Manuscripts

Account books and miscellaneous

Description: The collection consists of letters, documents, account books and two photographs related mainly to David B. Alexander's purchase of property in the area of Fort, Main, Fifth, and Spring Streets in central Los Angeles. There are also materials related to his purchase of a portion of Rancho Muscupiabe in San Bernardino County and business regarding the ranch between Alexander and his partner Samuel W. Little. There are also business papers relating to property Alexander owned in Lincoln, Nebraska and account books kept by Alexander and both J. W. and J. A. Hartley.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date: 1845-1906
Call number: mssAlexander
Creator: Alexander, David B(Opens in new tab)

David B. Alexander papers

Manuscripts

The collection consists of letters, documents, account books and two photographs related mainly to David B. Alexander's purchase of property in the area of Fort, Main, Fifth, and Spring Streets in central Los Angeles. There are also materials related to his purchase of a portion of Rancho Muscupiabe in San Bernardino County and business regarding the ranch between Alexander and his partner Samuel W. Little. There are also business papers relating to property Alexander owned in Lincoln, Nebraska and account books kept by Alexander and both J. W. Hartley, and J. A. Hartley.

mssAlexander

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Correspondence

Manuscripts

mssAlexander

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Business papers

Manuscripts

mssAlexander

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Personal correspondence

Manuscripts

Personal correspondence and ephemera received during Alexander's treatment for cancer in 2007. Some letters are addressed to Alexander's partner, Sheila Scott-Wilkinson. Correspondents include: George Albon, Leslie Scalapino, Charles Borkhuis, Clayton Eshleman, Sesshu Foster, Lawrence Berger, Nathaniel Mackey, Surisa Langbell, Fanny Howe, Brenda Iijima, Tom Raworth, Carla Harryman, Ben Lerner, Peter Quartermain, Pierre Joris, Kathleen Fraser, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, Lyn Hejinian, Diane Di Prima, Kevin Killian, Michael Gottlieb, Anne Waldman, and others. Letters were originally collected by Alexander in a pink binder, housed in box 27.

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Anonymous Stellar Ravines

Rare Books

"Anonymous Stellar Ravines comprises 75 "telepathic eruptions"--Will Alexander's poetic responses to Byron Baker's ink drawings. The original collaboration included 327 "visual scripts" by Baker, to which Alexander contributed improvisational responses. This is Alexander's first artist's book, though he collaborated with artist Baker in a prior work, The Codex Mirror (2014), which Cornel West described as "powerful and poignant," bringing "together two great artists who take us on a journey so badly needed in our dark times." Alexander's recent book, Refractive Africa, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2022. The pages were printed in Los Angeles by E&T Graphics, including tipped-on digital prints of Baker's drawings. The title and colophon pages were printed by Aardvark Letterpress. Cloth-covered clamshell boxes were fabricated by Charlene Matthews, and assistance to the project was provided by Armand Kossayan. Published by Granary Books in New York City. This is from an edition of 25 copies, plus 2 copies hors commerce, numbered and signed"--Publisher's website.

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Works, projects, and research materials

Manuscripts

Will Alexander's written works, artwork, and collaborative projects: primarily typescript drafts or copies of typescripts, printed proofs, and handwritten drafts. Many of the typescripts and printed drafts include handwritten notes and corrections. There are several large envelopes and paper bags which Alexander used for handwritten notes. Materials related to the same work may be in different boxes. This series also includes reviews of Alexander's work, reviews by him of others' work, and working files with teaching materials, conference logistics, CVs, and other documentation. Interspersed throughout are Alexander's research materials, usually printouts of articles and information from the internet that influenced and inspired his writing. Boxes 10-12, and most of box 24 consist entirely of research materials. Box 33 consists of works by writers and artists who were friends and collaborators of Alexander, and include several items inscribed to him. Alexander's artwork (box 25 and 26) consists of abstract drawings, primarily pen and ink or colored pencil. Most are either 8.5 x 11 inches or 11 x 14 inches. Drawings are both loose and bound in notebooks, and some are related to his writing. Box 3 also includes a few drawings. There is a small amount of professional correspondence and biographical material also interspersed with the works, which is noted in the individual boxes. Box 5 includes the bulk of the correspondence; box 8 includes Sotère Torregian signed poems and correspondence, and box 21 includes outgoing correspondence drafts as well as incoming correspondence with publishers, colleagues, and collaborators. Some personal correspondence is in box 28.

mssAlexanderw

Account books and miscellaneous

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David B. Alexander papers

Correspondence

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Anonymous Stellar Ravines

Works, projects, and research materials