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Creator
Warsh, Lewis
Call number
Berg Coll MSS 35928
Physical description
35.46 linear feet (85 boxes, 1 tube). 1 audio recording
Language
English
Preferred Citation
Lewis Warsh papers, Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library
Repository
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

Lewis Warsh was an American poet, visual artist, professor, prose writer, editor, and publisher. He is most prominently known as a member of the second generation of the New York School poets. The Lewis Warsh papers, dating from 1957 to 2022, cover his personal and professional life, represented through correspondence, his notebooks and journals, drafts of his work, the work of other writers, and material related to events. The collection encompasses the whole of Warsh's career and is particularly strong in detailing his personal relationships and relationships with other writers.

Biographical/historical information

Lewis Warsh (November 9, 1944 – November 15, 2020) was an American poet, visual artist, professor, prose writer, editor, and publisher. He was a member of the second generation of the New York School poets.

A native of the Bronx, Warsh attended the City College of New York, receiving a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English; he also attended Kenneth Koch's poetry class at the New School. In 1965 Warsh attended the Berkeley Poetry Conference, where he met his first wife, the poet Anne Waldman, at a Robert Duncan poetry reading. The two bonded over poetry and a shared LSD experience, and soon married at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery.

By 1966 the couple had settled in the Lower East Side of New York City. Warsh took a day job with the Welfare Department, and the two founded Angel Hair, a magazine and book publishing house which became part of the Mimeo Revolution literary publishing movement. Warsh and Waldman's apartment at 33 St. Marks Place became a centerpiece of the New York School and the overlap between musicians and poets at the time. Warsh later recalled that Lou Reed and other Velvet Underground members first listened to the album The Velvet Underground and Nico at his home. During this time Warsh's first books of poems were published — The Suicide Rates (1967), Highjacking (1968), and Moving Through Air (1968). Warsh and Waldman's romantic relationship was short-lived, but Angel Hair continued publishing until 1978, and they remained in correspondence throughout his life. In addition to Warsh and Waldman, Angel Hair published the works of Bill Berkson, Joe Brainard, Jim Carroll, Tom Clark, Clark Coolidge, Robert Creeley, Kenward Elmslie, Ted Greenwald, Joanne Kyger, Bernadette Mayer, Alice Notley, Ron Padgett, Lorenzo Thomas, Hannah Weiner, and John Wieners.

After the breakup, Warsh moved to Bolinas, California and then Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he co-edited The Boston Eagle with William Corbett and Lee Harwood. He moved back to New York City in 1974. The next year, he began a relationship with the poet Bernadette Mayer. In 1977 they founded the publishing house United Artists Magazine and Books. Eighteen issues of the mimeo United Artists were published between 1977 and 1983, and United Artists Books is still in operation. United Artists Books has published the works of Ruth Altmann, Jim Brodey, Reed Bye, Charlotte Carter, William Corbett, Gloria Frym, Bobbie Louise Hawkins, Barbara Henning, Bill Kushner, Gary Lenhart, Liam O'Gallagher, Tom Savage, Elio Schneeman, Chris and George Tysh, Charlie Vermont, Anne Waldman, Phyllis Wat, Hannah Weiner, and Matvei Yankelevich, as well as works by Warsh and Mayer. Warsh and Mayer had three children, Sophia, Marie, and Max, before separating in 1985.

That same year saw the start of Warsh's teaching career. Paul Auster recommended him to teach a graduate creative writing course at Long Island University, and Siri Hustvedt recommended him to teach undergraduate courses at Queens College. From then until 2018 Warsh taught at Naropa University, the State University of New York at Albany, Queens College, Fairleigh Dickinson University, The Poetry Project, The Bowery Poetry Club, and Long Island University. He was the founding director of Long Island University's Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing.

In 2001 Warsh married playwright and director Katt Lissard. Warsh's last book of poetry, Out of the Question, was published in 2017. Warsh died on November 15, 2020, at the age of seventy-six.

Scope and arrangement

The Lewis Warsh papers date from 1958 to 2022. The collection consists of correspondence, usually with other writers; Warsh's notebooks and journals; drafts and proofs of Warsh's work; drafts and proofs of the works of others (usually for Angel Hair and United Artists publications or works that were sent to Warsh as gifts); Warsh's art; and materials from events for or attended by Warsh. Also included in the events series are materials from Warsh's memorial service, held in 2022.

The collection is arranged into seven series that comprises correspondence; Notebooks and Journals; Poetry; Prose; Works of Others; Artwork; and Events and Ephemera. The correspondence series and the notebooks and journals series make up the bulk of the collection. In both, Warsh details not only his creative process and research, but also personal and familial relationships and friendships, current events, and his interior life. Prominent correspondents include Anne Waldman, Bernadette Mayer, Bill Kushner, Harris Schiff, Bill Berkson, Barbara Henning, Tom Veitch, and Hannah Weiner.

The Lewis Warsh papers are arranged in seven series:

  • Series I: Correspondence
    1960-2013

    The Correspondence series mostly consists of letters sent to Warsh. The vast majority of the correspondence after 1998 is in the form of email print-outs, and in these cases Warsh's responses are usually contained as part of a thread. As most of Warsh's correspondents were fellow writers, the subject of most of the correspondence is usually writing or publishing. However, most of these writers were also Warsh's personal friends or romantic partners, and personal issues are discussed throughout. Those correspondents that were not also writers were often visual artists, such as Liam O'Gallagher and Rackstraw Downes, and once Warsh began his teaching career the correspondence often concerns topics related to academia and administration.

