Aldan, Daisy, 1918-2001

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Daisy Aldan was born in 1923 in New York City to Louis Aldan, a designer, and Esther Edelheit Aldan, an actress. She received a B.A. degree from Hunter College in 1943, and an M.A. from Brooklyn College in 1948, and did further graduate study at New York University. While primarily known as a poet, editor, and translator, she has given readings and lectured extensively throughout the United States, Switzerland, India, France, and Germany. She has also taught English, creative writing, literature, speech, and film studies at the New York School of Art and Design, Emerson College (Sussex, England), the Rudolf Steiner Institute (NY), and at the Goetheanum (Switzerland). Aldan, while part of the New York City poetry scene of the 1950s and 1960s, is not well known outside urban literary circles. She was aware of and friends with the Beats, but her style was more influenced by modern French poetry and metaphysics. Aldan has said that her primary motivation is to bring a renewal of the WORD into the world. Aldan was recognized by Epoch, Cornell University's literary magazine, as one of America's fifty best poets.

Aldan's earliest chapbook of poems was published in 1946. This was followed by The Destruction of Cathedrals and Other Poems in 1963, with a preface by Anaïs Nin, and Seven: Seven (Poems and Photographs) in 1965. During the 1970s, Aldan published seven books of experimental and lyrical poetry. Her non-fiction and prose works are focused on the topic of poetry and consciousness. In 1979 she was able to publish, due to an NEA grant, the novella, A Golden Story.

She edited several important poetry magazines, including Folder Magazine of Literature and Art (1953-1959) and Two Cities (co-edited with Anaïs Nin), from 1961 to 1962. She also published in 1959 a book length anthology of poetry and drawings, A New Folder: Americans - Poems and Drawings, that she considered a continuation of Folder Magazine. She has also edited and published translations of works by Stephane Mallarmé, Anaïs Nin, Albert Steffen, and Rudolf Steiner. She contributed to anthologies including Fifty-Three American Poets of Today (1973), Twentieth-Century American Women Poets (1974), and The Little Magazine in America Today (1978), as well as to magazines including Botteghe Oscure, Imago, Massachusetts Review, New York Times, Poet and Critic, and Poetry.

Aldan was awarded the NEA poetry prize in 1968, a Doctor of Letters by the University of Karachi in 1970, and received a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 1978 for her book of poems, Between High Tides (1978). She has served in an advisory or directorial capacity for such publications and organizations as Folder Editions, World Literature Today, New York Quarterly, and the Poetry Society of America. She is a member of PEN, World Congress of Poets, National Critics Circle, and the Academy of American Poets.

From the guide to the Daisy Aldan Papers TXRC94-A18., 1946-1966, (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin)

Native New Yorker Daisy Aldan has been an actress, teacher, publisher and lecturer; she has studied painting and eurythmy, and written on a variety of topics. She is perhaps most widely known as a poet, for her delicate verse shows a careful responsibility and intelligence that has been widely praised by critics.

From the description of Daisy Aldan letter to Diane di Prima, 1965 Feb. 20. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 53003653

American poet, translator, and editor.

From the description of Papers, 1946-1966. (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC); University of Texas at Austin). WorldCat record id: 145406077

