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Series VII: Photographs, 1990-2015
Series VIII: Juvenilia and Other Childhood Materials, 1960-1977
Series IX: Audio and Digital Materials, 1994-2017

Lucie Brock-Broido Papers, 1965-2017, bulk 1981-2013

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Series I: Writing and Related Book Production, 1970-2017

This series contains all material related to the completion of Brock-Broido's four volumes of poetry; A Hunger, The Master Letters, Trouble in Mind, and Stay, Illusion, each corresponding subseries follows the earliest drafts of poems included in each book to the final proofs produced by Knopf. Each subseries also includes the contract, editorial correspondence, publicity, and reviews.

Creative prose by Brock-Broido is located in this series, including materials related to her introduction to Thomas James' Letter to A Stranger.

Works written before the publication of Brock-Broido's first book are organized here in the subseries "Early Work."

Any personal writing, such as diary entries and journaling, can be found in personal and biographical materials.

Subseries I.1: A Hunger, 1983-1989


Box 1 Folder 1 Process Notes, undated

Manuscript Drafts, 1983-1988

Box 1 Folder 2-3 Early Drafts, 1983-1985, 2 folders

Early handwritten notebooks.

Box 1 Folder 4-5 Draft 1, 1986, 2 folders

Box 1 Folder 6 Draft 2, 1986

Box 1 Folder 7-10 Draft 3, March 1987, 4 folders

Box 1 Folder 11 Draft 4, 1987

Box 1 Folder 12 Draft 5, January, 1988

Box 1 Folder 13 Draft 6, April, 1988

Box 1 Folder 14-15 Draft 7, April, 1988, 2 folders

Box 1 Folder 16 Draft 8, April, 1988

Box 1 Folder 17 Draft 9, May, 1988

Box 1 Folder 18 Front and Back Matter Drafts, 1988

Box 1 Folder 19-23 Proofs, 1988, 5 folders

Box 1 Folder 24 Covers, 1988

Box 1 Folder 25-30 Assorted Poem Drafts labeled "Originals", 1981-1987, 6 folders

Box 1 Folder 31 A Hunger: Selected Poems, 1988

Correspondence, 1983-1989


Box 2 Folder 1-2 Early, 1983-1987, 2 folders

Includes correspondence with Alice Quinn, the manuscript's original editor at Knopf.

Box 2 Folder 3-5 Harry Ford, 1987-1989, 3 folders

Box 2 Folder 6 Post Publication, 1988-1989

Box 2 Folder 7 Knopf Distrubution List, 1988

Box 2 Folder 8 Publicity, 1988

Box 2 Folder 9 Reviews, 1988-1989

Box 2 Folder 10 Domestic Mysticism Exchange, 1988

Drafts of essays with commentary between Brock-Broido, Bonnie Costello, and Alicia Ostriker regarding Costello's essay "Domestic Mysticism" and contemporary poetry by women.

Box 2 Folder 11 "Elective Mutes", 1987

Reproduction of single poem published in New England Review and Bread Loaf Quarterly (1987).

Box 2 Folder 12 Contract, 1987

Box 2 Folder 13 A Hunger Annotated Copy, 1988

Brock-Broidio's copy with notes.

Subseries I.2: The Master Letters, 1988-1996

Box 2 Folder 14 Process Notes, 1993-1995

Manuscript Drafts

Box 2 Folder 15-18 Early Drafts, 1988-1994, 4 folders

Box 2 Folder 19 Draft 1, February, 1993

Box 2 Folder 20 Draft 2, 1993

Box 2 Folder 21 Draft 3, 1993

Box 2 Folder 22-24 Draft 4, 1993, 3 folders

Box 2 Folder 25-27 Draft 5, January, 1994, 3 folders


Box 3 Folder 1 Draft 6, January, 1994

Box 3 Folder 2-4 Draft 7, March, 1994, 3 folders

Box 3 Folder 5-19 Draft 8, April, 1994, 15 folders

Multiple manuscripts drafts sent between Brock-Broido, Helen Vendler, and Harry Ford.