    Correspondence is organized by personal or organizational name. In some cases, surnames could not be found and the first name is used.

    Among the most prominent correspondents are Warsh's first wife, Anne Waldman, who remained in correspondence throughout his life, and the poets Bill Kushner, Barbara Henning, Wang Ping (also a romantic partner), and Harris Schiff. Ephemera, often in the form of photographs, contracts, leases, and typescripts, is noted where included.

  • Series II: Notebooks and Journals
    1959-2011

    Warsh kept extensive notebooks and journals throughout his life, covering a variety of topics both personal and professional (and often, as with his correspondence, with a blending of the two). Generally speaking, notebooks are more professional and consists of notes that are often undated (a date range is usually just given for the whole of the notebook). Journals are dedicated to dated personal entries, though towards the end of the series there is a blending of the two.

    In addition to text entries, Warsh doodled throughout his notebooks and journals. After the birth of his children, childhood doodles begin to appear. Of particular note, Sophia Warsh included stories and sketches in her father's notebooks.

    Topics are broad. Notebooks include drafts of poems and prose; doodles and sketches; loose papers with poems and notes; programs; personal journal entries; notes on literature, philosophers, and music; notes on teaching; copies of the poems of others and quotes; general notes; and class schedules.

    Warsh's personal journals detail his work as a writer; time in school; personal, sexual, and familial relationships; the birth of his children; smoking addiction and efforts to quit; drug experiences; reactions to films seen and books read; world events; clippings; copies of photographs; press releases; doodles and sketches; mental health reflections; and interior life. Often the journals also have drafts of poems, or simply brief lines.

  • Series III: Poetry
    1958-2010

    The Poetry series includes all poetic works by Warsh, grouped by year range. Very often these poems were untitled and possibly unpublished. The works in this series are both holographic and typescript, and often have corrections by Warsh. Proofs are also included. Warsh's poetry collections are also represented, in pre-publication forms. Occasional prose is scattered throughout, most of which takes the form of autobiographical accounts or journal entries alongside the poems. Other included materials are cover letters for poetry submissions, a copy of a City College newsletter featuring a poem by Warsh, an open letter to Bernadette Mayer, and sketches. The material featured in this series began when Warsh was a teenager and includes some graded coursework.

  • Series IV: Prose
    1957-2019

    The Prose series includes all prose work done by Warsh. This includes fiction, class work, autobiographical accounts, transcripts of interviews with Warsh, and reviews. As with the poetry series, the date range of this series begins when Warsh was a teenager and includes graded coursework. Other materials held alongside the prose include sketches, clippings, maps, correspondence about publication, and the work of others, most notably Harris Schiff. Materials are in both typescript and holographic form, often with Warsh's corrections. Proofs are also included.

  • Series V: Works of Others
    1964-2011

    This series, Works of Others, consists of works not written by Warsh, but collected by him. Usually, these pieces were submitted to either Angel Hair or United Artists for publication, though often they were works sent to Warsh for review or as gift. In the latter case, many of these works were never published. Most of these works are in the form of typescripts or holographs, often with corrections. Occasional proofs are present. Many of the earliest materials are addressed to Ted Berrigan, for publication in his journal C.

    Among the most significant are the materials that were included in the publication of the Angel Hair Anthology in 2001. A small amount of these works are unsigned or the signature cannot be determined. These unidentified works are grouped together in the last folder. The materials related to Anne Waldman hold the most ephemera, notably flyers for readings, collages, photographs, and catalogs. Also included is a work by Robert Desnos translated by Warsh.

  • Series VI: Artwork
    1968-2012

    The Artwork series consists of individually titled art pieces made by Warsh. With the exception of one sketch, all artwork consists of collages, signed and dated by Warsh.

  • Series VII: Events and Ephemera
    1967-2022

    The Events and Ephemera series includes materials related to events attended by or featuring Warsh, as well as notable ephemera from Warsh's life. Material related to events mostly take the form of flyers, posters, press releases and programs, and these are mostly related to poetry readings. Of note are advertising materials for The Architectural League of New York's "Dial-A-Poem" service (featuring Warsh), a contract signed by Warsh, catalogs from Angel Hair and United Artist Books, mantras from a chanting at the New School by Allen Ginsberg, a program of poetry events held at Robert Rauschenberg's loft, and a program for a Fashion Show Poetry Event, held by Hannier Weiner, John Perreault, and Eduardo Costa and featuring Anne Waldman as a model.

    Materials from Warsh's 2022 memorial service are included in this series.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Purchased from Granary Books in 1996 and 2014, with the exception of material from Warsh's memorial service, which was collected at the service in 2022 and added to the collection.

Processing information

Processed by Stacey Ference in 2024.

Using the collection

Location

Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Third Floor, Room 320

Access restrictions

Inquiries regarding audio and moving image materials in the collection may be directed to the Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature (berg@nypl.org). Audio and moving image materials may be subject to preservation evaluation and migration prior to access.