MenuInventory of the Ken Wainio Papers, 1970-1999
Abstract
Ken Wainio (1952-2006) was an American surrealist author and poet based in San Francisco, California.
Collection includes manuscripts and drafts of many of Wainio's poems and writings, including his novel, Starfuck. Also includes his journals and diaries, published poetry and printed materials, some correspondence, snapshots, and other biographical information.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Creator
- Wainio, Ken.
- Title
- Ken Wainio Papers, 1970-1999
- Language of Material
- English
- Extent
- 9.4 Linear Feet, 7050 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The majority of the collection consists of drafts or manuscripts of Wainio's writings, which ranged from poetry to short stories to novels to plays. The condition of the drafts is fairly good, although many are incomplete or only excerpts of the text. There are many draft versions of Amorfos, Letters from Al-Kemi, and The Spiral Canyon, which was later published by New Native Press as Starfuck, Wainio's first novel. Small amounts of material exist for several poems, short stories, and plays.
The remainder of the Writings, Manuscripts, and Drafts series includes some of Wainio's published works, present in both broadside form as well as in journals or other serials. Of note are the several issues of Beatitude, edited by Wainio at one point, as well as two issues of Vanishing Cab, his own publication. Also in the series is a small amount of Wainio's artwork.
Another notable series is Wainio's Journals. There are over 30 present in the collection and they include diary entries, travel plans and notes, drafts of writings and poems, as well as sketches and artwork. They offer excellent insight into Wainio's thought process as an author, as well as his methods of writing.
The remainder of the collection contains correspondence, including a series of correspondence between Wainio and Thomas Rain Crowe; personal materials, including obituary information, some of Wainio's college papers, and other miscellaneous materials; and photographs, which are largely undated snapshots taken by Wainio during his travels through Greece and the United States.
Administrative Information
A majority of collections are stored off site and must be requested at least 24 business hours in advance for retrieval. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this 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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript 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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
Collapse All
Expand AllIncludes handwritten and typescript drafts of Wainio's poetry, prose, and plays. The largest amount of material is from his work on Starfuck and Amorfos. Also includes a small amount of his artwork; published versions of his poetry and prose; as well as some works published by others.
The Sprial Canyon was renamed to Starfuck. It is a novel published by New Native Press.
Journals, 1970s-1990s
Wainio's personal journals: bound volumes with his diaries, drafts, and artwork.
Majority of the correspondence consists of letters from Thomas Rain Crowe. Also includes miscellaneous incoming correspondence dating from the 1970s to the 1990s, as well as correspondence between Crowe and Wainio's friends and family following his death in 2006.
Includes obituary information, Wainio's numerology chart, some college papers, a statement on poetries, and other miscellaneous materials.
Photographs, undated
Color snapshots of Wainio or by Wainio, including portraits, scenery from various vacations and travels, and pictures of his friends and colleagues. Most are unlabelled and undated.
Historical Note
Ken Wainio was born in Ukiah, California, about two hours north of San Francisco, in 1952. He began to write at age fifteen--having been influenced by the writings of the French poets Lautreamont, Rimbaud, and Nerval. He moved to San Francisco at the beginning of the 1970s to study at San Francisco State University with the Greek surrealist poet Nanos Valaoritis, and met the American surrealist poets Philip Lamantia and Stephen Schwartz. A couple of years later, in an informal "poetry class" being conducted in the home of Harold Norse, he met Thomas Rain Crowe, Neeli Cherkovski and Luke Breit--along with whom he would later help to resurrect Beatitude magazine. Wainio was co-editor of issue No. 26 which appeared in 1977. During the 1970s, his poems were regularly published in Bay area literary magazines. With Jerry Estrin, Wainio was a founding editor of the surrealist publication Vanishing Cab. After driving a taxicab for the entire decade of the 1980s, he moved to Glenhaven, California. His travels took him to Greece and Egypt, where he spent considerable time in the 1980s and 1990s. His poems and fiction were published both in America and abroad in such journals as Nexus, Asheville Poetry Review, Litterature en Marche and Gregasin Montpellier, France. His books included Crossroads of the Other (written in the 1970s and published in 1994), Letters to Al-Kemi, Starfuck(a novel published on computer disk in 1996) and Automatic Antiquity(a collection of poetry published in 2004). Wainio died on January 26, 2006.
Biographical note source: The Baby Beats & The 2nd San Francisco Renaissance. New Native Press, 2005.
Subject Headings
Related Material
Ken Wainio was a friend of Thomas Rain Crowe, whose papers are also held by Duke Univeristy.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Ken Wainio Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The Ken Wainio Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2011.
Processing Information
Processed by Meghan Lyon, February 2011
Encoded by Meghan Lyon, February 2011
This collection is minimally processed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.