Vassar Miller Papers


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Miller, Vassar
	Title:	Vassar Miller Papers
	Dates:	1937-1992
	Abstract:	Houstonian Vassar Miller published ten volumes of poetry over the course of a literary career which spanned almost forty years, and was twice named poet laureate of Texas. The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts and typescripts of her poems, plays, and short stories, and materials pertaining to the editing and publication of the anthology Despite This Flesh.
	Identification:	1987-003
	Quantity:	17 boxes, 8409 leaves, 22 photographs, and 81 items; 9 linear feet
	Repository:	Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries

Biographical Note

Vassar Miller was born in Houston in 1924, the daughter of a prominent architect. She began writing as a child, composing on a typewriter due to the cerebral palsy which affected her speech and movement. She attended the University of Houston, receiving her B.A. and M.A. in English.

In 1956, Miller published her first volume of poetry, Adam's Footprint. Her poems, most of which dealt with either her strong religious faith or her experiences as a person with a disability, were widely praised for their rigorous formality, clarity, and emotional impact. In 1961 Miller was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her collection Wage War on Silence. Over the course of a literary career which spanned almost forty years, Miller published ten volumes of poetry in all. An outspoken advocate for the rights and dignity of the handicapped, Miller also edited a collection of poetry and short stories about persons with disabilities titled Despite This Flesh.

Miller received many awards and accolades for her poetry in her home state. Three of her books won the annual poetry prize of the Texas Institute of Letters. In 1982 and 1988 Miller was named Poet Laureate of Texas, and in 1997 she was named to the Texas Women's Hall of Fame by the Governor's Commission for Women.

Vassar Miller died in 1998.

Major Works:

If I Had Wheels or Love. Dallas, Tex.: Southern Methodist University Press, 1991.

(Editor). Despite This Flesh. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 1985.

Struggling to Swim on Concrete. New Orleans, La.: New Orleans Poetry Journal Press, 1984.

Selected and New Poems, 1950-1980. Austin, Tex.: Latitudes Press, 1981.

Approaching Nada. Houston, Tex.: Wings Press, 1977.

Small Change. Houston, Tex.: Wings Press, 1976.

If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough. New York: Liveright, 1974.

Onions and Roses. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1968.

My Bones Being Wiser. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1963.

Wage War on Silence. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1960.

Adam's Footprint. New Orleans, La.: New Orleans Poetry Journal, 1956.

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Scope and Contents

The Vassar Miller Papers contain material pertaining to Miller's writings, career, and personal life, and materials pertaining to the editing and publication of the anthology Despite This Flesh. Materials range in date from circa 1937 to 1992, with most of the material falling between the years 1960 to 1986.

The series relating to Miller's own work and life contain correspondence, poems, short stories, plays, miscellaneous works, drafts and typescripts of published works, and material related to Miller's writing career. The Despite This Flesh series contain correspondence, material related to the preparation of the anthology, stories and poems which were considered for possible inclusion in the anthology, and drafts and proofs of the anthology.

Noteworthy correspondents whose letters or notes may be found in the collection include Larry McMurtry, Richard Hugo, Calvin Trillin, Anne Tyler, and James Wright. A brief partial autobiography of Vassar Miller can be found in Miscellaneous Works, and typescripts of interviews done with Vassar Miller may be found in the correspondence of Karla Hammond and the correspondence of Christopher Woods.

Two chapbooks, Small Change and Approaching Nada, two literary magazines, The Touchstone and Elizabeth, and one broadside, Open Question, have been removed from the manuscript collection and cataloged.

Special Collections also holds numerous signed copies of Miller's books, and Miller's personal collection of signed books by other poets.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use Restrictions

Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian.

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Index Terms
	Terms are either Library of Congress Subject Headings or taken from local sources.


Subjects (Persons)

		Miller, Vassar
		McMurtry, Larry


Subjects

		People with disabilities -- Literary collections


Formats

		Correspondence
		Chapbooks
		Photographs
		Manuscripts

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Vassar Miller Papers, Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries.

