Henri Coulette Papers

The papers consist of the following series:

Papers

1. Correspondence (Boxes 1-3). The correspondence is filed alphabetically by author. Among the authors writing to Coulette are: Philip Levine, Robert L. Barth, Robert Mezey, and Timothy Steele. An especially illuminating letter about Coulette (who remained somewhat of a mystery throughout his life) is one written in 1990 by Norman Fruman to Robert Mezey (Box 1 (44)).

2. Manuscripts by Coulette and others (Boxes 4-11). The manuscripts are arranged into the following series: Notebooks by Coulette (Boxes 4-6); poems and book length poems by Coulette (Boxes 7-9); manuscripts by Coulette and others (Box 10); poems and manuscripts by others (Box 11). All manuscripts and poems are filed alphabetically except for the notebooks and tablets, some of which are filed numerically. Included in poems by others are poems by Philip Levine, who, over the years, sent many poems to Coulette for his opinion. Coulette's notebooks and many drafts of his poems allow a researcher to trace the evolution of a poem from conception to final product.

3. Ephemera (Boxes 11-14, oversize folder). The ephemera folders are filed alphabetically and include journal issues, awards and diplomas, newspaper and magazine clippings, and various personal papers.

Addenda Part I

4. Addenda Part I. Consists of 18 reel-to-reel audiotapes (Box 15) with unknown content and two oversize folders containing copies of poems.

Addenda Part II

Addenda Part II is arranged in the following series: 5. Correspondence and Manuscripts (Box 16); 6. Manuscripts and Ephemera (Box 17); 7. Ephemera (Box 18).

5. The Correspondence series is arranged alphabetically by author. The series consists largely of letters regarding the publication The Collected Poems of Henri Coulette. The book was compiled after Coulette's death by his close friends, colleagues, and book editors Donald Justice and Robert Mezey. Copies of Coulette's poems as well as revisions made to the book by Justice and Mezey accompany these letters. Justice and Mezey would make revisions and send these corrections to one another and to the book's publisher the University of Arkansas Press. Once the book was published it received an unfavorable review from poet Philip Levine. Letters can be found within this series which relate to that negative review and include reactions from Justice, Mezey, various publishing companies, and fellow poets. 6. The Manuscripts series is arranged alphabetically and includes poems, book reviews, and articles written by Coulette and fellow writers: Anthony Cave Brown, Robert Dana, Nelle Fertig, Henri Coulette Papers -- Finding Aid -- page 5 Elton Glaser, Michael S. Harper, Elizabeth Nicholas, Eric Pankey, Michael Shepler, and Jerry Tutunjian. Also included are drafts, revisions, and notes made by Justice and Mezey to The Collected Poems of Henri Coulette manuscript.

7. The Ephemera series is arranged alphabetically and includes journal issues, newspaper and magazine clippings, a copy of Coulette's Curriculum Vitae ca. 1984, a printed notice for a Coulette poetry reading, and pamphlets relating to the Venice Simplon Orient Express in 1984.