Papers of Carl Rakosi, American poet and social worker. The collection is divided into
five series: correspondence, work by Rakosi, material about Rakosi, works by others, and
materials from Rakosi. Materials in this collection range in date from the 1930s to the late
1980s, but the vast majority of materials are from the 1980s. The collection contains
correspondence, working papers, prose, poems, book reviews, and interviews with Rakosi.
Series 1, in boxes 1-5, contains correspondence both to and from Rakosi. This series
consists of both folders by name of individual and miscellaneous folders containing letters
to and from various correspondents. Items in the individually named folders are filed by
date with Rakosi's letters interfiled. Of note is extensive correspondence with Martin J.
Rosenblum who wrote a dissertation on Rakosi. The miscellaneous correspondence folders have
a primary arrangement by last name of recipient and secondary arrangement by date. This
collection includes correspondence between Rakosi and poets such as Bill Berkson, Andrew
Crozier, Allen Ginsberg, Daniel Haberman, Michael Heller, Anselm Hollo, Anne Waldman, fellow
"Objectivist" poets George Oppen and Louis Zukofsky, and notable Wisconsin poets such as
Lorine Niedecker. There is a folder of extensive correspondence between Rakosi and Margot
Latimer, daughter of Margery Latimer, a classmate at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also
included is correspondence with Latimer's biographer Nancy Loughridge. Letters from and to
individuals from the publishing world including Bradford Morrow and James Laughlin as well
as editors of Toothpaste Press (Allan Kornblum), Black Sparrow Press (John Martin), and Sun
and Moon Press. Manner of correspondence ranges from personal letters and postcards to
professional requests and queries regarding rights and publishing of Rakosi's work. There is
also personal correspondence between Rakosi and his wife Leah, his daughter Barbara Rawley,
and his two granddaughters, Jennifer and Julie Ebin.
Series 2, boxes 6-8 and 12, contains both published and unpublished writings by Rakosi.
These materials include copies and drafts of lectures and talks given at Naropa University
in 1979. There are also worksheets from poetry courses Rakosi taught during this same time.
This series also includes various journals containing works by Rakosi. Other materials
include poems, notes, articles, and book reviews.
Also included in this series are newspaper and article clippings on various subjects, such
as nature and science, compiled and saved by Rakosi. One folder contains newspaper or
magazine clippings of poems by others. Another file contains Rakosi's writings on social
work, including individual case notes (Box 8-restricted).
Series 3, box 9, contains published and unpublished writings by others about Rakosi.
Materials range from critical work such as book reviews to magazine articles about Rakosi.
There are also interview transcripts and copies of Rakosi's poems translated into French by
Jacques Roubard.
Series 4, box 10, contains writings by others.
Series 5, box 11, contains materials given to this collection by Rakosi. These materials
include newspaper clippings, articles, and book reviews on science, nature, medicine, and
poetry.
NOT INCLUDED: material regarding the provenance and acquisition history of the Rakosi
collection.
