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Paul Potts Papers

 Collection — Box: Box 1
Identifier: MS156

Scope and Contents

The Paul Potts Papers consist of notebooks, letters, manuscripts, typescripts, and some photographs. The two notebooks range from 1946-1947 (approximately 275 pages) and include draft poems and prose, as well as articles and essays in different stages of completion. The notebooks also include sketches and lists of people, as well as a 13-page story about a "colonial" meeting and falling in love on a Hebridean ferry. Other writings contained here include "A Cook's Guide to Modern Poetry", "Basic Socialism", "On Being a Canadian", "All My Worldly Goods", "My Party Card", as well as several on Walt Whitman and one on his friend, George Orwell.

In addition to the notebooks, there is a file of manuscripts and typescripts which include writings on Ezra Pound, Walt Whitman, and additional Potts poems, essays, and book reviews. Items of note include letters from editors and friends, along with a three page letter written by Potts while at Orwell's Barnhill house on Jura, to an unknown recipient.

Three photographs are also included; two are portraits of Potts, while a third is of a small child, possibly George and Eileen Orwell's adopted son, Richard. This photograph is tucked inside the smaller of the two manuscript notebooks (folder 1).

One oversize folder contains a poster advertising Paul Potts' appearance at The Plough in Norwood Green, England, for "Poet's Pub", 22 February, 1939. Potts is described here as "One of the hick poets belonging to the plain people who work the Canadian prairie".

Dates

  • 1939-1948
  • Other: Date acquired: 11/30/2007

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations.

Extent

1 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Paul Potts (1911-1990) made his living during the 1930s selling leftist poems on the streets of London. His later poems include "Instead of a Sonnet" (1944), and "A Ballad for Britain on May Day" (1945); his best known prose work is the autobiographical "Dante Called You Beatrice" (1960). Potts' work regularly appeared in leading poetry magazines of the day, but despite this, Potts rapidly became disillusioned with poetry and eventually gave up publishing it at all. The Paul Potts Papers consist of notebooks, letters, manuscripts, typescripts, and some photographs. The two notebooks range from 1946-1947 (approximately 275 pages) and include draft poems and prose, as well as articles and essays in different stages of completion.

Arrangement

The Paul Potts papers are organized into: writings and letters; and other materials.

Source of Acquisition

Ahasuerus the Bookseller

Method of Acquisition

Purchase

Processing Information

Processed by Benn Joseph, June, 2009.

Title
Guide to the Paul Potts Papers
Author
Benn Joseph
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Library Details

Part of the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Deering Library, Level 3
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