Collection Summary
John Updike Papers
1962-1969
1962-1969
MSS43729
Updike,
John
166 items
7 containers
2.6 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Novelist, short story
writer, and poet. Correspondence, galley proofs, plate proof, photographs,
typescripts, notes, book covers, and poems. Included are drafts and other
material for his novels
The Centaur,
Of the Farm, and
The Poorhouse Fair, as well as poems, many of which were
published in the
New Yorker.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Updike, John.
Updike, John. Centaur. 1963.
Updike, John. Midpoint, and other poems. 1969.
Updike, John. Of the farm. 1965.
Updike, John. Poorhouse fair. 1958.
Subjects
American literature.
American poetry.
Titles
New Yorker.
Occupations
Authors.
Poets.
Provenance
The papers of John Updike, novelist, short story writer, and poet,
were given to the Library of Congress by Updike, 1964-1970.
Processing History
The papers of John Updike were arranged with a preliminary
description in 1979. The collection was rehoused and described in 2003.
Other Repositories
A collection of Updike papers is also located at the Houghton Library
of Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of John Updike is
governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of John Updike are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, John Updike Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1932, March 18
Born, Shillington, Pa.
1954
A.B., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
1954
1955
Attended Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford
University, England
1957
Published first novel
The Poorhouse Fair
. New York: Knopf
1963
National Book Award in fiction for
The Centaur
. New York: Knopf
1981
Pulitzer Prize for fiction for
The Rabbit Is Rich
. New York: Knopf
1990
Pulitzer Prize for fiction for
The Rabbit at Rest
. New York: Knopf
Scope and Content Note
The papers of John Updike, novelist, short story writer, and poet,
span the years 1962-1969. The collection consists of correspondence, galley
proofs, plate proof, photographs, typescripts, notes, book covers, poems, and
other material. Included are drafts and other material for his novels
The Centaur
,
Of the Farm
and
The Poorhouse Fair
, and drafts for the poetry anthology
Midpoint and Other Poems
. There is an additional group of
poems, many of which were published in the
New Yorker
. Correspondence relates chiefly to the
publications of Updike's works.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm82043729]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Book file
1
The Centaur
1
Galley proof
(3
folders)
1
Notes and memoranda
(6
folders)
1
Plate proof
1
Setting manuscript
1
Original
(2
folders)
2
(4 folders)
2
Preservation copy
(2
folders)
2
Working manuscript
(3
folders)
3
(5 folders)
3
The Midpoint and Other Poems
3
Author’s proof
3
Draft
(2
folders)
3
Photoprints
3
Of the Farm
3
Book jacket
3
Draft
(2
folders)
4
(5 folders)
4
Galley proof
(3
folders)
4
Miscellany
(3
folders)
4
Printer’s copy
5
Setting copy
(5
folders)
5
The Poorhouse Fair
5
Author’s final typescript
(3
folders)
5
Designer’s copy
(3
folders)
5
Galley proof
(2
folders)
6
Notes and discarded sheets
(3
folders)
6
Typist’s transcript
(4
folders)
6
Miscellaneous writings
6
Introduction of John Barth,
1968
1968
6
"Sermon on Woman,"
1964
1964
6
Poems
6
“Air Show,”
1966
1966
6
“Airport,”
undated
undated
6
“The Amish,”
1966
1966
6
“The Amoeba,”
1966
1966
6
“The Angels,”
1966
1966
6
“Antiqua,”
1967
1967
6
“The Average Egyptian Faces
Death,”
undated
undated
6
“Azores,”
undated
undated
6
“Camera,”
undated
undated
6
“Conclusion,”
undated
undated
6
“The Dance of the Solids,”
undated
undated
6
“Decor,”
1965
1965
6
“Dog's Death,”
undated
undated
6
“Dream Objects,”
undated
undated
6
“Exposé,”
1965
1965
6
“Fairwell to the Shopping
District of Antibes,”
1965
1965
6
“Fellatio,”
undated
undated
6
“Fireworks,”
1964
1964
6
“Home Movies,”
undated
undated
6
“In Extremis,”
1966
1966
6
“Lamplight,”
1964
1964
6
“Midpoint,”
undated
undated
7
“Miss Moore at Assembly,”
1965
1965
7
“My Children at the Dump at
Ipswich,”
1963
1963
7
“The Naked Ape,”
undated
undated
7
“Omega,”
1967
1967
7
“On the Inclusion of Miniature
Dinosaurs in Breakfast Cereal Boxes,”
undated
undated
7
“The Origin of Laughter,”
undated
undated
7
“Poem for a Far Land,”
undated
undated
7
“Pompeii,”
undated
undated
7
“Postcards from Soviet
Cities,”
1965
1965
7
“Roman Portrait Busts,”
1965
1965
7
“Sea Knell,”
1964
1964
7
“Seal In Nature,”
1966
1966
7
“Some Frenchmen,”
1963
1963
7
“Subway Love,”
1967
1967
7
“Sunlamp,”
1965
1965
7
“Sunshine on Sandstone,”
1965
1965
7
“Topsfield Fair,”
undated
undated
7
“Vow,”
undated
undated
7
“Washington,”
undated
undated