Box 3 Folder 20 Draft 9, May, 1994

Box 3 Folder 21 Draft 10, January, 1995

Box 3 Folder 22 Draft 11, March, 1995

Box 3 Folder 23 Draft 12, 1995

Box 3 Folder 24 Draft 13, 1995

Box 3 Folder 25 Draft 14, March, 1995

Box 3 Folder 26 Front and Back Matter Drafts, July, 1995

Box 3 Folder 27-28 Draft 15, 1995, 2 folders

Box 3 Folder 29-30 Draft 16, 1995, 2 folders

Box 3 Folder 31-32 Draft 17, August, 1995, 2 folders

Box 3 Folder 33-35 Draft 18, September, 1995, 3 folders

Box 3 Folder 36 Draft 19, 1994-1995

Floppy disks labeled "Master Letters" with revisions from May 1994-April 1995.

Box 3 Folder 37-38 Proofs, 1995, 2 folders


Box 4 Folder 1-2 Covers, 1995, 2 folders

Poem Drafts

Box 4 Folder 3-17 Assorted Poem Drafts, 1988-1993, 15 folders

Multiple drafts of individual poems found in box labeled "The Master Letters." Original order preserved.

Box 4 Folder 18 "How Can It Be I Am No Longer I"

Multiple drafts of individual poem.

Box 4 Folder 19 "Housekeeping"

Multiple drafts of individual poem.

Box 4 Folder 20 "Am Moor"

Multiple drafts of individual poem.

Box 4 Folder 21 Annotated Poems, 1995

Folder with drafts of poems from The Master Letters and A Hunger and a note addressed to Harry Ford. Labeled "For Harry, 20 January 1995." Oder preserved.

Box 4 Folder 22 Knopf Production, 1995

Box 4 Folder 23 Emily Dickinson's "Master Letters" Reproduction and Rights, 1995

Correspondence, 1992-1996

Box 4 Folder 24 Harry Ford, 1992-1996

Box 4 Folder 25 Editorial, 1991-1995

Box 4 Folder 26 Post Publication, 1996-1997

Box 4 Folder 27 Publicity, 1995

Box 4 Folder 28 Reviews, 1995-1996

Box 4 Folder 29 Interviews, 1995-1998

Box 4 Folder 30 "Agni Document Series with Tom Sleigh", 1996

Box 4 Folder 31 Contract, 1995

Subseries I.3: Trouble in Mind, 1988-2004

Box 4 Folder 32 Process Material, undated

Manuscript Drafts, 1997-2003

Early Drafts, 1997-2002

One volume in Box #4 and three leather-bound volumes stored separately in Boxes 25, 26, and 27.

Box 4 Folder 33 Early Drafts, 1997 November 22 - 2000 January 18, 1 Volumes


Box 25 Early Drafts, 1999 October 20 - December 16, 1 Volumes


Box 26 Early Drafts, 1999 December 24 - 2000 November 9, 1 Volumes


Box 27 Early Drafts, 2000 November 14 - 2002 October 16, 1 Volumes


Box 4 Folder 34 Draft 1, 2003

Box 4 Folder 35-37 Draft 2, May, 2003, 3 folders

Box 4 Folder 38-39 Draft 3, September, 2003, 2 folders

Box 4 Folder 40-41 Draft 4, October, 2003, 2 folders


Box 5 Folder 1-2 Draft 5, 2003, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 3-4 Draft 6, November, 2003, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 5 Draft 7, 2003

Floppy disks labeled "L: IMPT TIM/everything except sm. changes from 1st and 2nd pass"

Box 5 Folder 6 Front and Back Matter Drafts, 2003

Box 5 Folder 7 Proofs, 2003

Box 5 Folder 8 Covers, 2003

Poem Drafts, 1988-2000

Box 5 Folder 9-13 "Drafts of Trouble in Mind", 1988-1997, 5 folders

Multiple manuscript and individual poem drafts found in box labeled "Drafts of Trouble in Mind." Order preserved.