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Larry Fagin Papers., n.d., 1958-1977. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Baraka, Imamu Amiri, 1934-. Papers of Imamu Amiri Baraka [manuscript], 1960-1963. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Aldan, Daisy. Papers, [ca. 1965]. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Aldan, Daisy. Papers, 1946-1966. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Kate Millett papers, 1912-2002 and undated, bulk 1951-2001 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Poetry mss., 1954-2002 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Lavigne, Robert. Robert Lavigne papers, 1954-1969. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Levertov, Denise, 1923-1997. Denise Levertov letters and poems, 1958-1981. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Daisy Aldan papers, circa 1909-[ongoing] Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn New Directions Publishing records Houghton Library
creatorOf Aldan, Daisy. Daisy Aldan letter to Diane di Prima, 1965 Feb. 20. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Marguerite Harris Papers, 1901-1978 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Gerard Malanga Papers, 1944-1971 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Aldan, Daisy. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1982-1989. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Daisy Aldan Papers TXRC94-A18., 1946-1966 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Abbott, Emma, 1850-1891. Women authors collection, A-Al, 1944-1965. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Eigner, Larry, 1927-1996. Larry Eigner letters to Daisy Aldan and Portents offprint, 1958-1968. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Yaddo records, 1870-1980 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Eberhart, Richard, 1904-2005. Richard Eberhart letters and related materials, 1945-1975. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Nell Blaine papers Houghton Library
creatorOf DuBois, Rochelle. Correspondence, 1975-1986. Ohio State University Libraries
creatorOf Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. Lawrence Ferlinghetti postal card and rejection notice, 1960. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Allen, Donald, 1912-2004. person
associatedWith Allen, Donald Merriam, 1912- person
associatedWith Apollinaire, Guillaume, 1880-1918. person
associatedWith Ashbery, John person
associatedWith Ashbery, John. person
associatedWith Ashton, Dore person
associatedWith Ashton, Dore. person
associatedWith Baraka, Imamu Amiri, 1934- person
associatedWith Baraka, Imamu Amiri, 1934- person
associatedWith Beck, Julian person
associatedWith Beck, Julian. person
associatedWith Benét, William Rose, 1886-1950. person
associatedWith Benet, William Rose, 1886-1950 person
associatedWith Blackburn, Paul person
associatedWith Blackburn, Paul. person
correspondedWith Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996 person
associatedWith Bly, Robert person
associatedWith Bly, Robert. person
associatedWith Caetani, Marguerite person
associatedWith Caetani, Marguerite. person
associatedWith Corso, Gregory person
associatedWith Corso, Gregory. person
associatedWith Creeley, Robert, 1926- person
associatedWith Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005. person
associatedWith De Kooning, Elaine person
associatedWith De Kooning, Elaine. person
associatedWith De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997. person
associatedWith De Kooning, William, 1904- person
associatedWith Di Prima, Diane, person
associatedWith Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931- person
associatedWith Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000. person
associatedWith DuBois, Rochelle. person
associatedWith Eberhart, Richard, 1904- person
associatedWith Eberhart, Richard, 1904-2005. person
associatedWith Eigner, Larry, 1927-1996. person
associatedWith Elmslie, Kenward person
associatedWith Elmslie, Kenward. person
correspondedWith Fagin, Larry. person
associatedWith Ferlinghetti, Lawrence person
associatedWith Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. person
associatedWith Field, Edward person
associatedWith Field, Edward. person
associatedWith Ford, Charles Henri person
associatedWith Ford, Charles Henri. person
associatedWith Fraser, Kathleen, 1937- person
associatedWith Fraser, Kathleen, 1937- person
associatedWith Ginsberg, Allen, 1926- person
associatedWith Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997. person
associatedWith Guest, Barbara person
associatedWith Guest, Barbara. person
associatedWith Harris, Marguerite, Archives person
associatedWith Hawkins, Erick person
associatedWith Hawkins, Erick. person
associatedWith Hitchcock, George person
associatedWith Hitchcock, George. person
associatedWith Koch, Kenneth, 1925- person
associatedWith Koch, Kenneth, 1925-2002. person
associatedWith Lavigne, Robert. person
associatedWith Levertov, Denise, 1923-1997. person
associatedWith Levertov, Dennis, 1923- person
associatedWith Logue, Christopher, 1926- person
associatedWith Logue, Christopher, 1926-2011. person
associatedWith Malanga, Gerard. person
associatedWith Mallarmé, Stéphane, 1842-1898. person
associatedWith Mallarme, Stephane, 1852-1898 person
associatedWith Mallarmé, Stephane, 1852-1898. person
associatedWith McClure, Michael person
associatedWith McClure, Michael. person
associatedWith Merrill, James Ingram person
associatedWith Merrill, James Ingram. person
associatedWith Miller, Henry, 1891- person
associatedWith Miller, Henry, 1891-1980. person
associatedWith Millett, Kate person
associatedWith Modern Poetry Association corporateBody
associatedWith New Directions Publishing Corp. corporateBody
associatedWith Norse, Harold person
associatedWith Norse, Harold. person
associatedWith O'Hara, Frank person
associatedWith O'Hara, Frank. person
associatedWith Olson, Charles, 1910-1970 person
associatedWith Olson, Charles, 1910-1970. person
associatedWith Pollock, Jackson, 1904- person
associatedWith Pollock, Jackson, 1904- person
associatedWith Rexroth, Kenneth, 1905- person
associatedWith Rexroth, Kenneth, 1905-1982. person
associatedWith Rivers, Larry, 1925- person
associatedWith Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002. person
associatedWith Rorem, Ned, 1923- person
associatedWith Rorem, Ned, 1923- person
associatedWith Schuyler, James person
associatedWith Schuyler, James. person
associatedWith Stein, Elliott person
associatedWith Stein, Elliott. person
associatedWith Stoddard, Roger Eliot, 1935- , person
associatedWith Swenson, May person
associatedWith Swenson, May. person
associatedWith Toklas, Alice B. person
associatedWith Toklas, Alice, B. person
associatedWith Triem, Eve, 1902- person
associatedWith Triem, Eve, 1902-1992. person
associatedWith Tzara, Tristan, 1896-1963 person
associatedWith Tzara, Tristan, 1896-1963. person
associatedWith Walter, Eugene, 1921- person
associatedWith Walter, Eugene, 1921-1998. person
associatedWith Weaver, William, 1923- person
associatedWith Weaver, William, 1923- person
associatedWith Welch, Lew person
associatedWith Welch, Lew. person
associatedWith Whalen, Philip person
associatedWith Whalen, Philip. person
associatedWith Yaddo (Artist's colony) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
American poetry
American poetry
Poets, American
Editors
Poetry
Poetry
Ẁomen authors, American
Women poets, American
Occupation
Activity

Person

Active 1958

Active 1968

English,

French

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