Jack W. C. Hagstrom (AC 1955) Collection of Thom Gunn Bibliography Papers
Scope and Contents
The Jack W. C. Hagstrom (AC 1955) Thom Gunn Bibliography Papers consist of approximately 25.3 linear feet of material relating to Hagstrom's 1979 publication, Thom Gunn: a bibliography 1940-1978 and an update to that publication that was serialized in the journal Bulletin of Bibliography between 1992 and 1994. A large amount of the material postdates those publications, possibly collected in preparation for a further update.
It also includes Hagstrom's personal correspondence with Gunn, as well as Gunn's correspondence with others (originals and photocopies), some of which Hagstrom purchased from dealers and some of which he collected from various archives.
The largest component of the collection is 15 boxes of newspapers, magazines, journals, and other periodicals containing writing by or about Gunn. Two boxes contain audio-visual recordings of poetry readings, interviews with Gunn, and Gunn's poetry set to music. There are also a small number of handwritten or typed poems by Gunn.
Directly related to Hagstrom's bibliography are typescripts, notes, and galley proofs of the bibliography, as well as four boxes of correspondence between Hagstrom and various publishers, Gunn associates, and other parties who helped Hagstrom identify Gunn writings.
Dates
- Creation: 1940-2006
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
There is no restriction on access to the Jack W. C. Hagstrom (AC 1955) Thom Gunn Bibliography Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items are restricted for preservation purposes.
This collection is stored off-site - all requests for materials from this collection must be made in advance.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the Jack W. C. Hagstrom (AC 1955) Thom Gunn Bibliography Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
Jack W. C. Hagstrom (born December 2, 1933), physician, literary collector, LGBT rights advocate, and bibliographer, is a 1955 graduate of Amherst College. He earned an M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1959, where he went on to become Instructor in Pathology. He has retained close ties with the Amherst College Robert Frost Library as a member of the Friends of the Library and also as a collector and donor of modern British and American poetry, particularly work by gay poets. He has published several bibliographies of English language poets, including James Ingram Merrill: A Descriptive Bibliography (Oak Knoll Books, 2009); Dana Gioia: A Descriptive Bibliography with Critical Essays (Parrish House, 2002); and Thom Gunn: A Bibliography, 1940-1978 (Bertram Rota, 1979).
Thom Gunn (1929-2004) was born and raised in England. He studied at the University of Cambridge in the early 1950s, where he met his lifelong partner, Mike Kitay. He moved to the United States in the late 1950s, studying and teaching English at several institutions in the western U.S. and eventually settling in San Francisco, where he lived for most of the rest of his life. Gunn published numerous poetry collections during this lifetime and received multiple literary awards, including Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundation fellowships. His poetry explored San Francisco's counterculture and gay culture, including the AIDS epidemic, among other themes.
Extent
27 Linear feet (26 records storage boxes, 1 archives box, 1 oversize box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Materials assembled by Jack W. C. Hagstrom in the course of writing a bibliography of poet Thom Gunn, published in 1979 as Thom Gunn: a Bibliography 1940-1978. An update to the book was published in issues of the Bulletin of Bibliography between 1992 and 1994 as Emendations to Thom Gunn: a bibliography 1940-1978 (Part I-[V]). The collection includes publications containing writing by and about Gunn; correspondence between Gunn and Hagstrom as well as Gunn and other people; and Hagstrom's notes, correspondence, and typescripts for the bibliography.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into three series:
- Series 1: Thom Gunn Periodicals, Recordings, and Ephemera, 1940-2006
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1952-2002
- Series 3: Bibliography Notes and Publication Materials, 1978-1994
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Jack W. C. Hagstrom, together with a large quantity of books containing writing by or about Gunn, between 2003 and 2006. Acc. #2003-220, 2003-235, 2004-196, 2004-220, 2006-062, 2006-220. Acc. #2103.094 added in 2017.
Processing Information
Processed in July 2013 by Claire Lobdell, Merrill Project Archivist. Later additions were interfiled where appropriate with earlier accessions (e.g. later periodicals were interfiled alphabetically with the Gunn periodicals series). Hagstrom's correspondence with Gunn (Series 2, Subseries A), was previously included with a different collection of Hagstrom's literary correspondence.
Subject
- Gunn, Thom (Person)
- Hagstrom, Jack W. C., MD, 1933-2019 (AC 1955) (Person)
Topical
- Author
- Claire Lobdell, Merrill Project Archivist
- Date
- 2014
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Merrill Family Foundation
Repository Details
Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299
archives@amherst.edu