Lewis MacAdams papers A Guide


Overview
	Creator:	MacAdams, Lewis, 1944-
	Title:	Lewis MacAdams papers
	Inclusive Dates:	1950s-1983
	Abstract:	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.
	Accession No:	Mss 57
	Extent:	12 boxes (12 linear feet)
	Language:	Material is in English
	Repository	DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

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.

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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.

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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

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Restrictions

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.

Copyright Statement:

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

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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

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Administrative Information

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.

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Detailed Description of the Collection



Series 1: Correspondence, 1963-1983 2 boxes
	Lewis MacAdams’ personal correspondence is arranged in chronological order.
Box	Folder
1	1-12	General correspondence, 1963-1974
	13	Correspondence with Barbara Dilley, 1974
	14-18	General correspondence, 1975-1976
Box	Folder
2	1-4	General correspondence, 1976-1977
	5	Poetry in Public Places, 1977 – this correspondence deals with a writing project to place poetry on buses, billboards and other public places
	6-8	General correspondence, 1978-1979
	9	Poetry readings in Europe - correspondence
	10-12	General correspondence, 1980-1982
	13	Allen Ginsberg correspondence, 1982
	14	General correspondence, 1983
	15-18	Undated correspondence
	19	Greeting cards

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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.

Box

Folder

Yearbooks and Scrapbooks

St. Mark's School of Texas newsletters and bulletins

St. Mark's Yearbook, 1958

Box

Folder

The Re Marker [St. Mark's School of Texas publication], 1961-1962

Scrapbook, St. Mark's

Scrapbook - early years, St. Mark's, Princeton

Box

Folder

1-3

St. Mark's yearbooks, 1959-1961

Princeton memorabilia

5-7

Princeton yearbooks, 1963-1965

Photographs

Princeton Colonial Club

Box

Folder

Childhood photographs

Box

Folder

Personal documents

Personal documents, 1970-1982 - biographical information, resumes, Harper and Row contract, unemployment, voter registration

Letters regarding draft status [as a conscientious objector], 1967-1968 – includes information on the compulsory work program for conscientious objectors

Southern Pacific Railroad Rules and Regulations volume listing Lewis MacAdams as a switchman

Business cards

Addresses and phone numbers

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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.

Box

Folder

Correspondence

Phoebe MacAdams [first wife], 1965-1977

Willie Blaze MacAdams [son] – childhood drawings, notes

Ocean Lee MacAdams [son] – typed poem, and childhood drawing

Rhea MacAdams [grandmother], 1971-1976

Clippings

Photocopies of MacAdams family clippings, 1967-1977

Photographs

19-21

Family and other people, 1960-1970s

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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.
Box	Folder
5		Poetry
	1	White Notebook - Three poems, one from News from Niman Farm, and other material, 1976-1977
	2	Black 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
	3-7	Notebooks, 1970s
	8	Drafts, typed and manuscript, of Water Charms. Remnants from The Poetry Room
	9-10	The Poetry Room, typed draft
	11	Tilth, pamphlet and typed draft, 1972
	12-14	News from Niman Farm, typed drafts
	15	"The Owlization," typed manuscript of long poem
	16	"In Now We Must All," typed draft
	17	“Up the Creek,” typed draft, 1973
	18	“Pieces of the Indies,” typed draft
	19	"The Song of Jack Eagle Slave," long unpublished work by MacAdams and Tom Veitch, 1969
	20	“Phoebe,” typed photocopy
Box	Folder
6	1	Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe
	2-64	Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - manuscripts of individual poems
	65	Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - credits
	66	Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - typescripts
	67	Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - paste-up sheets
	68-69	Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - galleys
	70	Miscellaneous manuscripts, probably for Africa and the Marriage of Walt Whitman and Marilyn Monroe - paste-up sheets
	71	"Expeditions" by Lewis & Clark [written by Lewis MacAdams and Tom Clark]
	72	"Collaborations," unpublished poems by MacAdams and possibly others
	73	"Live at the Church"
	74	"Lone Star," unpublished long poem
Box	Folder
7	1	Typed and manuscript poems from early Princeton University period
	2-6	Poetry - manuscripts, 1964
	7-13	Poetry – manuscripts, undated
	14	Poetry rewritten by Ted Berrigan, 1972
	15	Typescript of poetry book, untitled
	16	Poems, most unpublished, early 1970s
	17	Poems, most unpublished, late 1960s and early 1970s
Box	Folder
8	1	Prose and poetry fragments
	2	Mostly poems, most unpublished, late 1970s
	3	Mostly poems, most unpublished, middle 1970s
	4-10	Poems published in periodicals
		Creative Prose
	11	"Texas Years," story written with Tom Clark, 1972
	12	"The Last Days of Hank Williams"
	13-15	“Get the Money,” unpublished novel
	16	Untitled play written while at Princeton [removed from Box 7, folder 1]
	17	“The Town that Fought to Save Itself : a Teleplay”
	18-20	“I Am The Children Signing Off”, unpublished novel
	21	Blind Date, 1981
		Ghostwriting
	22	“It’s a Party” manuscript
	23-24	Miscellaneous prose
	25	“Cancer,” a play [Authorship uncertain]
Box	Folder
11	7	“I'm a Fool” by Sherwood Anderson, screenplay by Lewis MacAdams, 1976
Box	Folder
9	8	“Journey of the Heart,” a Galactic Production, by Faren Dancer
Box	Folder
10	26	“Biography of Jayme Odgen,” artist, ghostwritten in the first person, 1982
Box	Folder
11	6	Phonograph record (45 rpm), "Beirut." Lyrics and vocals by Lewis MacAdams, 1982
Box	Folder
12		Published Works with Manuscript Notes
	33	Milk Quarterly, 8, The Yellow Press, 1975 - two poems by MacAdams, p. 29
	34	The Amphora, 6, The Headstone Press, Fall, 1971
	35	Renaissance, v. 1, no. 1, 1969
	36	First Issue, no. 1, 1968
	37	Out There, 6, Out There Press, 1974
	38	Big Sky, no. 8, 1974
	39	Telephone, #2
	40	Turkey Buzzard Review, Turkey Buzzard Editions, 1980
	41	Stone Soup, 29, Stone Soup Poetry, 1976
	42	Bricoleur, 1969
	43	FATHAR, 5, 1973

