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Scope and Contents |
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Seven boxes of creative works, correspondence, printed material, articles and photographs,
1934-1991 (bulk 1960-90) represent Elizabeth Hardwick's life and career. The material
is
arranged in two series, and follows Hardwick's original arrangement where possible.
The
Works series (four boxes, 1956-1991, bulk 1975-1985) represents Hardwick's work as
a
novelist and literary critic. The Personal series (three boxes, 1934-1989, bulk 1970-89)
documents Hardwick's life, activities, friendships, and her relationship with her
husband,
Robert Lowell. |
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In conjunction with books and journals donated by Hardwick now housed in the HRC book
collections, the materials in the first series offer an almost complete archive of
her
published works. The typescripts of many unpublished articles, as well as lectures
and
presentations, can also be found in the collection. Of particular interest are the
manuscript drafts of her 1979 novel, Sleepless Nights. This book is
the most fully documented in the collection, and includes four folders of reviews
from
around the world. |
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The material in the second series is made up largely of correspondence, but also includes
photographs, interviews, awards and honors given to Hardwick, as well as materials
she
accumulated following the death of her husband, Robert Lowell. The correspondence
to
Hardwick is arranged alphabetically in two groupings. The first of these includes
general
correspondence, and is notable for its inclusion of many significant authors, who
were
friends of Hardwick's, discussing their works or giving their opinions on recent literature
and events. Of particular interest is the collection of letters from Robert Lowell,
dating
1949 to 1977, as well as letters from Hardwick's close friend, Mary McCarthy. The
series
also includes a large number of condolence letters written to Hardwick on the death
of
Lowell, as well as a small amount of correspondence from Hardwick, and letters from
Lowell
to his daughter, Harriet. |
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The collection gives a good overview of Hardwick's writing career. Less well documented,
however, are the events of her personal life. The collection lacks information on
her
activities prior to 1949, and does not include manuscripts of her earliest publications.
The
collection documents more fully Hardwick's career and life in the 1970s and 1980s. |
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The collection should be of particular interest to scholars of Robert Lowell, and
references to him are found throughout the second series. Many of Hardwick's correspondents
refer to him in their letters, and his frequent letters to Hardwick illuminate his
life and
writing career. The group of condolence letters Hardwick received upon his death contain
personal reminiscences from a number of distinguished authors, such as Stephen Spender,
Lillian Hellman, and Adrienne Rich. Further, two folders of notes and correspondence
relating to the publication of two books about Lowell, by Ian Hamilton and C. David
Heymann,
contain biographical information contributed by Elizabeth Hardwick, as well as her
disagreements with passages in the works. |
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Series Descriptions |
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Series I: Works, 1956-1991, bulk 1975-1985 (boxes 1-4) |
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The first series divides Hardwick's works into two subseries--the first is arranged
alphabetically by title regardless of genre, and consists of novels, essays, short
stories, and critical reviews. The second follows Hardwick's original grouping under
the
title "Uncollected essays, written after the publication of
Bartleby in Manhattan." However, some
works found in the first alphabetical arrangement are also uncollected and were written
after the publication of the book. (An index to the works is provided in this finding
aid). A third subseries contains newspaper and journal reviews of Hardwick's works. |
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The material in this series includes handwritten notes, typed and carbon copy
manuscripts, published articles, proof copies, and reviews of articles and books
published by Hardwick. The creation and publication of two of Hardwick's books, Bartleby in Manhattan (1986) and Sleepless Nights (1979), are well documented, and include
typewritten drafts, layouts, and galley proofs. The range of topics covered in essay
form illustrates Hardwick's interest in literature and social issues. Over half of
the
essays in the series address literary topics, with an emphasis on modern writers and
book reviews. Of particular interest are the writings devoted to women writers, such
as
Mary McCarthy, Doris Lessing, Edith Wharton, Gertrude Stein, Katherine Anne Porter,
and
Simone Weil. The essays covering social issues include such subjects as popular
religious figures, Communism, Martin Luther King, Lee Harvey Oswald, contemporary
mores,
and aging. Also included in this series are theater reviews, short stories, addresses,
and presentations. Most of the essays are in typewritten form, with handwritten
emendations. A significant number of the works are also represented by galley proofs.
A
number of essays have been grouped under the title Bartleby in Manhattan. However, earlier versions of some of
these essays can also be found in the first subseries. |
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This series spans five decades, but the vast majority of materials appear to date
from
the 1970s and 1980s. This is especially true of manuscripts, since the earlier works
are
exclusively published articles. |
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Series II. Personal, 1934-1989, bulk 1970-1989 (boxes 5-7) |
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The material in this series has been divided into three subseries, the largest of
which
is the first, Correspondence, 1949-1989, bulk 1970-1984. This subseries has been further
divided into four groupings, which follow Hardwick's arrangement--general letters
to
Hardwick, letters from Hardwick, letters from Robert Lowell to other family members,
and
condolence letters written to Hardwick upon the death of Lowell. Each grouping is
in
alphabetical order, and Hardwick's original listing of the correspondents can be found
in the folders. Hardwick's incoming correspondence ranges from intimate letters from
close friends, such as Mary McCarthy, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Craft, Angela Carter,
Nadine Gordimer, Stephen and Natasha Spender, and Gore Vidal, to single letters from
acquaintances and colleagues. The group of letters written to Hardwick upon the death
of
Robert Lowell is notable because many correspondents offer personal reminiscences
of
Lowell. |
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The correspondence is largely literary in nature, and interesting because many friends
of Hardwick, who are writers themselves, offer opinions on Hardwick's writing as well
as
their own and that of other writers. Other correspondents discuss important social
issues. Mary McCarthy's letters are particularly insightful. Of particular interest
to
scholars of Robert Lowell are the many letters discussing his activities and mental
state. |
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Within the correspondence of this subseries are found four folders of letters from
Robert Lowell to Hardwick written between 1949 and 1977. Especially well documented
are
Lowell's final years, when he wrote regularly to Hardwick and their daughter, Harriet.
It should be noted that Hardwick's chronological arrangement of these letters has
been
maintained, and that undated correspondence can be found at the back of each folder. |
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The Activities subseries spans the years 1934-1989, but most of the material falls
between 1979 and 1989. It includes honors and awards Hardwick received as well as
articles about her. Of particular interest is the folder of photographs, which contains
pictures of Hardwick, as well as three that had belonged to Robert Lowell, with
notations on the backs. |
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The final subseries, titled Robert Lowell, 1976-1987, contains materials that Hardwick
collected about Lowell after his death. Included are memorials to the poet, written
by
Frank Bidart and Blair Clark. The two folders of material devoted to the posthumous
biographies of Lowell offer Hardwick's insight into Lowell's life, as well as her
disagreements with the biographers' work. |
