Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. "How like the muse to be away when I want her:" [poem], [1938], MS. (typewritten: 2 p.). At top of first page: autograph pencil note by Christopher Isherwood: "Written to Sir Archibald Clark Kerr and Lady Kerr, after staying at the British Embassy in Shanghai - May 25 - June 12, 1938 (see 'Journey to a War') | Collections

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. "How like the muse to be away when I want her:" [poem], [1938], MS. (typewritten: 2 p.). At top of first page: autograph pencil note by Christopher Isherwood: "Written to Sir Archibald Clark Kerr and Lady Kerr, after staying at the British Embassy in Shanghai - May 25 - June 12, 1938 (see 'Journey to a War') | Collections | The Huntington

Description: The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date: 1864-2004.
Call number: CI 2834.
Creator: Isherwood, Christopher (1904-1986)(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Acquired as a gift and purchase from Don Bachardy, April 1999, July 2000, June 2012, and May 2020.; purchased from Wayne Shimabukuro, June 1999.; gift of Robin French, August 1999.; purchased from Stanley P. Friedman, September 1999.; purchased from Roland Jaeger, from estate of Dodie Smith, May 2000 and June 2002.; purchased for the Huntington Library by the Library Collectors' Council Romaine Ahlstrom, March 2003.; gift of James Cummins Bookseller, April 2003.; purchased from Michael Silverman Autographs, London, December 2003.; purchased from December 2003.
Restrictions: Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.; RESTRICTED: One box of Scholar's Papers and Letters (Box 138) are sealed and three boxes of Isherwood's diaries (Boxes 136-137, 139) are sealed to all access; one box of diaries (Box 85) is open for research. All diaries and Scholar's Papers are fully cataloged and listed in the finding aid. Expurgated versions of the sealed diaries have been edited and published by Katherine Bucknell; please see finding aid for publication details.
Rights: The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining permission rests with the researcher.
Associated people: Auden, W. H. (1907-1973.); Bachardy, Don, (1934-); Britten, Benjamin, (1913-1976.); Bradbury, Ray, (1920-2012.); Bradshaw-Isherwood, Frank. (1868-1960.); Bradshaw-Isherwood, Kathleen, (1924-1984.); Capote, Truman, (1945-1988.); Clodd, Alan. (1879-1970.); Divine, (1950-approximately 1990.); Forster, E. M. (1904-2000.); Gates, Jim, (1904-1991.); Gielgud, John, (1889-1971.); Greene, Graham, (1894-1963.); Harris, Julie. (1907-1996.); Heard, Gerald, (1907-1987.); Hockney, David. (1874-1965.); Huxley, Aldous, (1903-1973.); Huxley, Laura Archera. (1893-1976.); Huxley, Maria. (1919-2010.); Kirstein, Lincoln, (1896-1990.); Lehmann, John, (1909-1995.); Maley, Ken. (1882-1971.); Maugham, W. Somerset (1925-2012.); Plomer, William, (1907-1981.); Prabhavananda, (1901-1987.)
Find out more: View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

You might also be interested in

Image not available
Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Chanson: [poem], [1938-1939?]
Manuscripts
The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
CI 2790.
Image not available
Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Chanson: [poem], [1938-1939]?, A.MS. (3 p.). In French, with the author's autograph corrections. With pencil annotation by Christopher Isherwood, 1904 -
Manuscripts
The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
CI 2790.
Image not available
Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. 1 letter (1938, [Feb.]) to Constance Rosalie Auden, L. (3 p.). In the handwriting of Constance Rosalie Auden, mailed to Kathleen Bradshaw Isherwood, 1868-1960
Manuscripts
The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
CI 2934.
Image not available
Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. The Fronny: [verse play: fragments], [1930], A.MS. (7 p.). Following the above: letter from Auden to Isherwood. The whole: 8 p. (in pencil)
Manuscripts
The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
CI 2821.
Image not available
Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. The Carter's Funeral: [poem], [1925, Oct.-Nov.], A.MS. (1 p.), with the author's autograph corrections. On verso: pencil note of Auden's Birmingham and Oxford addresses
Manuscripts
The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
CI 2785.
Image not available
Isherwood, Christopher, 1904-, and Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Diary of a Trip to Asia, 1938, Jan. 21-, A.MS. (1 vol.)
Manuscripts
The collection includes drafts of most of Isherwood's works, as well as book reviews, essays, interviews and travel narratives; the collection also includes extensive correspondence files containing letters from W. H. Auden, Don Bachardy, Truman Capote, E. M. Forster, John Lehmann, Stephen Spender, Edward Upward, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and others. The correspondence files also contain the letters of Isherwood's parents, Frank Bradshaw-Isherwood and Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, as well as diaries kept by Kathleen, containing references to the first World War. The correspondence files deal with the literary works of Isherwood and others, male homosexuality, Isherwood's interest in Hinduism, World War One and World War Two among other subjects. Also included are important series of poems and other literary manuscripts by Auden and Spender, audiovisual material, photographs and negatives, a scrapbook and ephemera. A box of Addenda was added to the collection in 2020, it contains manuscripts, photographs, printed material, and ephemera.
CI 1036.

Opening Hours

Admission Info and Tickets

You might also be interested in

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Chanson: [poem], [1938-1939?]

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Chanson: [poem], [1938-1939]?, A.MS. (3 p.). In French, with the author's autograph corrections. With pencil annotation by Christopher Isherwood, 1904 -

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. 1 letter (1938, [Feb.]) to Constance Rosalie Auden, L. (3 p.). In the handwriting of Constance Rosalie Auden, mailed to Kathleen Bradshaw Isherwood, 1868-1960

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. The Fronny: [verse play: fragments], [1930], A.MS. (7 p.). Following the above: letter from Auden to Isherwood. The whole: 8 p. (in pencil)

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. The Carter's Funeral: [poem], [1925, Oct.-Nov.], A.MS. (1 p.), with the author's autograph corrections. On verso: pencil note of Auden's Birmingham and Oxford addresses

Isherwood, Christopher, 1904-, and Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Diary of a Trip to Asia, 1938, Jan. 21-, A.MS. (1 vol.)