Box 5 Folder 14-20 Assorted Poem Drafts, 1988-1997, 7 folders

Individual poem drafts found together in one box. Order preserved.

Box 5 Folder 21 Annotated Poems

Box 5 Folder 22 "Self Deliverance by Lion"

Multiple drafts of individual poem.

Correspondence, 2000-2005

Box 5 Folder 23 Deborah Garrison, 2000-2002

Box 5 Folder 24 Post Publication, 2004-2007

Box 5 Folder 25 Publicity, 2004

Box 5 Folder 26 Reviews, 2004-2005

Box 5 Folder 27 Contract, 2002

Subseries I.4: Stay, Illusion, 2007-2015

Box 5 Folder 28 Process Material, undated

Manuscript Drafts, 2007-2013

Early Drafts, 2007-2012

Four leather-bound notebooks, plus one additional notebook with what appears to be related material in the 2012 entries.


Box 28 Early Drafts, 2007 October 7 - 2008 January 1, 1 Volumes


Box 29 Early Drafts, 2008 October 25 - 2009 October 31, 1 Volumes


Box 30 Early Drafts, 2009 November 1 - 2011 October 28, 1 Volumes


Box 31 Early Drafts, 2011 October 31 - 2012 December 31, 1 Volumes


Box 32 Early Drafts, 2012 October 27 - 2017 January 22, 1 Volumes

This notebook includes several entries for 2012 that appear related to Stay, Illusion.


Box 5 Folder 29 Draft 1, 2011

Box 5 Folder 30 Draft 2, September, 2011

Box 5 Folder 31-32 Draft 3, May, 2012, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 33-34 Draft 4, September, 2012, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 35-36 Draft 5, October, 2012, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 37-38 Draft 6, November, 2012, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 39-41 Draft 7, December, 2012, 3 folders

Box 5 Folder 42 Draft 8, January, 2013

Box 5 Folder 43-44 Draft 9, February, 2013, 2 folders

Box 5 Folder 45-47 Draft 10, February, 2013, 3 folders


Box 6 Folder 1 Draft 11, March, 2013

Box 6 Folder 2-4 Draft 12, May, 2013, 3 folders

Box 6 Folder 5-8 Draft 13, May, 2013, 4 folders

Box 6 Folder 9-11 Draft 14, July, 2013, 3 folders

Box 6 Folder 12-13 Draft 15, July, 2013, 2 folders

Box 6 Folder 14 Front and Back Matter Drafts, 2013

Box 6 Folder 15-19 Formatting Drafts, 2013, 5 folders

Box 6 Folder 20 Covers, 2013

Box 6 Folder 21-33 Assorted Poem Drafts, undated, 13 folders

Loose poem drafts found in multiple folders labeled "Stay, Illusion drafts." Original order preserved.

Correspondence, 2008-2015

Box 6 Folder 34 Deborah Garrison, 2008-2013

Box 6 Folder 35 Editorial, 2012(?)

Box 6 Folder 36 Post Publication, 2013

Box 6 Folder 37 Publicity, 2013

Box 6 Folder 38 Reviews, 2013-2015

Box 6 Folder 39 Interviews, 2013

Box 6 Folder 40 Contract, 2012

Subseries I.5: Soul Keeping Company, 2007-2011

This subseries contains material related to Soul Keeping Company (2010), a book of poetry selected from Brock-Broido's first three collections, published by Carcanet Press in the United Kingdom.

Box 6 Folder 41-42 Draft, 2010, 2 folders

Box 6 Folder 43 Table of Contents Drafts, 2007

Box 6 Folder 44 Correspondence, 2005-2011

Box 6 Folder 45 Author's Questionnaire, 2009

Box 6 Folder 46 Covers, 2005-2011

Subseries I.6: Prose, 1989-2017

This subseries includes reproductions of Brock-Broido's published prose writing, one unpublished prose draft, and material related to Brock-Broido's introduction to Thomas James' Letters to A Stranger (Graywolf, 2008).