Acquisition

This collection was purchased from Vassar Miller by the UH Libraries in 1987-1988 with the support of the Rockwell Fund and the Imperial Oil Company. Maud Lipscomb donated twenty 4×5″ black and white photographic prints which she took in 1985. Jon Schultz donated a program from the memorial service for Craig Gallagher.

Processed by

Julie Grob, 1999

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Detailed Description



box	folder
1-2	1-25, 1-27	Correspondence Extent (870 leaves, 4 items):
	This series includes correspondence from editors, fellow writers, friends, and family members of Vassar Miller, and some from Miller to her correspondents. Major correspondents are Miller's Latitudes Press editor Bob Bonazzi, her New Orleans Poetry Journal Press editor Maxine Cassin, and her interviewer Karla Hammond. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by the last name of the sender, then each sender's correspondence is arranged chronologically. Correspondence identified by first name only, or unidentified, is filed at the end of the series.
Box	Folder
1	1		Misc. A
	2-3		Misc. B
	4-7		Robert (Bob) Bonazzi
	8		Misc. C
	9-14		Maxine Cassin
	15		Misc. D
	16		Misc. E
	17		Misc. F
	18		Misc. G
	19		Misc. H
	20-23		Karla Hammond
	24		Misc. I
	25		Misc. J
Box	Folder
2	1		Misc. K
	2		Bruce Kellner
	3		Misc. L
	4-5		Misc. M
	6		Vassar Miller, 1969-1986
	7		Vassar Miller, 1986-undated
	8		Misc. N
	9		Misc. O
	10		Misc. P
	11		Norman Holmes Pearson
	12-13		Misc. R
	14-15		Misc. S
	16		Misc. T
	17		J.R. de la Torre Bueno
	18		Misc. U
	19		Misc. V
	20-21		Misc. W
	22		Stuart Wright
	23		Misc. Y
	24		Misc. Z
	25-26		First Names Only
	27		Unidentified

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3-6		Poems Extent (2329 leaves):
	Individual poems are arranged first chronologically, then alphabetically within each year. Undated poems are arranged alphabetically after the dated poems. These are followed by unpublished poetry manuscripts in chronological order, and rough drafts of poems in chronological order.
Box	Folder
3	1-8		Poems, ca. 1937
	9		Poems, 1960
	10-14		Poems, 1961
	15-16		Poems, 1962
	17-30		Poems, 1963
Box	Folder
4	1-4		Poems, 1964
	5-8		Poems, 1965
	9-12		Poems, 1966
	13-18		Poems, 1967
	19		Poems, 1968
	20-21		Poems, 1969
	22		Poems, 1970
	23		Poems, 1971
	24-25		Poems, 1972
	26-30		Poems, 1973
Box	Folder
5	1		Poems, 1974
	2-3		Poems, 1975
	4-8		Poems, 1976
	9-11		Poems, 1977
	12		Poems, 1978
	13		Poems, 1979
	14		Poems, 1980
	15		Poems, 1983
	16		Poems, 1984
	17		Poems, 1985
	18		Poems, 1986
	19		Poems, A-D undated,
	20		Poems, F-H undated,
	21		Poems, I-M undated,
	22		Poems, N-On Ap undated,
	23		Poems, On A S-Pe undated,
	24		Poems, Ph-Pr undated,
	25		Poems, Pr-Rem undated,
	26		Poems, Ren-Sh undated,
	27		Poems, Si-So undated,
	28		Poems, Sp-Thi undated,
	29		Poems, Thu-We undated,
	30		Poems, Wh-Y undated,
Box	Folder
6	1-4		Unpublished Manuscripts, Two Worlds in One [juvenile]
	5-13		Unpublished Manuscripts, Manuscript [before 1956?]
	14-17		Unpublished Manuscripts, The Mind Barefoot
	18		Conference Entries with Criticism, Southwest Writers' Conference, 1951
	19-21		Contest Manuscript with Entry Rules, National Poetry Series 1979 Open Competition
	22		Miscellaneous, 1963-undated
	23		Rough Drafts, 1973-1982
	24-25		Rough Drafts, 1983
	26		Rough Drafts, 1984
	27		Rough Drafts, 1985-1986
	28-32		Rough Drafts, undated

