DACS

urn:taro:smu.00227 Lewis MacAdams papers A Guide Finding aid by Cynthia Franco, 2012. DeGolyer Library

P. O. Box 750396 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 75275-0396

Finding aid encoded by Cynthia Franco 2012 Finding aid written inEnglish. Description based on DACS Overview DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University MacAdams, Lewis, 1944- Lewis MacAdams papers 1950s-1983 12 boxes (12 linear feet) Lewis MacAdams is a Texas-born modern poet and journalist who grew up in the Dallas area. He later moved to California, where he is known for his political and environmental activism. This collection covers the first thirty-nine years of his life. Included are correspondence, scrapbooks, interviews, his editorial files for the magazine Wet, and poetry and manuscripts from the 1970s-early 1980s. Mss 57 Material is in English Biographical Note

Lewis Perry MacAdams, Jr. was born in San Angelo, Texas on October 12, 1944. He attended St Mark's School in Dallas and graduated from Princeton University in 1966. In 1968 he received a Master's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Although a modern poet, he has worked in a variety of positions, most notably as a railroad switchman and a director of a public utility district. He was director of the Poetry Center at San Francisco State University (from 1975 to 1978), has co-produced a television special "California One," and edited Wet Magazine.

Most, but not all, of his writing is poetry. His published collections include Water Charms (1968), The Poetry Room (1971), News from Niman Farm (1976), Blind Date (1981), Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe (1982), and Dear Oxygen (2011). In 2001 he published Birth of The Cool, a cultural history of the idea of cool. Examples of his other work include individual poems, creative prose, interviews, ghostwritten books, articles, screenplays, and a phonograph record, words and vocals by MacAdams, entitled "Beirut." In addition, he has contributed to Rolling Stone, L.A. Times, and Los Angeles Magazine. MacAdams produced and directed the 1986 documentary “What Happened to Kerouac?”

MacAdams was married twice and is the father of four children. He lives in California.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

This collection provides a look at the first thirty-nine years of an American poet, journalist and political activist living in Texas and California. MacAdams was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam war, and series 2 contains his letter stating his position, letters of support, legal correspondence, and information on the compulsory work program for conscientious objectors. Researchers should also note that MacAdams was an editor for the short-lived but influential magazine Wet, and materials from 1979-1981 can be found at the end of series 5. The bulk of this collection contains poetry and manuscripts, however, his personal and business affairs are also represented.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is organized into 8 series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-1983 Series 2: Personal papers, 1950s-1982 Series 3: Family papers, 1960-1977 Series 4: Poetry and prose, 1964-1982 Series 5: Journalism, 1956-1983 Series 6: Other interests, 1971-1982 Series 7: Public relations, 1965-1983 Series 8: Other writers, 1966-1983 Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms.

MacAdams, Lewis, 1944- Wet. Authors, American -- 20th century. Poets, American -- 20th century. Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Conscientious objectors -- United States. Letters -- 20th century. Manuscripts for publication. Scrapbooks – 20th century. Photographs. Sound recordings Preferred Citation

Lewis MacAdams papers, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University.

Acquisition Information

The papers of the Lewis MacAdams collection were acquired in two installments. The first segment arrived in February 1974, the second in September 1983. Included in these papers were several published works. Those publications containing MacAdams' manuscript notes have been retained in the manuscript collection, while the rest were cataloged and shelved in DeGolyer Library.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 1987 by DeGolyer Library staff.

In 2012, the two frames were removed from childhood photographs in box 3 and the contents of box 3 were transferred to an oversize box 3X. Series four and five were originally one large series entitled “literary productions.” The archivist divided the original sections of poetry and prose, and journalism to form two separate series.

Finding aid written by

Jeanette Clough and Jane Elder, 1987. Revised by Cynthia Franco, 2012.

Finding aid encoded by

Cynthia Franco, 2012.

Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-1983 2 boxes

Lewis MacAdams’ personal correspondence is arranged in chronological order.

11-12General correspondence, 1963-1974 113Correspondence with Barbara Dilley, 1974 114-18General correspondence, 1975-1976 21-4General correspondence, 1976-1977 25Poetry in Public Places, 1977 – this correspondence deals with a writing project to place poetry on buses, billboards and other public places 26-8General correspondence, 1978-1979 29Poetry readings in Europe - correspondence 210-12General correspondence, 1980-1982 213Allen Ginsberg correspondence, 1982 214General correspondence, 1983 215-18Undated correspondence 219Greeting cards Series 2: Personal papers, 1950s-1982 3 boxes

This series includes high school and college yearbooks and scrapbooks, MacAdams’ documentation as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, a Southern Pacific Railroad rule book, and resumes.