Box 6 Folder 47 "Myself a Kangaoo Among the Beauties", 2002

Lyric essay published in American Women Poets in the 21st Century (2002) anthology.

Box 6 Folder 48 Writing on Max Ritvo, 2015-2017

Introduction to Ritvo's work published in Boston Review (2015).Essay and eulogy for Max Ritvo published in The New Yorker (2017).

Box 6 Folder 49 Personal Essay, 1989

Unpublished personal narrative.


Box 7 Folder 1 Letters to A Stranger Introduction, 1993-2010, Includes mini cassettes

The contract with Graywolf, Brock-Broido's copy of the first edition of the book, and correspondence with James' family regarding the reissue are located here, though the collection does not include any drafts of the introduction.

Subseries I.7: Early Work, 1971-1985

The bulk of this subseries contains work completed as part of creative writing assignments at Johns Hopkins University. This subseries also includes manuscripts completed in the early 1980s, handwritten drafts of poems in notebooks, and some academic essays written in college.

Box 7 Folder 2-10 Notebooks, 1971-1982, 9 folders

Box 7 Folder 11-12 Assorted Typescript Poems, undated, 2 folders

Undated drafts of indivdiual poems, written approximately 1970-1976.

Box 7 Folder 13-15 Undergraduate Prose Assignments, 1976-1977, 3 folders

Johns Hopkins Creative Writing Manuscripts, 1976-1979

Box 7 Folder 16 Three Fictions, 1976-1977, 1 folders


Box 8 Folder 1-7 Three Fictions, 1976-1977, 7 folders

Box 8 Folder 8-9 Similar Edible Fruits: In Full Fig, 1976-1977, 2 folders

Box 8 Folder 10-13 Pornography, 1978, 3 folders

Brock-Broido's Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Box 8 Folder 14-17 Ladies & The Gentleman Muse, 1979, 4 folders

Brock-Broido's Graduate Thesis

Johns Hopkins Academic Essays, 1978-1979

Box 8 Folder 18-19 "The Language of Light: Poet as Luminary", 1978, 2 folders

Box 8 Folder 20 "Yeats and the Physics of Souls: The Poet as Metaphysician", 1979

Box 8 Folder 21 "Jean Genet, Our Lady of the Language: The Genetic Traits", 1979

Box 8 Folder 22 William Carlos Williams Essay, 1979

1980s Manuscripts, 1980-1984

Box 8 Folder 23-26 Ilfracombe, 1980, 4 folders

Box 8 Folder 27-30 And All of England on The Floor, 1981-1983, 4 folders


Box 9 Folder 1-2 Trouble Child, 1983, 2 folders

Box 9 Folder 3-4 After The Grand Perhaps, 1984, 2 folders

Box 9 Folder 5-13 "Stillborn Poems", 1970s-1980s, 9 folders

Unpublished and uncollected poems, which Brock-Broido stored in a box labeled "Stillborn Poems." Original order preserved.

Box 9 Folder 14-15 Poem Drafts, 1980s, 2 folders

Box 9 Folder 16-17 Poems in Magazines, 1980s, 2 folders

Reproductions of individual poems published in literary magazines throughout the 1980s.

Subseries I.8: Later Notebooks, 2012 October 27 - 2017 January 22

This subseries includes two leather-bound notebooks that include entries dating from after the publication of Stay, Illusion in 2013. These notebooks are likely related to later material that has not yet been received by the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, and they will likely receive further processing when that material is received by the Library.


Box 32 Notebook, 2012 October 27 - 2017 January 22, 1 Volumes


Box 33 Notebook, 2016 October 31 - November 24 (Thanksgiving), 1 Volumes