Formation of Newsletter, correspondence and clippings (2 folders), 1984-85

This collection comprises the files of the founding editor of the James Dickey Newsletter. It contains editorial files for each issue from Volume 1 (1984) through Volume 17 (2001). These records contain article submissions and revisions, editorial correspondence, and printing, advertising, indexing and subscription records. There is an extensive correspondence series divided into two parts: named correspondent files, many of whom are members of the newsletter’s editorial board, and a general correspondence series. There are over 30 letters from James Dickey in this series, primarily concerning his reactions to issues of the Newsletter and arrangements for reading and speaking dates. There is also a substantial group of correspondence with Paula Goff, a poet who served as Dickey’s secretary and assistant for many years. Other correspondents include Matthew J. Bruccoli, Jimmy Carter (1997), Fred Chappell, Malcolm Cowley, and Ron Rash. Correspondents in the files relating to the founding of the Newsletter include William F. Buckley, Jr., Willie Morris, and Robert Penn Warren.

The second part of the collection contains subject files on Dickey collected by Joyce Morrow Pair: biographical, subject and clipping files, groups of printed writings and drafts, photographs, and audio/visual material. Also included are documents reflecting Pair’s scholarly activities such as conference papers and organized panels, and her role in organizing poetry festivals and poetry readings.