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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?”
Box	Folder
9		Interviews
	1	Robert Creeley, draft
	2	Joanne Kyger, draft
	3	Simon Ortiz, draft
	4	Leslie Minor, draft and two tape cassettes, 1974
	5	Michael Rafferty, draft, 1976
	6	"Taj Mahal," galleys
	7	Typed story draft - Eldridge Cleaver
Box	Folder
10	16	Hans Wesseling, cassette tape, 1978
Box	Folder
9		Articles
	9	"Public Broadcasting Service," notes for article, related photographs and newspaper clippings, and early draft, 1979-1980
	10	"Performance Art," draft, related clippings and other materials, and notes for article, 1976
	11	"Poetry and Politics," drafts and notes and letter to publisher, 1977
	12	"Sex in the Cinema," drafts, notes, and movie press releases for Paul Verhouven’s film “Spetters,” 1980-1981
	13	"Sex with the Dead," notes, and early draft, 1982
	14	"Best Mary Jane in the World," notes and early draft, 1980
	15	"Boomtown in the Metroplex: Capitalism in the 80's - The Spirit of Dallas," drafts and notes and color photo of W. A. Criswell, 1980s
	16	"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
	17	"Chicken Ranch," manuscript, documentation, notes, 1979-1980
	18	"Children of Lesbians," drafts and notes, 1982
	19	"Coyote Story," news clippings, draft and notes, 1982
	20	Kerouac film, script and proposed budget of a biographical film of Jack Kerouac, with interviews with his contemporaries
Box	Folder
10	3	Column by MacAdams, with short biography of him – [“The Lewis MacAdams Story” in Other Scenes, the International Magazine, November 1970]
	4	"Television Art," LBMAVIDEO - The Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation, Video Council Newsletter, Jan.-Feb. 1983
	5	"Une Orgie de 30 Tonnes," Actuel, Sept. 1981, p. 66
	6	"New Mexico Prison Riot," draft and notes
	7	"Overdose et Carnage a la Prison de Santa Fe," Actuel, March 1980, p. 52
	8	"Panique Chez les Vaches Americaines," Actuel, February 1981, p. 45
	9	"La Sherif au Bordel," Actuel, July-Aug. 1981, p. 76
	10	"A Dallas, Pas Question de Mollir," Actuel, July-Aug. 1980., p. 108
	11	"Kerouac is Alive!" High Performance, 1982, p. 16
	12	"Thought is Made in the Mouth," High Performance, 1982, p. 16
	13	"Nightclubbing with William Burroughs, John Giorno and Laurie Anderson," High Performance, Winter 1981-82, p. 38
	14	"The Art of Getting Rich," California Magazine, March 1982, p. 71
	15	"A Talk about Teaching Poems to Kids," The Trellis Supplement, Summer 1974, p. 77
	17	"How Films Were Made," Newsletter of the Writers Guild of America, West, January 1983, p. 23
		"Robert Mitchum: "Lemme Tell You How Films Are Made"" L.A. Weekly, April 16-22, 1982, p. 10
	18	"Catching Up with Allen Ginsberg," L.A. Weekly, March 12-18, 1982, p. 8
	19	"Catching Up with Ed Ruscha," L.A. Weekly, Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 1982, p. 26
	20	"Kramer vs. Kramer with a Twist," L.A. Weekly, Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 1982, p. 11
	21	21 Notes for article on Frank Moore, a performance artist with multiple sclerosis
	22	Notes for article on R. D. Laing, psychiatrist and author of several works, including The Divided Self
	23	Notes and draft of "Lion Gate Films: Hollywood after Zoetrope," piece on the creation of a new (1982) studio
	24	Introduction to The Japanese and Indian Journals by Joanne Kyger
	25	"Mobile Apartment Homes," draft and notes, 1982
	27	Article about Ken Kesey, draft and notes
	28	Grateful Dead book project, 1982
	29	Letters to the editor written by MacAdams, 1956-1977
	30	Miscellaneous short articles by MacAdams, 1966-1979
	31	Miscellaneous incomplete drafts for articles, published and unpublished
	32	Drafts for magazine articles
		Book Reviews
	1	Review by MacAdams for Anne Waldman's Fast-Speaking Woman, printed in The Colorado Daily, April 14, 1976
	2	Fragments of reviews by MacAdams: Fast-Speaking Woman by Anne Waldman and Elsa Dorfman's Housebook: a Woman's Photojournal
Box	Folder
11		Editorship Projects
	1	Where the Girls Are, A Social Guide to Women's Colleges in the East, published by The Daily Princetonian, 1965
	2	Response, What's Happening: the Arts 1966. Princeton University publication/program for April 22-23, 1966 event of the same name
	3	Wet Magazine, promotional materials
	4	Wet Magazine, issues 20 and 23-28, 1979-1980
	5	Wet Magazine, issues 29-34, 1981

