Heart and Home: A Memoir

blackburnroma Preliminary Inventory of the Roma Stewart Goodwin Blackburn Papers, 1942-1985 and undated Processed by: Rubenstein Library Staff and Katy Wischow; machine-readable finding aid created by: Ruth E. Bryan

Aleph Number: 001776977

Machine-readable finding aid derived from automated markup system. Date of source: May 4, 2001 Processed by Rubenstein Library Staff and Katy Wischow March 1, 1982, April 30, 1984, and May 4, 2001; Finding Aid encoded by Ruth E. Bryan, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, May 4, 2001 Description is in English. 07-14-2005 PUBLIC "-//David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library//TEXT (US::NDD::::Roma Stewart Goodwin Blackburn Papers)//EN" "blackburnroma.xml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Also, the top level of the finding aid (above the dsc) changed to conform to current Rubenstein Library and NC EAD standards as laid out in the Inventory Style Guide and in the NCEAD Best Practice Guidelines. Within the dsc, dates for series were normalized. These changes were made by Michelle Belden. Also, container TYPE and LABEL attribute values were standardized according to the Rubenstein Library EAD 2002 manual and the NCEAD eadlocal.ent by Ruth E. Bryan.The tag list inside index was changed to indexentry by Ruth E. Bryan. Preliminary Inventory of the Roma Stewart Goodwin Blackburn Papers, 1942-1985 and undated David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, North Carolina 27708-0185 USA

Descriptive Summary Roma Stewart Goodwin Blackburn Papers, 1942-1985 and undated Blackburn, Roma Stewart Goodwin 1.2 Linear Feet 564 Items David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. English. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, some of the additions to this collection are not immediately accessible, because they require further processing before use.

In addition, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Roma Stewart Goodwin Blackburn Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Provenance

The Roma Steward Goodwin Blackburn Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 1982-1984, 2001, and 2012.

Processing Information

Processed by Rubenstein Library Staff and Katy Wischow

Completed May 4, 2001

Encoded by Ruth E. Bryan

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

This collection is unprocessed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Biographical Note

Lawyer, poet, and writer originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Collection Overview

Primarily correspondence between Roma Blackburn and literary personages, including former students of her husband, William Maxwell Blackburn, professor at Duke University. Also includes poem by Rose Styron, clippings about the poet Elizabeth Bishop, and a program from Bishop's memorial service. One volume, Heart and Home: A Memoir, was written by Mrs. Blackburn. Correspondence includes: letters and postcards from Elizabeth Bishop discussing travels, intellectual life, and literary interests; letters from William Styron discussing fund-raising in memory of Professor William Blackburn for the Duke University Capital Campaign for the Arts and Sciences; letters from Alice Methfessel, close friend of Elizabeth Bishop; and letters from Professor Blackburn's former students Sean Devereaux, Guy Davenport, and Josephine Humphreys Hutcheson. (1964-1984) (46 items) (.2 linear feet)

This addition (218 items, 1942-1985) includes letters to Blackburn from Reynolds Price and Wallace Fowlie and others regarding invitations, travel plans, news, and condolences; material related to the William Blackburn Fund; correspondence from Blackburn's summers in Magog; a story by Max Steele; 23 manuscript pages of Blackburn's autobiography; copies of tributes to William Blackburn from William Styron and Max Steele as well as statistics on the number of students he taught; and photographs (61 black-and-white prints, 4 color prints, 1 color slide, and 2 black-and-white negatives) of Tennessee Williams, Fred Chappell, William Styron, Sean Devereaux, Wallace Fowlie, and William Blackburn as well as other family members. An unidentified audio tape is included. (.6 linear feet) (acc#01-0036)

Addition (2012-0038) (0.4 lin. ft., 300 items) includes personal correspondence to Roma Blackburn from family members and others, clippings and photographs of William Blackburn, and a recording of William Styron reading from Lie Down in Darkness. Also included are writings and notes by William Blackburn mostly relating to his W.B. Yeats research.

Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979. Blackburn, William (William Maxwell), 1899-1972. Chappell, Fred, 1936- Fowlie, Wallace, 1908- Price, Reynolds, 1933- Steele, Max, 1922- Styron, Rose. Styron, William, 1925- Methfessel, Alice. Devereaux, Sean. Humphreys, Josephine. Blackburn, Roma. Heart and Home: A Memoir. Williams, Tennessee, 1911-1983 Yeats, W. B. (William Butler), 1865-1939 Duke University. Capital Campaign for the Arts and Sciences. Duke University--Faculty. College teaching--United States. Authors, American--20th century--Correspondence. Women poets--United States--Biography. Women poets--Correspondence. American poetry--Women authors. United States--Intellectual life--20th century. Black-and-white photographs. Color photographs. Color slide. Black-and-white negatives. Audiocassette tape. Contents of Collection Accession March 1, 1982 1 Correspondence, 1978-1984

"Brenley," Magog, Canada, and Durham, NC

Accession April 30, 1984 1 Addresses and writings, ca. 1967 Clippings, 1978-1983 Heart and Home: A Memoir Accession 2001-0036

Some of the materials in this collection are not immediately accessible, because they require further processing before use. Technical Services staff need to reformat newspaper clippings; make use copy of audio cassette tape; resleeve photographs. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

1 Unidentified audio cassette tape Photographs (2 folders)

Includes 61 black and white photos, 5 color photos, 1 color slide, 2 black and white negatives. Photo subjects include Tennessee Williams, Fred Chappell, William Styron, Sean Devereaux, Wallace Fowlie, and William Blackburn (head shots and candid shots), and other unidentified authors and family members.

Letters received, 1973-1981 (1 folder)

Includes regular correspondence and catching up letters, invitations and travel plans, academic news, and condolence letters.

2 Letters received, 1973-1981 (3 folders)

Includes regular correspondence and catching up letters, invitations and travel plans, academic news, and condolence letters.

Letters received, 1973-1985 (2 folders)

Includes correspondence from Roma Blackburn's summers in Magog, a memorial article about William Blackburn, and information about a biography being written. Frequent correspondents include Reynolds Price and Wallace Fowlie.

Materials on the Blackburn Campaign (for scholarships) 1962-1984 Roma Blackburn's autobiography, p. 196-219 Testimonials and teaching - William Blackburn Letters from Wallace Fowlie to Roma Blackburn, 1973-1981 Story by Max Steele, mailed to Roma Blackburn 1980 Newspaper and magazine articles, 1972, 1983-1985 Accession 2012-0038 (1 box)

This accession requires further processing before use.

Correspondence 3Personal, 1962-1977 3Personal, 1968-1989 3Letters to Roma Blackburn from Blackburn family, 1972-1978 3Photographs Recordings 3William Styron reading Lie Down in Darkness(1 LP) William Blackburn 3Articles and clippings about William Blackburn 3Obituary notices 3Miscellaneous writings and notes 3Yeats research notes, drafts, and correspondence(2 folders)