Papers of Kenward Elmslie, writer, performer, editor and publisher associated with the"New York School" of writers and artists. Elmslie's lyrics and libretti for operas andmusicals--MISS JULIE (1965), LIZZIE BORDEN (1966), THE SWEET BYE AND BYE (1966), THEGRASS HARP (1972), and THE SEAGULL (1974)--brought a contemporary style to the languageof musical theatre. Elmslie also wrote in various prose and verse forms and a collectionof his writing, MOTOR DISTURBANCE (1971), won the Frank O'Hara Award for Poetry in 1971.He was recognized with a Ford Foundation Grant and a National Council of the Arts Award.As editor and publisher of Z MAGAZINE and Z Press, Elmslie promoted the work of JohnAshbery, Bill Berkson, Jean Boulte, Joe Brainard, Michael Brownstein, Joanne Kyger, RonPadgett, James Schuyler, and Anne Waldman, among others. The collection documents hisliterary career and personal life from the 1930s through the 1990s, with the bulk of thematerial spanning the period 1942-1995. Correspondence is a large and significant part ofthe collection, which also contains Elmslie's working and personal journals, notebooks,drafts and proofs of his published writings, unpublished material, handmade books andscrapbooks, and photographs. There is also work by Joe Brainard, John Latouche and otherwriters and composers with whom Elmslie worked. The papers are arranged in eleven series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) PERFORMANCE/THEATREWORKS, 3) WRITINGS BY ELMSLIE, 4) PHOTOGRAPHS, 5) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 6) Z PRESSPRODUCTION FILES, 7) JOE BRAINARD MATERIAL, 8) JOHN LATOUCHE MATERIAL, 9) WRITINGS OFOTHERS 10) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIAL, and 11) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
