Karen J. Maj collection of Will Inman papers, 1989-2003
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Summary
- Creator:
- Maj, Karen J.
- Abstract:
- Collection comprises correspondence and poetry shared between Will Inman and Karen J. Maj, a student and collaborator of Inman while they were both living in Tucson, Arizona. The collection includes signed chapbooks by Inman, three issues of the poetry journal Laughing Dog Press, and information about the literary community in Tucson.
- Extent:
- 0.5 Linear Feet
- Language:
- Materials in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.11435
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection comprises correspondence and poetry shared between Will Inman and Karen J. Maj, a student and collaborator of Inman while they were both living in Tucson, Arizona. The collection includes signed chapbooks by Inman, three issues of the poetry journal Laughing Dog Press, and information about the literary community in Tucson.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Will Inman was a poet, essayist, editor, and publisher. He was born William Archibald McGirt, Jr. in Wilmington, North Carolina where his father, William A. McGirt, was in the insurance and real estate business and his mother, Delia E. McGirt (maiden name Inman), was a registered nurse. He attended Duke University, graduating with an A.B in 1943. After college, Inman worked as a union organizer for tobacco workers in North Carolina before moving to New York City in the late 1950s. He served as the Vice-president of Free University of New York in the mid 1960s. He has worked as an editor and publisher of various literary journals and has had his work published in numerous anthologies and literary journals as well as in individual volumes. His weekly column, Conchsound in the Hills, was published in the Franklin, PA News-Heraldin the 1960s. In addition to writing poetry, fiction, plays, and essays, Inman was also a prolific correspondent and diarist. He was active in numerous causes, including the War in Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement, gay rights, and various environmental issues. In 1956, he was questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee as to his relationship with the Communist Party. His activism continued into the 1990s; he led writing workshops in an Arizona State Prison, as well as teaching writing to the homeless in transition. Inman died October 3, 2009.
- Acquisition information:
- The Karen J. Maj collection of Will Inman papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from Karen J. Maj in 2017.
- Processing information:
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Processed by Laurin Penland, April 2017.
Accessions described in this collection guide: 2017-0057.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subjects:
- Poets, American -- Correspondence
- Names:
- Laughing Dog Press
Inman , Will, 1923-2009 - Places:
- Tucson (Ariz.)
Contents
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Using These Materials
- Restrictions:
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Collection is open for research.
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- Terms of access:
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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.
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- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Karen J. Maj collection of Will Inman papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.