more general, nationalistic side. In the same ceremony description, he emphasized that in Judaism’s view, parents had no right to harm their children, as children were not their parents’ property (Notebook #1). For a bar-mitzvah ceremony, Levin based his blessing on “a wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is his mother’s grief” (Proverbs 10:1, Notebook #1.) and explained the broader concept behind the quote. Based on these notebooks, it appears that many of the ceremonies that he conducted were funerals. Often he began his oration with “Lord, what is man that You should care about him … man is like a breath … ”Psalms 144:3-4). Sometimes, however, he also used other citations. For example, in Notebook #1, he compared the contemporary saying, “Life is Short,” to the saying “The day is short and the task is great” (Aboth 2:15). The following summary contains is a list of the ceremonies that appear in each notebook.

Biblical Sermons likely delivered in the synagogue each Shabbat, are concerned with Shabbat observances, most of them following a consistent format: first Levin quoted from the weekly Torah readings, next he discussed some Talmudic questions or arguments connected with the quote; this is followed by a concentration on a general topic. In many cases, the general topic dealt with historic events that were happening at the time of writing. Levin emphasized the hard times Jewish communities experienced in various places in Europe, in particular, in his Russian homeland. For example, in November 1915, Levin cited “and Esau said,” Let us start on our journey … ” (Genesis 33:12, Va-Yishlah weekly reading), and spoke about the Jewish people who were loyal to Mother Russia and fought in the Russian Army. But in return, their country engaged in pogroms and stole the belongings of many Jewish families (Notebook #15).

Having lived through World War I, Levin often mentions the war and its horrible results in his notebooks. On December 3, 1914, he also explained how the Americans fought the Turks (Notebook #7). In many of his orations, his main message is that the contemporary, materialistic world encourages wars. For example, on August 20, 1921 (Notebook #4), Rabbi Levin explains the Shelah-Lekha weekly reading, and told his audience that God is against all the golden crowns that human beings like czars and sultans put on because they bring about war. Levin argued that disputes should be settled through discussion and not by the sword.

Levin considered education an important tool in safeguarding the spirit of Judaism and in preventing conflict. On January 15, 1916, while discussing the Beshallah weekly reading, Levin declared that contemporary schools, similar to the schools in Europe, encouraged heroic exploits and wealth, instead of spirituality; therefore, they encouraged warlike behavior. He argued that fighting does not solve any problems, and never defeats evil (Notebook #15). Levin had some faith in efforts to resolve problems in the world through negotiations and to bring peace to the world. Thus, on November 12, 1921, commenting on the Lekh-Lekha weekly reading (Notebook #5), he addressed a “World Peace Conference in Washington,” connecting it to the prophecy of the last days: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb” (Isaiah 11:6).

In some of his biblical sermons, Levin would bring up current disputes in the Jewish world: On October 23, 1915, while talking about the Va-Yera reading, he discussed Orthodox and Reform views of the way Judaism should be practiced, and the question of practicing “half Judaism” (Notebook #15). In another instance, while discussing the Va-Yera reading, Levin mentioned the dispute in Baltimore (1917) which concerned the question of “Who is a Jew?” (Notebook #4). In the summary, one can find which weekly readings were discussed in each notebook.

Although they are part of biblical sermons, Holidays and Festivals are mentioned separately. For many of the holidays, Levin discusses the customs and the sources of these days. He comments upon the “Hellenization” phenomenon (Notebook #2), in the Hanukkah story and the four cups of wine of the Passover seder (Notebook #12). He also relates the history upon which the holidays were based. An example can be found in an entry for Hanukkah, on December 25, 1921, where he expounds on the admiration that the Israelites had for the Hasmoneans, and compares it to the attitude the Americans had toward Lincoln (Notebook #4). On September 18, 1920, which was Shabbat Shuvah, Levin translated the meaning of “Hear Oh, Israel” and the sanctification of the Holy Name. He connects it to what was happening at the time to Jews who lived under the Bolsheviks in Russia and in Poland (Notebook #4). For the Festivals (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur,) Levin discusses the spirit and message of biblical passages. On March 11, 1922, Shabbat Zakhor, Levin read “Remember what Amalek did to you … ” (Deuteronomy 25:17) and coped with the idea of revenge, which is in opposition to the spirit of the Bible. He explained that if the Jewish people would remember how they were rescued, it could intensify their spirit to fight and be strong in difficult times (Notebook #12). Even in his writings about holidays, Levin always considered contemporary world events, and he encouraged his audience to keep their spirits up. On April 12 1921, he talks about Nissan - the month of redemption. Levin writes that he found signs of deliverance in the recognition of the nations of the Zionist Congress and its president (Notebook #2). On Shavuot, on June 1, 1922, Levin talked about the hope that the Balfour Declaration gave to the Jewish people. Although he felt that there were many problems with the British mandate and its pro-Arab stance, Levin was reassured that, with faith, the people of Israel were close to achieving salvation. In the summary, one can find a list of holidays that were discussed in each notebook.

