Howard Griffin papers

Description data TOP

unitid

{"value"=>"185452", "type"=>"local_mss"}

{"value"=>"Berg Coll MSS Griffin 1998", "type"=>"local_call"}

unitdate

{"value"=>"1938-1975", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1938/1975"}

unittitle

{"value"=>"Howard Griffin papers"}

physdesc

{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"40 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"8.36 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}

repository

{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature</span>"}

abstract

{"value"=>"The Howard Griffin papers document the life and work of American journalist and author John Howard Griffin (1920-1980), noted for his writing on racial equality. The collection consists of extensive correspondence, journals, manuscripts, typescripts, essays,scrapbooks, and photographs. The papers provide insight into Griffin's social observation,while offering a glimpse of his life as an activist during the civil rights movement in America."}

langmaterial

{"value"=>"English"}

origination

{"value"=>"Griffin, John Howard, 1920-1980", "type"=>"persname"}

bioghist

{"value"=>"<p>John Howard Griffin (1920-1980) was born on Long Island, New York. After some early travels, including a trip around the world at age fourteen, he attended Columbia College in New York. In 1942, in response to the War, he joined the Signal Corps of the United States Army in which he served for three and a half years. During this time he was stationed in Washington, DC; Leyte, Phillipines; Yokohoma, Japan; and New Guinea. While in the Armed Services, he began to write poetry.</p> <p>After being released from the Armed Services, he focused on his writing and in 1947 published a collection of poems, Cry Cadence (Farrar, Straus). In 1947 and 1948, he worked as W.H. Auden's secretary during which time he reportedly typed the manuscript of The Age of Anxiety (New York: Random House, c1947).</p> <p>During this period he also published a series of dialogs with Auden in Accent, Hudson Review, Poetry, Partisan Review and Semi-Colon. The appearance of these interviews made Griffin a well-known figure among the literary circles of the time and they were eventually collected and published posthumously as Conversations with Auden (Grey Fox Press, 1981). In his introduction to the book Donald Allen quotes Auden's response to one of the dialogs in a letter dated May 1949: \"Many thanks for your letter and the dialogue. I don't remember saying a word which you attribute to me, but I seem to agree with what you say, so it must be alright.\" Griffin's short stories appeared in Story, Prairie Schooner, Approach, and Point. Portions of his journal were published in Kinsman, The Chicago Review, Perspective, Twelfth Street and The Deer and the Daschund. In addition, he reviewed books for The Tiger's Eye, The Saturday Review, Progressive Architecture and other magazines.</p> <p>Howard Griffin figures prominently in Lord Kinross's (Patrick Balfour) Innocents at Home (New York: Morrow, c1959), a book about Balfour's visit to the United States.</p> <p>After his father's death, Howard Griffin used his inheritance to move to Europe, eventually settling in Sautens, Austria. In 1972, Overseen Objects and Other Fears, a collection of his poems illustrated with paintings by Ulli, was published by Druck Press (Geneva). In 1980, he committed suicide in Austria.</p>"}

scopecontent

{"value"=>"<p>The seven boxes of incoming letters and one box of miscellaneous letters in this collection are organized by author with dates as yet undocumented. The manuscripts include poems in many drafts, essays, a play, work based on his journals and a novel. Typescripts are often heavily revised by hand.</p> <p>Eighty-three journals, two scrapbooks, two address books and one photo album make up the rest of the collection and were created between 1938-197[5]. These are predominantly autograph with some sections written in shorthand; some have illustrations painted or drawn on the covers of interior pages, postcards, or clippings glued in. Later in his career, Griffin attempted to publish an autobiography based on these journals. In the process, he created indices for a number of them. These indices are written or typed on the front or inside cover. Typescript portions of the autobiography can be found in boxes 13, 18 and 19.</p> <p>In addition, Box 40 contains one photo album and five folders of photographs.</p> <p>One hand-made item with typed poems glued in, some illustrations and original artwork is unboxed. Certain poems have been revised and a few loose poems have been inserted.</p> <p>Please consult the online catalog for the following printed items included in the Nell Blaine gift that have been catalogued separately:</p> <p>Cry Cadence (New York: Farrar, Straus, 1947). 3 copies; Harking Back. Waldsboro, ME:Kinsman Publications. [Includes a biographical essay on Griffin, p. 169-204].</p>"}

acqinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Donated by the Estate of Nell Blaine in December 1998.</p>"}

processinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Nell Blaine and Diana Burnham.</p>"}

date_start

1938

keydate

1938

date_end

1975

date_inclusive_start

1938

date_inclusive_end

1975

extent_statement

8.36 linear feet (40 boxes)

prefercite

{"value"=>"Howard Griffin papers, Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library"}

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