2Yearbooks and Scrapbooks 220St. Mark's School of Texas newsletters and bulletins 221St. Mark's Yearbook, 1958 3X1The Re Marker [St. Mark's School of Texas publication], 1961-1962 3X2Scrapbook, St. Mark's 3X3Scrapbook - early years, St. Mark's, Princeton 41-3St. Mark's yearbooks, 1959-1961 44Princeton memorabilia 45-7Princeton yearbooks, 1963-1965 4Photographs 48Princeton Colonial Club 3X4Childhood photographs 4Personal documents 49Personal documents, 1970-1982 - biographical information, resumes, Harper and Row contract, unemployment, voter registration 410Letters regarding draft status [as a conscientious objector], 1967-1968 – includes information on the compulsory work program for conscientious objectors 411Southern Pacific Railroad Rules and Regulations volume listing Lewis MacAdams as a switchman 412Business cards 413Addresses and phone numbers Series 3: Family papers, 1960-1977 8 folders

These family papers include correspondence from MacAdams’ first wife, Phoebe, their children’s drawings, family newspaper clippings, and photographs.

4Correspondence 414Phoebe MacAdams [first wife], 1965-1977 415Willie Blaze MacAdams [son] – childhood drawings, notes 416Ocean Lee MacAdams [son] – typed poem, and childhood drawing 417Rhea MacAdams [grandmother], 1971-1976 4Clippings 418Photocopies of MacAdams family clippings, 1967-1977 4Photographs 419-21Family and other people, 1960-1970s Series 4: Poetry and prose, 1964-1982 5 boxes

Much of the material in this series regards his published poetry collections Water Charms (1968), The Poetry Room (1971), News from Niman Farm (1976), Blind Date (1981), Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe (1982). Works ghostwritten by MacAdams are included, as well as publications in which his work appeared.

5Poetry 51White Notebook - Three poems, one from News from Niman Farm, and other material, 1976-1977 52Black Notebook, 1976 - Holograph drafts of poems which were published in Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe ephemera, annotated manuscripts, and a list of corrections for the printer of Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe 53-7Notebooks, 1970s 58Drafts, typed and manuscript, of Water Charms. Remnants from The Poetry Room 59-10The Poetry Room, typed draft 511Tilth, pamphlet and typed draft, 1972 512-14News from Niman Farm, typed drafts 515"The Owlization," typed manuscript of long poem 516"In Now We Must All," typed draft 517“Up the Creek,” typed draft, 1973 518“Pieces of the Indies,” typed draft 519"The Song of Jack Eagle Slave," long unpublished work by MacAdams and Tom Veitch, 1969 520“Phoebe,” typed photocopy 61Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe 62-64Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - manuscripts of individual poems 665Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - credits 666Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - typescripts 667Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - paste-up sheets 668-69Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - galleys 670Miscellaneous manuscripts, probably for Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - paste-up sheets 671"Expeditions" by Lewis & Clark [written by Lewis MacAdams and Tom Clark] 672"Collaborations," unpublished poems by MacAdams and possibly others 673"Live at the Church" 674"Lone Star," unpublished long poem 71Typed and manuscript poems from early Princeton University period 72-6Poetry - manuscripts, 1964 77-13Poetry – manuscripts, undated 714Poetry rewritten by Ted Berrigan, 1972 715Typescript of poetry book, untitled 716Poems, most unpublished, early 1970s 717Poems, most unpublished, late 1960s and early 1970s 81Prose and poetry fragments 82Mostly poems, most unpublished, late 1970s 83Mostly poems, most unpublished, middle 1970s 84-10Poems published in periodicals 8Creative Prose 811"Texas Years," story written with Tom Clark, 1972 812"The Last Days of Hank Williams" 813-15“Get the Money,” unpublished novel 816Untitled play written while at Princeton [removed from Box 7, folder 1] 817“The Town that Fought to Save Itself : a Teleplay” 818-20“I Am The Children Signing Off”, unpublished novel 821Blind Date, 1981 8Ghostwriting 822“It’s a Party” manuscript 823-24Miscellaneous prose 825“Cancer,” a play [Authorship uncertain] 117“I'm a Fool” by Sherwood Anderson, screenplay by Lewis MacAdams, 1976 98“Journey of the Heart,” a Galactic Production, by Faren Dancer 1026“Biography of Jayme Odgen,” artist, ghostwritten in the first person, 1982 116Phonograph record (45 rpm), "Beirut." Lyrics and vocals by Lewis MacAdams, 1982 12Published Works with Manuscript Notes 1233Milk Quarterly, 8, The Yellow Press, 1975 - two poems by MacAdams, p. 29 1234The Amphora, 6, The Headstone Press, Fall, 1971 1235Renaissance, v. 1, no. 1, 1969 1236First Issue, no. 1, 1968 1237Out There, 6, Out There Press, 1974 1238Big Sky, no. 8, 1974 1239Telephone, #2 1240Turkey Buzzard Review, Turkey Buzzard Editions, 1980 1241Stone Soup, 29, Stone Soup Poetry, 1976 1242Bricoleur, 1969 1243FATHAR, 5, 1973 Series 5: Journalism, 1956-1983 3 boxes