Additional Talmudic Sermons, refers to those chapters where Levin taught about Talmudic issues and Mishnah tractates. In some of the notebooks, he drafted sermons that appear in his book Sefer Ha-Aderet Veha-Emunah. Some sermons were published exactly as they appeared in the notebooks; only portions of the original writings were used for other sermons that appeared in the book. As a result, at times, the notebooks reveal more of Rabbi Levin’s ideas and thoughts about a given subject than does his book. In the summary, there are lists of all the tractates that are discussed in each notebook. Also, some of the notebooks serve as a type of index or concordance for studying Talmudic tractates.

General incorporates a wide-range of non-religious subjects, even some that were discussed as part of the weekly biblical readings. Levin always brought some Talmudic and biblical aspects to general topics, and in many cases added some humor to a serious subject. For the opening of a conference on July 23, 1921, Levin related the history of the survival of Judaism, comparing it to the endurance of the parochet (the curtain which hangs in front of the synagogue cabinet which holds the Torah scrolls and commemorates the curtain in front of the holy ark of the Temple in Jerusalem) and to the endurance of the national flag (Notebook #3). On January 9, 1915, in a conference of Hamizrahi in Chicago, Levin presented the idea represented by the passage “But the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out,” (Exodus 1:12 - Notebook #7).

Many of Rabbi Levin’s writings are related to the hope for the creation of a Jewish state. In an oration for a conference, he emphasizes the necessity of a Jewish state for the survival of the Jewish Diaspora (Notebook #8). Levin celebrated any declaration or promise made by Great Britain, or any other nation, in reference to the establishment of a Jewish state. In one of his essays, he quoted Dr. Haim Weizman (Notebook #3). For a banquet that was held at the Carmel Restaurant in Detroit on August 14 1920, Levin discussed, among other issues, the importance of the Balfour Declaration (Notebook #3). In preparing for a conference that took place on November 13, 1920 (Notebook #2), Levin discusses the redemption of the people of Israel as a result of the decisions that took place in London. He tries to remind people how the Hellenization of Jews is artificial and untrue to the faith, and he calls upon the Jewish people to return to the way of the Torah. At a Hamizrahi conference, in 1921 (Notebook #2), Levin compares the people of Israel to a worshipper who finds it difficult to arise from bed for the morning prayers. He beseeches Jews to wake up and return to the way of Torah, and he complains that the people who built the Jewish state created divisiveness within Judaism.

Levin was active in Hamizrahi, (Orthodox Zionist organization, known also as Mizrahi: literally means “Eastern”, but actually derived from the Hebrew acronym for “Spiritual Center” - merkaz ruhani). His speeches included some of the debates that took place in Hamizrahi concerning what the nature of the Jewish state should be. In Levin’s opinion, the Zionist movement should follow the way of the Torah. He compared the Zionist movement and Hamizrahi to the two cherubs in the temple of God: each had his individual way to perform God’s will, but both were necessary for the temple (Notebook #8). Levin referred to the passage “No bread -- no learning, no learning -- no bread.” Levin relates that between 1267-1854, the Jewish people were concentrating on the study of the Bible, and only later did they begin farming and other livelihoods, and that is where Zionism and Hamizrahi stood at this time.