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box	folder
7	1-38	Short Stories Extent (552 leaves):
	Short stories are arranged alphabetically by title. Untitled stories and fragments are filed at the end of the series.
Box	Folder
7	1-2		Autumn Come Silent
	3		Crack in the Armor
	4		False Spring
	5		The Funeral
	6		The Girl who Wouldn't Do Anything
	7		The Heavenly Hearing Aid
	8		The Invasion
	9		Just Like Mama
	10		The Lace Handkerchief
	11		The Man who Got Away with Murder--Almost
	12-14		Merry Christmas, Mother Milton
	15		Mr. Pomfret
	16-17		Miss Scaggs
	18		The More Things Change
	19		Nobody but Becky
	20		No Twelve Year Olds
	21		Pact
	22-23		The Red Rooster
	24		Shadow Before Me
	25		The Shadows
	26		Tea Party
	27		Teashop Closed
	28		The Terrible Music
	29		A Time to Die
	30		To Each his Own
	31-32		To Tell the Truth
	33		Tubby the Cub
	34		Under the Skin
	35		The Voice
	36		When the Starts Begin to Fall
	37-38		Untitled Miscellaneous

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8	1-21	Plays Extent (360 leaves):
	Plays are arranged alphabetically by title.
Box	Folder
8	1		The Abs
	2		Huck Finn
	3-8		Jones Reversed
	9-12		The Man Who Went Deaf
	13		Peace, It's Wonderful
	14-21		Who Dropped Dead? (A Non-Musical Musical)

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box	folder
8	22-40	Miscellaneous Works Extent (224 leaves, 1 item):
	Miscellaneous works include essays, reviews, and unidentified creative formats. Miscellaneous works are arranged alphabetically by title, or in a few cases, by format.
Box	Folder
8	22		Article on Cynthia Macdonald
	23		The Artist in the Christian Community
	24		Autobiography, 1979
	25		Book reviews
	26		The Dialogue Sermon
	27		Easter and the Imagination
	28		Film reviews
	29-32		Jazz Mass Minus Music
	33		Jazz Mass Minus Music, Some Observations On
	34		A Poet's Eye View of Theology
	35		Letters and Papers from Prison
	36-37		[Something to Clap About: A Folk Mass]
	38		The Well-Made Poem, Id or Idn?t It?
	39		Why Poetry?
	40		Miscellaneous

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9-10		Published Works Extent (1139 leaves):
	Typescripts and proofs of published works are arranged chronologically by the year of publication of the finished work. For each publication, typescripts and proofs are arranged in order of their creation. Some of the typescripts and proofs are photocopies.
Box	Folder
9	1		Adam's Footprint, Page proof (photocopy)
	2-3		My Bones Being Wiser, Galley proof
	4-7		Onions and Roses, Typescript
	8		Onions and Roses, Galley proof
	9-14		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Typescript
	15-17		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Typescript (Photocopy)
	18-20		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Typescript
	21-22		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Typescript (Photocopy)
	23		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Galley proof
	24-25		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Rough set
	26-27		If I Could Sleep Deeply Enough, Repro set
Box	Folder
10	1-5		Selected and New Poems (The Sun has no History), Typescript
	6		Selected and New Poems (The Sun has no History), Typescript (Photocopy except for 2nd page)
	7-8		Selected and New Poems (The Sun has no History), Typescript (Photocopy)
	9-10		Selected and New Poems (The Sun has no History), Page proof, with corrections, (Photocopy)
	11-14		Selected and New Poems, 1950-1980, Uncorrected proof copy (Photocopy)
	15-19		Struggling to Swim on Concrete, Typescript
	20		Struggling to Swim on Concrete, Galley proof
	21		Wage War on Silence, Typescript table of contents
	22		Wage War on Silence, Galley proof
	23		Wage War on Silence, Galley proof

