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d. a. levy collection of Carol Jedlinsky
Special Collections and Archives
d. a. levy collection of Carol Jedlinsky
Special Collections and Archives
d. a. levy collection of Carol Jedlinsky
Biography of d. a. levy
Darryl Allen Levy (d.a. levy) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 29, 1942, to Joseph and Caroline Levy. His parents changed the spelling of their surname from "Levey" to "Levy" in the 1940s; however levy's older brother, James, retained the original spelling. levy graduated from James Ford Rhodes High School in 1960, after which he spent seven months in the U. S. Navy, based in San Diego. levy's Navy experience, as described in numerous letters to family members, was very unpleasant and difficult. After his early release from the service, levy focused his energies on poetry, artwork, and publishing. levy is considered one of the founders of the "mimeograph revolution" of printing and distributing poetry and other publications during the second half of the 20th century. This "do-it-yourself" approach to publication utilized a mimeograph, producing small print runs often utilizing local materials on hand such as discarded paper stock. levy collaborated with a large network of poets and artists including Tom Kryss, rjs (Robert J. Sigmund), Kent Taylor, D.r. Wagner, Russell Salamon, and many others both within and outside of the Cleveland poetry scene. According to Jeff Maser, "levy lead an itinerant life. Though he did not 'travel' in the normal sense, he would often stay with friends and family members for short periods of time, or take month-to-month rentals. Occasional trips were made to the West, to Wisconsin, and to New York, but to Cleveland he always returned." A dramatic series of events occurred in levy's life in 1967 when he was indicted by a grand jury, arrested, and jailed for "possessing and distributing obscene literature." In March of that same year, he was again arrested for "contributing to the delinquency of minors" in relation to a poetry reading he had given, attended by some minors. Friends and fellow poets, including Allen Ginsberg, rallied around levy through a series of events, publications, and fund raising efforts. His sentence for the second offense was eventually suspended and the prior grand jury charges were later dismissed. However, levy was left feeling increasingly isolated, under attack, and betrayed by his native city. levy died on November 24, 1968 at the age of 26. He was found by friends on the floor of his apartment, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, with a .22 caliber rifle by his body. His death was ruled a suicide.
Scope and Content
The collection is comprised of over 250 manuscripts written by levy, including 245 poems, two prose works, seven plays, and additional material that levy sent to Jedlinsky. Many of the manuscripts in this collection do not appear in other collections of levy's manuscripts. The manuscripts are typescripts, and many include holograph notations and edits by levy. Most of the material in the collection dates from 1959-1962.
Statement of Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series: Poems, Prose, Plays, Letters, and Oversized Materials.
Related Material
Please also see the d.a. levy papers, which contains manuscripts, correspondence, artwork, and other materials created by and about levy, purchased by Special Collections and Archives over a number of years.
Special Collections and Archives also owns the d.a. levy and family archive, a major collection of levy manuscripts, correspondence, artwork, and other materials from the personal collection of levy.
Processing Information
This collection was organized for sale by Jeff Maser, Bookseller. Special Collections and Archives has maintained Maser's arrangement and descriptions of materials in this archive, in most cases. There are some items present in the collection that are not listed in the Maser catalog, which will be noted, when applicable.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright of materials in this collection resides with the d.a. levy estate and other applicable copyright holders. Please contact the Department of Special Collections and Archives for copyright inquiries.
Other Finding Aid
A detailed printed catalog of The d.a. levy Collection of Carol Jedlinsky by Jeff Maser, Bookseller, is available in Special Collections and Archives and is referenced in this finding aid. The Maser catalog includes more detailed descriptions of some of the items in this collection.
Preferred Citation
d. a. levy collection of Carol Jedlinsky. Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.
Acquisition Information
Purchased in 2011 from Jeff Maser, Bookseller.
Custodial History
"All of the materials in this collection were saved over the years by the late Carol Jedlinsky, a close and trusted friend of d.a. levy's." (Maser catalog, p. i).
Subject Headings
The following subjects are found in this collection:
Subjects:
- Levy, D. A. -- Archives.
- American poetry -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
- American poetry -- 20th century.
- Poets, American -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
- Cleveland (Ohio) -- Poetry.
- Underground movements in literature.
- American drama -- 20th century.
- Drama -- 20th century.
Persons:
- Jedlinsky, Carol.
Functions:
- Poetry -- Authorship.
- Authorship.
Occupations:
- Poets.
- Artists.
- Authors.
- Authors, American.
Material Types:
- Manuscripts for publication.
- Typescripts.
- Authors' annotations (Provenance)
- Annotations (Provenance)
Titles:
- Oracle (San Francisco, Calif.)
- Kaleidoscope (Milwaukee, Wis. : 1967)
Detailed Description of the Collection
