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William Heyen poetry collection
Special Collections and Archives
William Heyen poetry collection
Special Collections and Archives
William Heyen poetry collection
| Repository: | Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives. |
| Title: | William Heyen poetry collection |
| Inclusive Date(s): | 1981-2019 |
| Bulk Date(s): | 2009-2019 |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Haley Antell, February 2023 |
| Creation: | Finding aid encoded by Haley Antell using the OhioLINK EAD Application in 2023 |
| Origination: | Heyen, William, 1940- |
| Extent: | 0.5 cubic feet (1 slim document case, 1 media storage box) |
| Physical Location: | 11th floor |
| Finding Aid Identifier: | OhKeUSC0222 |
| Abstract: | This collection contains the poetry of American poet William Heyen. Poemlet Press cards comprise the bulk of the collection. |
| Language(s): | The records are in English, Italian |
Biography of William Heyen
William Heyen is an American poet, essayist, and editor. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1940, and earned an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport in 1961. Heyen obtained an MA and PhD from Ohio University. He was a professor of English at SUNY Brockport from 1967-2000. In 2004, Heyen was a finalist for the National Book Award for his book of poetry, Shoah Train.
Scope and Content
The bulk of this collection is comprised of Poemlet Press cards: short poems handwritten by William Heyen on cards in hard plastic sleeves. Some cards contain original artwork by Heyen, DeLoss McGraw, and other artists; some cards contain reproductions of artwork or other ephemera, such as baseball cards. A smaller number of poems are printed as broadsides and a 78-page typescript of couplets is also included.
Statement of Arrangement
The William Heyen papers are arranged by type of material, and then alphabetically by title.
Related Material
Yale University holds the William Heyen papers.
Preferred Citation
William Heyen poetry collection. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Dean H. Keller in 2019.
Bibliography
Thesing, William B. "William Heyen (1 November 1940-)." American Poets Since World War II, edited by Donald J. Greiner, vol. 5, Gale, 1980, pp. 324-330. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 5.
Controlled Access Headings
The following are found in this collection:
| Functions: | |
| Poetry--Authorship | |
| English--Study and teaching | |
| Places: | |
| Brockport (N.Y.) | |
| Occupations: | |
| Poets | |
| College teachers | |
| Material Types: | |
| Poetry | |
| Trading cards | |
| Broadside poems | |
Detailed Description of the Collection
| Box 1 / Folder 1 |
| Broadside: Blue Christmas, 2010 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Two copies. One contains an inscription by the author. Handcrafted by letterpress by Clarence Wolfshohl at Timberline Press. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 2 |
| Broadside: The Carriages, 2015 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Cross-Cultural Communications Bilingual Broadside #59. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 3 |
| Broadside: Couplets, undated |
| Scope and Content | |
| Broadside that features 8 scherzi, or 13-syllable couplets. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 4 |
| Broadside: Eclipse, 1997 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Published by William B. Ewert. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 5 |
| Broadside: The Eternal Ash, 1981 |
| Box 1 / Folder 6 |
| Broadside: The Halo, 2015 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes an Italian translation of the poem. Cross-Cultural Communications Bilingual Broadside #42. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 7 |
| Broadside: Mole, 2015 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes an Itallian translation of the poem. Cross-Cultural Communications Bilingual Broadside #60. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 8 |
| Broadside: My Highschool Flame, 2015 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Two copies. Includes an Italian translation of the poem. Cross-Cultural Communications Bilingual Broadside #60. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 9 |
| Broadside: Prayer, 2015 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Two copies. Includes an Italian translation of the poem. Cross-Cultural Communications Bilingual Broadside #44. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 10 |
| Broadside: This Night, 2015 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes an Italian translation of the poem. Cross-Cultural Communications Bilingual Broadside #43. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 11 |
| Serial: Poetry Kanto 2011, no. 27, edited by Alan Botsford, Kanto Poetry Center, 2011 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes a selection of poems from Hiroshima Suite, by William Heyen. An inscription by the author appears on the title page and page 97. | |
| Box 1 / Folder 12 |
| Typescript: The Orphanage: 1100 Poems, June 3, 2008 |
| Scope and Content | |
| 78-page typescript containing 1100 couplets by William Heyen. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 1 |
| Poemlet: Americana, 2014 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Poemlet in a small clear plastic case with two small glass bottles. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 2 |
| Poemlet: Baseball Time, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 3 |
| Poemlet: Bee Sun Buddha, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 4 |
| Poemlet: Bird, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 5 |
| Poemlet: The Buffalo, undated |
| Box 2 / Folder 6 |
| Poemlet: "But tell me", 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 7 |