This series mostly contains interviews, notes, drafts, and book reviews. Highlights include a folder of MacAdams’ “letters to the editor” from 1956-1977, issues of WET Magazine and his writing from 1979-1981, and his script for the 1986 documentary “What Happened to Kerouac?”

9Interviews 91Robert Creeley, draft 92Joanne Kyger, draft 93Simon Ortiz, draft 94Leslie Minor, draft and two tape cassettes, 1974 95Michael Rafferty, draft, 1976 96"Taj Mahal," galleys 97Typed story draft - Eldridge Cleaver 1016Hans Wesseling, cassette tape, 1978 9Articles 99"Public Broadcasting Service," notes for article, related photographs and newspaper clippings, and early draft, 1979-1980 910"Performance Art," draft, related clippings and other materials, and notes for article, 1976 911"Poetry and Politics," drafts and notes and letter to publisher, 1977 912"Sex in the Cinema," drafts, notes, and movie press releases for Paul Verhouven’s film “Spetters,” 1980-1981 913"Sex with the Dead," notes, and early draft, 1982 914"Best Mary Jane in the World," notes and early draft, 1980 915"Boomtown in the Metroplex: Capitalism in the 80's - The Spirit of Dallas," drafts and notes and color photo of W. A. Criswell, 1980s 916"On the Trail of the Cattle Mutilations," drafts, notes, clippings, and a copy of Mystery Stalks the Prairie by Roberta Donovan and Keith Yolverton, 1979-1980 917"Chicken Ranch," manuscript, documentation, notes, 1979-1980 918"Children of Lesbians," drafts and notes, 1982 919"Coyote Story," news clippings, draft and notes, 1982 920Kerouac film, script and proposed budget of a biographical film of Jack Kerouac, with interviews with his contemporaries 103Column by MacAdams, with short biography of him – [“The Lewis MacAdams Story” in Other Scenes, the International Magazine, November 1970] 104"Television Art," LBMAVIDEO - The Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation, Video Council Newsletter, Jan.-Feb. 1983 105"Une Orgie de 30 Tonnes," Actuel, Sept. 1981, p. 66 106"New Mexico Prison Riot," draft and notes 107"Overdose et Carnage a la Prison de Santa Fe," Actuel, March 1980, p. 52 108"Panique Chez les Vaches Americaines," Actuel, February 1981, p. 45 109"La Sherif au Bordel," Actuel, July-Aug. 1981, p. 76 1010"A Dallas, Pas Question de Mollir," Actuel, July-Aug. 1980., p. 108 1011"Kerouac is Alive!" High Performance, 1982, p. 16 1012"Thought is Made in the Mouth," High Performance, 1982, p. 16 1013"Nightclubbing with William Burroughs, John Giorno and Laurie Anderson," High Performance, Winter 1981-82, p. 38 1014"The Art of Getting Rich," California Magazine, March 1982, p. 71 1015"A Talk about Teaching Poems to Kids," The Trellis Supplement, Summer 1974, p. 77 1017"How Films Were Made," Newsletter of the Writers Guild of America, West, January 1983, p. 23 10 "Robert Mitchum: "Lemme Tell You How Films Are Made"" L.A. Weekly, April 16-22, 1982, p. 10 1018"Catching Up with Allen Ginsberg," L.A. Weekly, March 12-18, 1982, p. 8 1019"Catching Up with Ed Ruscha," L.A. Weekly, Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 1982, p. 26 1020"Kramer vs. Kramer with a Twist," L.A. Weekly, Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 1982, p. 11 102121 Notes for article on Frank Moore, a performance artist with multiple sclerosis 1022Notes for article on R. D. Laing, psychiatrist and author of several works, including The Divided Self 1023Notes and draft of "Lion Gate Films: Hollywood after Zoetrope," piece on the creation of a new (1982) studio 1024Introduction to The Japanese and Indian Journals by Joanne Kyger 1025"Mobile Apartment Homes," draft and notes, 1982 1027Article about Ken Kesey, draft and notes 1028Grateful Dead book project, 1982 1029Letters to the editor written by MacAdams, 1956-1977 1030Miscellaneous short articles by MacAdams, 1966-1979 1031Miscellaneous incomplete drafts for articles, published and unpublished 1032Drafts for magazine articles 10Book Reviews 101Review by MacAdams for Anne Waldman's Fast-Speaking Woman, printed in The Colorado Daily, April 14, 1976 102Fragments of reviews by MacAdams: Fast-Speaking Woman by Anne Waldman and Elsa Dorfman's Housebook: a Woman's Photojournal 11Editorship Projects 111Where the Girls Are, A Social Guide to Women's Colleges in the East, published by The Daily Princetonian, 1965 112Response, What's Happening: the Arts 1966. Princeton University publication/program for April 22-23, 1966 event of the same name 113Wet Magazine, promotional materials 114Wet Magazine, issues 20 and 23-28, 1979-1980 115Wet Magazine, issues 29-34, 1981 Series 6: Other interests, 1971-1982 17 folders

