Poirier, Richard.

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Correspondence and writings of American professor, editor, and scholar of literature and popular culture, Richard Poirier.

From the description of Richard Poirier Collection, 1945-2007 [Bulk Dates: 1986-2007]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 733728372

BIOGHIST REQUIRED Richard Poirier, an American literary and cultural critic, professor of literature, and founder of Raritan: A Quarterly Review, was born September 9, 1925 in Gloucester Massachusetts. Poirier served in the Army during World War II, and upon returning from combat enrolled in Amherst College where he earned his B.A. He continued his studies in literature first at Yale where he earned his MA, and later at Harvard where he received a PhD in 1960.

Poirier taught at Harvard from 1958-1963, but he spent the majority academic career at Rutgers University where he was a prominent member and sometimes Chair of the English Department from 1963-2002.

Richard Poirier was not only a highly regarded scholar and teacher, but a well-respected editor and publisher as well. He co-founded the Library of America publishing venture in 1979. The Library of America is a non-profit publisher focused on publishing and preserving American poetry, fiction, and essays, often producing volumes of collected works that published pieces that would otherwise be out of print. He also co-founded Raritan: A Quarterly Review, out of what he perceived to be a dearth of serious criticism on American literature and culture that engaged both academics and non-academics.

Poirier regularly contributed essays and reviews to publications such as The Partisan Review (which he edited from 1963-1973), The New York Review of Books, and The London Review of Books. He authored a number of books, including works on Henry James, Robert Frost, and Ralph Waldo Emerson and collections of criticism such as The Perfoming Self: Compositions and Decompositions in the Languages of Contemporary Life.

Richard Poirier died in his Manhattan home on August 15, 2009.

From the guide to the Richard Poirier Collection, 1945-2007, [Bulk Dates: 1986-2007]., (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn John Hollander Papers, circa 1950-2007 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Richard Poirier Collection, 1945-2007, [Bulk Dates: 1986-2007]. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Poirier, Richard. Poetry and pragmatism / Richard Poirier. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Arlin Turner Papers, 1927-1980 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Harry Levin papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Guillén, Jorge, 1893-1984. Jorge Guillén archives, 1951-1964 (bulk 1963-1964). Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Poirier, Richard. Richard Poirier Collection, 1945-2007 [Bulk Dates: 1986-2007]. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Henry Nash Smith Papers, 1927-1986 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Records of the New York Institute for the Humanities, Bulk, 1980-1984, 1971-2004 New York University. Archives
referencedIn Paul de Man papers, 1948-1984 University of California, Irvine. Library. Department of Special Collections
referencedIn Records of the New York Institute for the Humanities 1971-1995, (bulk 1980-1984). New York University. Archives
creatorOf McGinley, Phyllis, 1905-1978. Lillian Hellman Papers, 1904-1984 (bulk 1934-1984). Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith De Man, Paul person
associatedWith Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882 person
associatedWith Frost, Robert, 1874-1963 person
associatedWith Guillén, Jorge, 1893-1984. person
associatedWith Harvard University. Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Hellman, Lillian, 1905-1984. person
associatedWith Hollander, John. person
associatedWith James, William, 1842-1910 person
associatedWith Levin, Harry, 1912-1994 person
associatedWith McGinley, Phyllis, 1905-1978. person
correspondedWith Smith, Henry Nash person
correspondedWith Turner, Arlin person
associatedWith Vidal, Gore, 1925- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
American literature
American poetry
Criticism
Criticism
Pragmatism in literature
Pragmatismo en la literatura
Scholarly periodicals
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1925-09-09

Death 2009-08-15

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 6692052