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box	folder
11, Oversize	1-32	Writing Career Extent (244 leaves, 37 items):
	Material in this series includes articles about Miller, financial and legal documents, items related to special events, reviews of Miller's work, etc. Materials in this series are arranged by subject.
Box	Folder
11	1-3		Articles
	4-5		Bibliography
	6		Book Publicity
	7		Events, Annual Alumni Awards Banquet/ UH Alumni Organization, 1985
	8		Events, Chamber Music of Robert Avalon, 1991
Box
Oversize			Events, Chamber Music of Robert Avalon, 1991
Box	Folder
11	9		Events, Houston Poetry Fest/Houston Center for the Humanities, 1985
	10		Events, Texas Women's Literary Tradition: Conference and a Celebration, 1984
	11		Events, A Tribute to Vassar Miller/Friends of the UH Libraries, 1983
	12-13		Events, Very Special Arts Festival, 1985
	14		Financial/Legal
	15		Miscellaneous
	16		Music: Hymns with Thomas Avinger/Alec Wyton
	17		Poetry Submission Lists
	18		Receptions/Readings
	19-20		Reviews

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box	folder
11	21-23	Personal Extent (62 leaves, 3 items):
	This series includes material relating to the churches attended by Miller, articles and other items collected as "Issues about the Handicapped", and miscellaneous personal materials.
Box	Folder
11	21		Churches
	22		Issues About the Handicapped
	23		Miscellaneous

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11, Oversize

Photographs
Extent (22 photographs):

Photographs are arranged in roughly chronological order.

Box

Folder

Photographers: Unidentified and Maud Lipscomb 1962 and 1985,

Photographer: Maud Lipscomb 1985,

With Rev. Helen Havens, Photographer: Maud Lipscomb 1985,

27-32

Very Special Arts Festival, Photographer: Maud Lipscomb 1985,

Box

Oversize

[ Photographer: James Leifeste] Ca. 1983,

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Box	Folder
12	1-27	Despite This Flesh Correspondence Extent (547 leaves, 3 items):
	This series contains correspondence related to the editing and publishing of the anthology Despite This Flesh. A major correspondent is University of Texas Press editor Suzanne Comer. Letters suggesting works for inclusion in the anthology, most of them solicited, are arranged separately at the beginning of this series, ordered alphabetically by author. General correspondence concerning the anthology is also ordered alphabetically by author. At the end of this series are permissions for publication, arranged separately by the name of the author of the work for which permission is being granted.
box	folder
12	1-3		Suggestions for Anthology
Box	Folder
12	4		B-Co
	5-8		Suzanne Comer
	9		Co-Ho
	10		Hu-Mc
	11-17		Vassar Miller
	18		N-Pr
	19		Pr-Sp
	20		Sp-We
	21		Wi-Wr
	22		No Last Name
	23-27		Permissions

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box	folder
13	1-16	Despite This Flesh Preparation Extent (228 leaves, 6 items):
	The material related to preparation of the anthology is arranged by subject, maintaining original order.
Box	Folder
13	1		Author Addresses
	2-3		Short Story Index
	4		Short Story Misc
	5		Fiction Catalog
	6		Poetry Index
	7		Grant Information
	8-9		University of Texas Press
	10		Choices for Anthology
	11		Articles and Review
	12		Old Literature of the Handicapped
	13		Old Literature of the Handicapped, Wells, H.G., The Time Machine
	14		Old Literature of the Handicapped, Dickens, Charles, Doctor Marigold
	15		Old Literature of the Handicapped, Kipling, Rudyard, They …
	16		Old Literature of the Handicapped, Tagore, Rabindranath, Vision