Levin was very concerned that the Jewish people were quarreling amongst themselves. At a Hamizrahi banquet during a conference in Detroit on November 22, 1913, Levin told the people not to be deceived by the solemn atmosphere that prevailed in the hall while the real world of Judaism was segmented and even hostile (Notebook #4). On January 9, 1915, at a conference of Hamizrahi in Chicago, Levin stressed that the point of having the gathering was not the bellyful of food that was served during the conference which gave the participants a sweet taste, rather their purpose was to overcome the bitter taste of assimilation and persecution by creating a place for the Jews in their own country (Notebook #7). In another preparation for a Hamizrahi conference (Notebook #2), Levin explained that, so far, not many practical deeds, like buying land, had been done to help building the country of Israel. The organization was mainly busy with internal arguments about which way the country of Israel should choose. Levin was concerned that the Zionist movement was not following the way of the Torah. In an additional Hamizrahi conference on October 6th, 1920, he talked about those who condemned and those who blessed the Zionist movement. He explained the two viewpoints, and their connections to historic events like the Peace Conference in Paris (Notebook #3). However, he highlighted that the goal was more important than the dispute. Therefore, the Jewish people should show unity, or their cause would suffer. On January 17, 1914, he emphasized that in spite of the difference of opinions between the Orthodox factions, they all should be united and help to build the country of Israel, otherwise, they would not be part of the country (Notebook #4).

Rabbi Levin was very active in fund-raising for good causes, and was always concerned that the money would serve its cause and not the people who collected the money. For example, on January 12 1918, while acting for “Distribution Funds for the Land of Israel” Levin admonished the audience not to use the money for food for the banquets held to raise the money (Notebook #4). On Shavuot 1921, he talked for the Jewish Foundation Fund “Keren ha-Yesod.” He encouraged the idea of giving a tithe, and begged the people not to wait until God would build the country of Israel. He also praised and endorsed Dr. Weizmann, who had collected money all over the world, but did not take a penny for himself (Notebook #5).

Levin took part in building synagogues and participated in opening ceremonies for several new synagogues in Detroit. He stressed the importance of keeping the synagogues active all year around, and not just to build nice houses for keeping God in a beautiful place (Notebook # 9, #18). Levin was also involved in building religious schools in the Detroit area. In some of his orations he discusses these events; for example, the laying of the corner-stone for the Talmud-Torah School in Detroit, on July 15 1922 (Notebook #12) where he discussed the efforts to preserve Judaism in the modern world. In other notes he considers the question of whether Jewish studies needed to include the full spectrum of the sciences, or just concentrate on biblical subjects (Notebook #9).

Levin did much work on behalf of charitable projects, such as orphanages (Notebook #18), and hospitals. On August 2, 1913, he was involved in opening the “Bikur Holim” hospital and sanatorium for needy patients in Mount Clemens, Michigan (Notebook #13). On November 22, 1915, he participated in a fund-raiser for the “Hevra Kaddisha” burial society. Rabbi Levin thought that it was essential to have a Jewish burial society which offered all Jewish people the opportunity to be buried according to the laws of the Torah (Notebook #15). The summary includes a list of the topics that are discussed in each notebook.

Richard Tillinghas is a poet and critic based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is known for his employment of stylistic techniques to explore tracel, history, lanscapes, and the evolution of personal relationships. He was an active in the counterculture movement, and produced several published collections of poetry. Tillinghast claimed that his writings were primarily inspired by everyday experiences, which he interpreted in "an unusual way". In addition to writing, Tillinghast taught at both Harvard and San Quentin Prison, as well as at the University of Michigan. He travelled extensively, and now lives in rural Ireland. The Richard Tillinghast Papers contain materials from throughout Tillinghast's career, including extensive correspondence, manuscripts, and critical pieces. A large section of the collection is dedicated to the scrapbooks and journals spanning many years, and in which Tillinghast details his writing, work, and travels.

