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The papers of British poet, author, educator, editor, publisher, and contributor,
Kenneth
Hopkins, spans his literary career from 1933 to his death in 1988. The collection
includes
Hopkins’s writings, editorial material for his Warren House Press publications, and
extensive correspondence with friends, family, colleagues, authors, poets, and publishers.
The papers are organized into six series: I. Writings and Related Material, II. Saturdays
Literary Club and Related Material, III. Warren House Press and Related Material,
IV.
Correspondence, V. Information About Hopkins, and VI. Miscellaneous. Listed after
these
series are additional Hopkins materials described in the Ransom Center card catalog.
These
materials are organized into four groups: Works, Letters, Recipients, and Miscellaneous. |
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Series I., Writings and Related Material, is arranged in six subseries: A. Anthologies
and
Works Edited by Hopkins; B. Articles, Essays, and Lectures; C. Novels, Short Stories,
and
Other Works; D. Poems; E. Scrap-books and Clippings; and F. Visual Materials. Subseries
A
contains typescript drafts and prefatory material for a portion of the numerous anthologies
on literature and poetry that Hopkins edited. In addition to his writing career, Hopkins
lectured at American universities, including The University of Texas at Austin, Southern
Illinois University at Carbondale (SIU), Colgate University, and others. This role
is
reflected in the lecture notes in Subseries B, as well as essays and articles prepared
for
publication in newspapers and magazines. Specimen chapters for two of Hopkins’ detective
novels, written under the pseudonyms Christopher Adams and Arnold Winter, are included
in
Subseries C along with short versions and drafts of nonfiction. Contracts for his
published
works are also present. With the exception of his "Journals," material in this subseries is largely fragmentary, rather than complete
drafts. Hopkins’ poetry is found in Subseries D, the bulk being poems collected by
year from
1968 to 1978. Thirty years of Hopkins’ literary activity from 1933-1963 is documented
in two
scrapbooks in Subseries E. Clippings of Hopkins’ published work as well as reviews
of his
writings are present. Subseries F contains photographs and drawings of literary figures,
used in Hopkins’ publications such as Portraits in Satire.
The final subseries contains bound, mostly blank volumes in which Hopkins recorded
notes and
commonplaces. |
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As a founding member of the Saturdays, a literary club devoted to the appreciation
of
poetry, active from the 1940s through the 1960s, Hopkins composed and critiqued verse.
Included in this collection are the minutes of Saturdays meetings, drafts of original
work,
affiliated publications, and correspondence of and pertaining to member H. Pearl Adam. |
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Acting as editor for his private press, Warren House, Hopkins published poetry,
biographies, correspondence, and other works from 1969 through the mid-1980s. The
Warren
House publications in this collection include works by and about the Powys family,
including
the brothers John Cowper, Llewelyn and his wife Alyse Gregory, and T. F. Powys; Gamel
Woolsey and her husbands Gerald Brenan and Rex Hunter; and Louis U. Wilkinson. Each
is found
in a separate subseries. Correspondence, research and production material, and photographs
are often present. |
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Hopkins’ correspondence spans 1937 to the last days before his death on April 1, 1988.
Following original order, both incoming and outgoing correspondence is organized in
four
subseries: A. Active Files, as of 1988; B. Additional correspondence for the Hopkins
Archive
at the HRHRC; C. Overseas (mostly academics); and D. Publishers. Hopkins’ correspondence
reflects his activities as book collector; editor of Warren House Press publications;
supportive critic for aspiring poets and writers; lecturer and academic colleague;
member of
literary societies, especially The Powys Society; and friend to many sharing similar
literary pursuits. |
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Series V provides a few newspaper articles, a thesis and a dissertation written about
Hopkins, as well as biographical information and lists he compiled of material sent
to his
archive at the Ransom Center and elsewhere. Miscellaneous articles and booklets about
other
writers are found in Series VI. |
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Hopkins began transferring his papers to the Ransom Center in 1961 when he was visiting
lecturer at the University. Over the next three decades, he continued incremental
additions
to his papers so that the output of his entire literary career is now represented
in the
Ransom Center’s holdings. Prior to the collection’s move to off-site storage, materials
from
later gifts were added to the extant arrangement. These additions are denoted by the
gift
numbers both in the finding aid and on the folders. Hopkins’ descriptions from folders
and
envelopes are retained in the rehousing of this collection. |
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The collection is in good physical condition, although scrapbooks and photo albums
are
somewhat fragile and may require special handling for viewing. One photo album is
restricted
for preservation and a digital copy available in the Ransom Center Reading and Viewing
Room. |