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13-14		Despite This Flesh Possibilities Extent (523 leaves, 12 items):
	The stories and poems which were labeled possibilities for the anthology are arranged with bound publications first, then single leaves. The single leaves are separated into two groupings or drafts, the second of which features line and word counts. Within each of these divisions, the bound publications or stories and poems are arranged alphabetically by author. Alphabetical order may not be exact in some sections in order to keep all of the pages in a short story together.
Box	Folder
13	17		De Leeuw, David Birney
	18		Fahy, Christopher
	19		Hilberry, Conrad
	20		Jerome, Judson
	21		Prescott, Edgar
	22		Rilke, Rainer Maria
	23		Winner, Robert
	24		Katallagete
Box	Folder
14	1		Be-Do
	2		Beyers, Barbara L., By the Banks of the Brazos
	3		Bromfield, Louis, The Great Facade
	4		Ep-Ka
	5		Jacobson, Josephine, The Glen
	6		Ke-Li
	7		Ma-Mu
	8		Ni-Po
	9		Pritchett, V.S., Blind Love
	10		Ro-Si
	11-12		Shaw, Irwin, Whispers in Bedlam
	13		St-Vl
	14		Wain, John, King Caliban
	15		We-Wr
	16		Unidentified
	17-27		Line and Word Count

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15	1-31	Despite This Flesh Selections Extent (541 leaves, 13 items):
	The stories and poems which were labeled selections for the anthology are arranged in two groupings or drafts, each of which follows the organization which was adopted for the anthology. Alphabetical order may not be exact in some sections in order to keep all of the pages in a short story together.
Box	Folder
15	1		Section Introductions
	2		Table of Contents
	3		Yoke in his Youth
	4-7		Counter, Original, Spare, Strange
	8		Counter, Original, Spare, Strange: Farrington, Mark, Grandma When She Laughs
	9-10		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled
	11		Beam in the Eye
	12-13		Beam in the Eye: Boyle, Kay, The Crazy Hunter.
	14		Beam in the Eye
	15		Beam in the Eye: Wharton, Edith, The Young Gentlemen.
	16-17		Beam in the Eye
	18		An Unrung Bell
	19		Yoke in his Youth
	20		The Wrestled Angel
	21		Counter, Original, Spare, Strange
	22		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled
	23-24		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled: Boyle, Kay, The Crazy Hunter
	25		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled
	26		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled: Mann, Thomas, Little Herr Friedemann
	27		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled: Wharton, Edith, The Young Gentlemen
	28		Beam in the Eye
	29-30		An Unrung Bell: Pritchett, V.S., Blind Love
	31		An Unrung Bell

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box	folder
16	1-27	Despite This Flesh Drafts Extent (462 leaves, 2 items):
	There are three unedited drafts of the anthology, each of which follows the organization of the anthology.
Box	Folder
16	1		Table of Contents, Yoke in his Youth
	2		The Wrestled Angel
	3		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled
	4		Beam in the Eye
	5-6		An Unrung Bell
	7		Table of Contents, Introduction
	8-9		Yoke in his Youth
	10		The Wrestled Angel
	11		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled
	12-14		Beam in the Eye
	15-16		An Unrung Bell
	17		An Unrung Bell
	18		Title, Table of Contents, Introduction
	19-20		Yoke in his Youth
	21		The Wrestled Angel
	22		In Body, A Passenger and Rumpled
	23-25		Beam in the Eye
	26-27		An Unrung Bell

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folder

1-12

Despite This Flesh Copy-edited Draft
Extent (230 leaves):

There is one copy-edited draft, which follows the organization of the anthology.

Box

Folder

1-11

Copyedited Draft

Copyedited Draft, Miscellaneous Pieces

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folder

13-17

Despite This Flesh Galley Proof
Extent (98 leaves):

There is one galley proof, which follows the organization of the anthology.

Box

Folder

13-17

Galley Proof

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