The Richard Tillinghast Papers consist of a wide variety of materials from across the length of Tillinghast's career. The collection contains a large amount of correspondence with colleagues, family, friends, publishers, and others involved with his career, a voluminous amount of manuscripts for his many poems, essays, critical pieces, and other writings, and material related to his professional work as a poet and professor as well as his personal life and that of his family. The largest element of the collection is the many manuscripts and drafts of Tillinghast's poems and other published writings, as well as the scrapbook-like journals he kept for many years documenting his travels, work, and writing. The Richard Tillinghast Papers are divided into seven series: Name and Topical, Personal, Professional, Writings and Manuscripts, Journals and Diaries, Clippings and Reviews, and Audiovisual.

The Name and Topical series contains approximately 3.25 linear feet, Boxes 1-4, consisting mainly of correspondence with fellow authors, colleagues, academics, friends, and publishers. Although largely organized by names, a few organizations with which Tillinghast corresponded significantly are included as topics as well. Relevant photographs, clippings, and ephemera are generally kept with related names and topics. The series is arranged alphabetically by name. Each name or topic is given a folder as long as there are at least three letters of correspondence or if the person is of significant status. Names or topics that do not meet these minimum requirements are filed by letter in the alphabet. This series also contains some unidentified correspondence due to illegible signatures on letters.

Tillinghast's largest correspondents include David Freidberg, Rachel Hadas, Donald Hall, Alan Williamson, and Wesleyan University Press, which published several of his books. Other notable correspondents include William Bolcom and Joan Morris, Billy Collins, James Dickey, Annie Dillard, Shelby Foote, George Garrett, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Haas, Seamus Heaney, James Laughlin, Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Hardwick, Robert Pinsky, Gary Snyder, Chase Twichell, and Robert Penn Warren.

The Personal series contains approximately 1 linear foot, Boxes 4-5, and includes a variety of materials related to Tillinghast's early life and family. Much of the series consists of correspondence with family members and close personal friends, arranged chronologically. Some correspondence of Tillinghast's family members, especially his grandparents, that dates from before his birth is also included. Among these are a letter to his grandfather A. J. Williford, a prominent public figure in the Memphis area, from Theodore Roosevelt. The series also contains materials from Tillinghast's childhood, and some of his academic work prior to graduate school, especially from his undergraduate days at the University of the South (Sewanee) in Tennessee. More general materials related to his time at Sewanee and at graduate school at Harvard are also included. The series also contains genealogical information and photographs on both Tillinghast's father's and mother's families compiled by relatives, and other miscellaneous personal materials.

The Professional series contains approximately 2 linear feet, Boxes 5-7, and includes materials related to Tillinghast's work both as a professor at the University of Michigan and as a poet and lecturer more generally. The largest part of the series is correspondence, logistical and publicity information, and other material related to Tillinghast's travels around the United States and abroad to conduct poetry readings at college and universities, bookstores, and other locations. This material is arranged by state, and within each state every institution for which there was a significant amount of correspondence or other information is given its own folder(s). Readings which Tillinghast gave in Ireland follow the US states. This series also contains correspondence with many publishers and publications regarding publication of Tillinghast's poems and essays. Because it is with such a wide variety of entities, this correspondene was left together rather than being split in Name and Topical. There is thus some overlap with Name and Topical, as well as correspondence in the Writings and Manuscripts series. Other materials in this series include some teaching materials, material related to projects Tillinghast conducted as a professor, materials on writers' conferences he attended and/or organized, and materials related to his work in Ireland and international travel.

The Writings and Manuscripts series contains approximately 6.75 linear feet, Boxes 7-15, and contains materials from Tillinghast's writings throughout his career. The series contains nine subseries: Poetry, Published Books of Poetry, Novels, Editorial Work, Criticism, Essays, Talks and Lectures, Robert Lowell, and Other.

The Poetry subseries consists largely of manuscripts of Tillinghast's poems from drafts, and revisions made by Tillinghast, which show the development of his work over time. Occasionally, correspondence related to the development of the poems is included as well. Undated manuscripts are grouped together at the end of the series, which also contains manuscripts of unpublished books of poetry and photocopies of published poems. Materials were generally kept together in the groupings in which Tillinghast had arranged them, which means related materials are sometimes dispersed throughout the series. For example, when a large number of copies of poems were placed together, they were placed in a single folder or set of folders. The same is true, though to a lesser degree, for other materials in this series. A limited amount of correspondence appears alongside the manuscripts.

