Restrictions on Access

Unrestricted access.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Related Materials in Other Repositories

James Ingram Merrill papers, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.

Source

Purchase, 2004, with subsequent additions.

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], James Ingram Merrill collection, Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, Emory University.

Biographical Note

James Ingram Merrill (1926-1995), American author and poet, was born in New York City on March 3, 1926 to Charles Merrill and Hellen Ingram Merrill. Merrill attended Amherst College, graduating in 1947 after serving briefly in the United States Army during World War II. Following graduation, Merrill taught at Bard College for a year before turning to writing and publishing. His 1966 collection of poems, Nights and Days, won the National Book Award. He earned numerous awards for his poetry, including the Bollingen Prize for Braving the Elements (1972), the Pulitzer Prize for Divine Comedies (1976), and a second National Book Award for Mirabell (1978). Merrill died of AIDS on February 6, 1995.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains materials relating to James Ingram Merrill from 1923-2000. It includes correspondence, drafts of writings, photographs, tributes, and audiovisual material. Correspondence, photographs, and other papers collected by Hellen [Ingram Merrill] Plummer, James Merrill's mother, form the majority of the collection. Her correspondence contains letters and drafts of poetry written by James Merrill. The correspondence of Charles Crawford, a family friend, also contains correspondence from Merrill. The remainder of the collection includes correspondence of James Merrill to other individuals, a few scattered drafts of poems, memorial service programs, and video and sound recordings of Merrill reading his poetry and tribute services following his death.

Arrangement Note

Arranged by subject.

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Selected Search Terms

Topical Terms

American poetry--20th century.

Poets, American--20th century.

Form/Genre Terms

Manuscripts.

Photographs.

Poetry.

Sound recordings.

Video recordings.

Occupation

Poet.