| Poemlet: Catholic, 2013 |
| Box 2 / Folder 8 |
| Poemlet: The Christ Portrait / C. 1853-54, 2019 |
| Box 2 / Folder 9 |
| Poemlet: Constituents, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 10 |
| Poemlet: Deliverance, 2017 |
| Box 2 / Folder 11 |
| Poemlet: DeLoss, 2013 |
| Box 2 / Folder 12 |
| Poemlet: Dream Spinster, 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 13 |
| Poemlet: Elegy, 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 14 |
| Poemlet: Emerson, May 19, 2009 |
| Box 2 / Folder 15 |
| Poemlet: Evensong, November 1, 2010 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Two copies of the poem with different illustrations. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 16 |
| Poemlet: Evensong, 2011 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Three copies of the poem with different illustrations. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 17 |
| Poemlet: Evensong, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 18 |
| Poemlet: Evensong, 2013 |
| Box 2 / Folder 19 |
| Poemlet: Fall, 2011 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Illustrated by Helen Fabi Smagorinsky. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 20 |
| Poemlet: Fast Food, 2010 |
| Box 2 / Folder 21 |
| Poemlet: Flame, May 19, 2009 |
| Box 2 / Folder 22 |
| Poemlet: Flat Feet, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 23 |
| Poemlet: Fool, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 24 |
| Poemlet: Grand Slam, 2013 |
| Box 2 / Folder 25 |
| Poemlet: Hall of Dream, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 26 |
| Poemlet: Heart, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 27 |
| Poemlet: Hereafter, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 28 |
| Poemlet: "He's looking inward still", 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 29 |
| Poemlet: Home, 2011 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Illustration by Helen Fabi Smagorinsky. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 30 |
| Poemlet: "I asked master Wolfshohl", 2012 |
| Scope and Content | |
| The front of the poemlet includes the letterpress logo for El Grito del Lobo. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 31 |
| Poemlet: Images for the End of the World, 2010 |
| Box 2 / Folder 32 |
| Poemlet: "In this life, given what we get", 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 33 |
| Poemlet: Meditation, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 34 |
| Poemlet: Memory / Four Poets / 1990, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 35 |
| Poemlet: "My fourth wife, that diva", 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 36 |
| Poemlet: "My life now almost immortal", 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 37 |
| Poemlet: Noel, 2016 |
| Box 2 / Folder 38 |
| Poemlet: On a Painting by DeLoss McGraw, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 39 |
| Poemlet: Options, 2019 |
| Box 2 / Folder 40 |
| Poemlet: Paintings by DeLoss McGraw, , 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 41 |
| Poemlet: The Pallbearer, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 42 |
| Poemlet: Passenger Pigeons, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 43 |
| Poemlet: Passport Stamp, 2013 |
| Box 2 / Folder 44 |
| Poemlet: Poet, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 45 |
| Poemlet: Prairie, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 46 |
| Poemlet: Prayer, 2013 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Two copies of the poem with different illustrations. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 47 |
| Poemlet: Prediction, 2012 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes two copies. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 48 |
| Poemlet: The Printer, 2012 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Includes two copies. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 49 |
| Poemlet: "Prune for shade", 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 50 |
| Poemlet: Query, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 51 |
| Poemlet: A Question of Color, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 52 |
| Poemlet: Remembrancer, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 53 |
| Poemlet: Retired English Professor, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 54 |
| Poemlet: Rhyme, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 55 |
| Poemlet: Roid Hurler, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 56 |
| Poemlet: Santa Depressed on Christmas Eve, 2011 |
| Box 2 / Folder 57 |
| Poemlet: The Secret, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 58 |
| Poemlet: Senior Romance, 2009 |
| Box 2 / Folder 59 |
| Poemlet: Snuff, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 60 |
| Poemlet: Sport, 2014 |
| Box 2 / Folder 61 |
| Poemlet: Steroid Slugger: KKK, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 62 |
| Poemlet: Subway, Late '30s, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 63 |
| Poemlet: "Tell me, you of the tar", 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 64 |
| Poemlet: Tom Friedman: Self Portrait, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 65 |
| Poemlet: "Under my cabin", 2011 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Three copies of the poem with different illustrations. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 66 |
| Poemlet: Valentine Card, 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 67 |
| Poemlet: The Visitor, undated |
| Box 2 / Folder 68 |
| Poemlet: The Wealthy Man, 2013 |
| Scope and Content | |
| Two copies of the poem with different illustrations. | |
| Box 2 / Folder 69 |
| Poemlet: "You're holding a spell", 2012 |
| Box 2 / Folder 70 |
| Poemlet: "You're seeing interfused rhythms", 2012 |