Included in this series are subject files containing miscellaneous information pertaining to a variety of interests, including the Poetry Center, the community of Bolinas, California, Jerry Brown’s 1978 California gubernatorial campaign material, and environmental projects.

118Miscellaneous material relating to film, press releases, articles, etc., 1978-1980 119His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa - programs, itineraries, and press releases on the Buddhist leader's visit to Los Angeles, 1980 1110Video West, San Francisco-based alternative TV show: articles, promotional material, etc., 1980 1111The Poetry Center, San Francisco, articles, newsletters, reviews, promotional material, and various Center business papers, 1976-1977 1112Poetry Flash [newsletter], 1975-1978 1113 MacAdams in West Virginia: Poetry in the Schools Program, 1972-1983 1114Artists in Education - workshop by MacAdams, 1977 1115-18 Bolinas, California (MacAdams' community in Marin County) - newsletters, articles, and other printed material, 1971-1978 1119Governor Jerry Brown, campaign material, 1977-1978 1120Miscellaneous political activities 1121Material dealing with California-Mexico relations, 1979-1982 1122Photocopies of articles on environmental issues, 1978-1979 1123 Wind farms, analysis of the promise of wind power 1124Cotati Housing Project design, 1981 Series 7: Public relations, 1965-1983 14 folders

These flyers, programs, reviews, interviews, and promotional materials about Lewis MacAdams and other events date from the 1960s-1983.

1125-26Flyers advertising poetry readings 1127Programs in which MacAdams participated 1128Reviews of MacAdams' poetry and readings, 1968-1980 1129Press releases and promotional material covering MacAdams, 1966-1983 1130Taped interviews with MacAdams, Munich, 1979 1131Typescript of an interview with MacAdams, 1967 121Articles and clippings about MacAdams, 1968-1982 122Announcements in printed sources of readings by MacAdams, 1976-1983 123Miscellaneous press catalogs 124Invitations and announcements addressed to MacAdams, 1974-1982 125Posters for MacAdams' readings. 126Flyers and brochures for literary and artistic events in which MacAdams was not a participant, 1965-1979 127Ephemera – includes itinerary booklet of Boz Scaggs summer 1978 tour Series 8: Other writers, 1966-1983 25 folders

This series includes the poetry, prose, and some correspondence by other writers, generally written for Lewis MacAdams. Works co-written with Tom Clark also appear in series 4.

128Poetry written for MacAdams, signed 129Poetry written for MacAdams, author unknown 1210 Poetry by other writers, signed 1211Manuscript, authorship unknown, mostly poetry 1212Bartek, Maggie Coopersmith - one page of poetry, 1982 1213Berrigan, Ted - poetry and miscellaneous 1214Brown, Rebecca - poetry and correspondence, 1981 1215Burnham, Linda Frye - Bob and Bob, typescript prose, 1980 1216Butterick, George - Reading Genesis by the Light of a Comet, typescript poetry, 1976 1217Clark, Michael - poetry and correspondence, 1981 1218Clark, Tom - poetry 1219Collom, Jack - poetry and correspondence, 1974-1977 1220Corso, Gregory - poetry 1221Liebling, Laura - poetry and correspondence, 1980 1222MacAdams, Phoebe Russell - poetry, 1980 1223Machmiller, Patricia - poem, 1983 1224Malanga, Gerard - poetry, miscellaneous correspondence, and ephemera, 1966-1969 1225Raines - "Taxes," 1971 1226Ritz, Robert - poetry 1227Rockfer, Stephen - poetry 1228Schuchat, Simon - poetry 1229Schwartz, Naomi Kittay - poetry and correspondence, 1983 1230Skelley, Jack - poetry 1231Smith, B. T. - poetry 1232Talen, William - poetry