The Published Books of Poetry subseries contains materials related to many of Tilinghast's published works, arranged chronologically by book. The series contains drafts, manuscripts, galleys, copies, signatures, and correspondence with publishers and others. The amount of material for each book varies considerably, and for none is there enough material to show the complete development of the book. It is important to note that the manuscript entitled "They Gambled For Your Clothes" was renamed as "The New Life" before eventually being published. Earlier manuscripts can be found in the Poetry subseries. Many of the individual poems in each book also have files in the Poetry subseries.

The Novels subseries consists of a manuscript for a never-published novel by Tillinghast, as well as drafts and fragments of another unpublished novel or short story.

The Editorial Work subseries contains material related to Tillinghast's service as editor of an edition of the literary magazine Ploughshares, mainly correspondence and manuscripts. Correspondents are arranged alphabetically.

The Criticism subseries consists primarily of book reviews Tillinghast wrote for a wide variety of academic and popular publications, arranged chronologically. Materials include manuscripts and drafts of the reviews and correspondence with publishers and publications. The subseries also includes similar materials on various other works of criticism published in a variety of publications. Publications for which there was not a significant amount of materials are grouped together as "various." The subseries also contains materials of the same nature as those in the Published Books of Poetry subseries for one published book of criticism by Tillinghast.

The Essays subseries contains material similar to that on book reviews in the Criticism subseries, but for essay on literary and travel topics by Tillinghast published in various publications, arranged chronolgoically. A large amount of these essays were travel pieces for the New York Times, as well as a large amount of writing on Irish literature and culture for a number of publications. Folders on many of the travel pieces also contain a variety of tourist materials and other ephemera from the locations about which the essays were written. Those essays for which there were not a large amount of materials are grouped together as "various." Manuscripts and materials related to Tillinghast's Finding Ireland are grouped following the essays, as well as working manuscripts and correspondence related to "The Istanbul Book", an as-yet unpublished book.

The Talks and Lectures subseries contains manuscripts of a few talks and lectures given by Tillinghast.

The Robert Lowell subseries contains all of Tillinghast's writings on Robert Lowell, arranged by type and chronologically therein. Lowell was a mentor to Tillinghast at Harvard and Tillinghast wrote his Ph.D. thesis on Lowell as well as a literary biography of him. Because of the importance of Lowell in Tillinghast's work, these writings are grouped together. This subseries contains book reviews, essays, a lecture, and various Lowell-related clippings and articles.

The Other subseries contains a few other writings and manuscripts by Tillinghast that do not fit into any of the other subseries, such as an interview, a travel guide, and an autobiography Tillinghast provided to Gale.

The Clippings and Reviews series contains approximately 0.25 linear feet, Box 15, of primarily clippings and photocopies of reviews of Tillinghast's published books of poetry, arranged by book. The series also contains miscellaneous clippings about Tillinghast from throughtout his career.

The Journals and Diaries series contains 7 linear feet, Boxes 15-20, of Tillinghast's journals or diaries from throughout his career, arranged chronologically by decade, though the bulk are from the 1990s and 2000s. These books contain a wide variety of materials: notes on and drafts of poems, materials related to teaching, such as notes on grading and class preparation, notes from Tillinghast's extensive travels, clippings and photographs pasted in, and a wide range of other content. The earliest journals, from Tillinghast's undergraduate days, are primarily his class notes. The journals appear to have been kept as "catch-all" books that served a wide variety of professional and personal purposes. They are in a wide variety of physical formats. When the dates of a journal could not be determined, a guess was made based on the other journals near it and on content. Since the dates of journals occasionally overlap, no attempt was made to arrange them chronologically beyond the level of decade. The varied nature of these books mean that they reveal much about Tillinghast's writing, his work, and his life in general in the years in which they were kept.

The Audiovisual series contains1 linear foot, Box 21, of primarily audio and videocassettes, as well as two CDs. Some of the audio and videocassettes are of Tillinghast giving poetry readings or of projects he participated in or coordinated. The bulk of the collection is recordings of class meetings for two classes Tillinghast taught, the Beat Generation and Poets Live, from January to April 1995.