Page 1 of 5 Guide to the John Ciardi letters 1952-1969 Box A, John Hay Library Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 Fax: 401-863-2093 E-mail: hay@brown.edu Published in 2009 Brown University Library Collection overview Title: John Ciardi letters Date range: 1952-1969 Creator: Ciardi, John, 1916-1986 Extent: Abstract: Language of materials: Repository: 13 items The collection is made up of eleven typed letters signed and one autographed letter signed to Professor William J. Griffin at George Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee. Most letters are about his writing, with one form letter to Rodger P. Kingston. English Collection number: Ms. 88.4
Page 2 of 5 Scope & content The John Ciardi letters is made up of eleven typed letters signed and one autographed letter signed to Professor William J. Griffin at George Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee. Most letters are about his writing, with one form letter to Rodger P. Kingston. Arrangement The John Ciardi letters does not have a Series structure and is arranged chronologically. Biographical note Ciardi, the son of Italian immigrants, was born in Boston's North End. He grew up in Medford, Massachusetts and studied at his hometown college, Tufts University, before receiving his M.A. from the University of Michigan in 1939. After years of teaching English at Harvard (1946-1953) and Rutgers (1953-1961), Ciardi resigned his tenured faculty position to pursue an independent career. Ciardi wrote 21 books of poetry. He served as a highly popular poetry editor of the Saturday Review from 1956 to 1972. His occasional public television broadcasts were supplemented by his weekly National Public Radio series begun in 1980 entitled, "A Word in Your Ear." A National Teachers Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children was presented to Ciardi in 1982. He died of a heart attack on Easter Sunday in 1986. Access & use Access to the collection: Use of materials: There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Brown University Library. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary
Page 3 of 5 rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them. Preferred citation: John Ciardi letters Ciardi (John) letters, Ms. 88.4, Brown University LibrarySpecial Collections Contact information: Administrative information About the collection Box A, John Hay Library Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 Fax: 401-863-2093 E-mail: hay@brown.edu Aquisition: The John Ciardi letters were purchased from Charles Apfelbaum Rare Books & Collections in 1988. About the finding aid Author: Finding aid prepared by John Hay Library staff. Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Daniel Mejia 2009 September 28 Descriptive rules: Additional information Related material: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) The poems of and works about John Ciardi can be found by an author or subject search in JOSIAH for: Ciardi, John. Search terms Names: Ciardi, John, 1916-1986 Subjects: Ciardi, John, 1916-1986 American poetry
Page 4 of 5 Types of materials: Occupations: Letters (correspondence) Professors Authors
Page 5 of 5 Inventory