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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.
Box	Folder
11	8	Miscellaneous material relating to film, press releases, articles, etc., 1978-1980
	9	His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa - programs, itineraries, and press releases on the Buddhist leader's visit to Los Angeles, 1980
	10	Video West, San Francisco-based alternative TV show: articles, promotional material, etc., 1980
	11	The Poetry Center, San Francisco, articles, newsletters, reviews, promotional material, and various Center business papers, 1976-1977
	12	Poetry Flash [newsletter], 1975-1978
	13	MacAdams in West Virginia: Poetry in the Schools Program, 1972-1983
	14	Artists in Education - workshop by MacAdams, 1977
	15-18	Bolinas, California (MacAdams' community in Marin County) - newsletters, articles, and other printed material, 1971-1978
	19	Governor Jerry Brown, campaign material, 1977-1978
	20	Miscellaneous political activities
	21	Material dealing with California-Mexico relations, 1979-1982
	22	Photocopies of articles on environmental issues, 1978-1979
	23	Wind farms, analysis of the promise of wind power
	24	Cotati Housing Project design, 1981

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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.
Box	Folder
11	25-26	Flyers advertising poetry readings
	27	Programs in which MacAdams participated
	28	Reviews of MacAdams' poetry and readings, 1968-1980
	29	Press releases and promotional material covering MacAdams, 1966-1983
	30	Taped interviews with MacAdams, Munich, 1979
	31	Typescript of an interview with MacAdams, 1967
Box	Folder
12	1	Articles and clippings about MacAdams, 1968-1982
	2	Announcements in printed sources of readings by MacAdams, 1976-1983
	3	Miscellaneous press catalogs
	4	Invitations and announcements addressed to MacAdams, 1974-1982
	5	Posters for MacAdams' readings.
	6	Flyers and brochures for literary and artistic events in which MacAdams was not a participant, 1965-1979
	7	Ephemera – includes itinerary booklet of Boz Scaggs summer 1978 tour

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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.
Box	Folder
12	8	Poetry written for MacAdams, signed
	9	Poetry written for MacAdams, author unknown
	10	Poetry by other writers, signed
	11	Manuscript, authorship unknown, mostly poetry
	12	Bartek, Maggie Coopersmith - one page of poetry, 1982
	13	Berrigan, Ted - poetry and miscellaneous
	14	Brown, Rebecca - poetry and correspondence, 1981
	15	Burnham, Linda Frye - Bob and Bob, typescript prose, 1980
	16	Butterick, George - Reading Genesis by the Light of a Comet, typescript poetry, 1976
	17	Clark, Michael - poetry and correspondence, 1981
	18	Clark, Tom - poetry
	19	Collom, Jack - poetry and correspondence, 1974-1977
	20	Corso, Gregory - poetry
	21	Liebling, Laura - poetry and correspondence, 1980
	22	MacAdams, Phoebe Russell - poetry, 1980
	23	Machmiller, Patricia - poem, 1983
	24	Malanga, Gerard - poetry, miscellaneous correspondence, and ephemera, 1966-1969
	25	Raines - "Taxes," 1971
	26	Ritz, Robert - poetry
	27	Rockfer, Stephen - poetry
	28	Schuchat, Simon - poetry
	29	Schwartz, Naomi Kittay - poetry and correspondence, 1983
	30	Skelley, Jack - poetry
	31	Smith, B. T. - poetry
	32	Talen, William - poetry

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