Guide to the Harvey Breit Correspondence, 1940-1965
Collection Summary
Collection Title: Harvey Breit Correspondence, Span Dates: 1940-1965, Bulk Dates: 1945-1955
Call number/identifier: Manuscript Series I
Origination: Harvey Breit, 1909-1968. Harvey Breit, 1909-1968, corresponded with various authors during his career as a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review from 1940-1965. This collection contains more than two hundred pages of correspondence from fifty-six of them.
Extent: 1 box, 0.4 linear feet
Note:
Correspondence to Harvey Breit consists of approximately 225 pages from fifty-six authors.
Languages: All the letters in this collection are written in English.
Repository: Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections
Abstract: Harvey Breit, poet, playwright, and interviewer, was a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review from 1940-1965. This collection consists of more than 225 pages of correspondence sent to Breit during this period by more than fifty authors and public figures.
Subjects
Note:
The following individuals all have correspondence in the Harvey Breit Correspondence collection.
Aiken, Conrad, 1889-1973
Algren, Nelson, 1909-
Auden, W.H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973
Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971
Auslander, Joseph, 1897-
Baldwin, Faith, 1893-
Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979
Bishop, John Peale, 1892-1944
Blackmur, Richard P., 1904-1965
Bogan, Louise, 1897-1970
Bourke-White, Margaret, 1904-1971
Bradbury, Ray, 1920-
Breit, Harvey
Byrne, John Francis, 1880-
Cousins, Norman, 1912-
Daniels, Jonathan, 1902-
Durante, Jimmy
Edman, Irwin, 1896-1954
Eliot, T.S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965
Faulkner, William, 1897-1962
Fitts, Dudley, 1903-
Forster, E.M. (Edward Morgan), 1879-1970
Greene, Graham, 1904-
Jarrell, Randall, 1914-1965
Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968
Koestler, Arthur, 1905-
Lerner, Max, 1902-
Miller, Henry, 1891-
Mizener, Arthur, 1907-
Moore, Marianne, 1887-1972
Morris, Wright, 1910-
Olson, Charles, 1910-1970
O'Faolain, Sean, 1900-
Patchen, Kenneth, 1911-1972
Perry, Ralph Barton, 1876-1957
Porter, Katherine Anne, 1890-1980
Potter, Stephen, 1900-1969
Rickey, Wesley Branch, 1881-1965
Rodgers, Dorothy, 1909-
Rosenfeld, Paul, 1890-1946
Ross, Nancy Wilson, 1901-1986
Roth, Lillian, 1910-
Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967
Schwartz, Delmore, 1913-1966
Sender, Ramon Jose, 1901-
Snow, C.P. (Charles Percy), 1905-
Spencer, Theodore, 1902-1949
Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968
Stevens, Wallace, 1879-1955
Taylor, Harold, 1914-
Thirkell, Angela, 1890-1961
Thurber, James, 1894-1961
Warren, Robert Penn, 1905-
Westcott, Glenway, 1901-1987
Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963
Wilson, Edmund, 1895-1972
Woodburn, John
Administrative Information
Provenance
This collection of correspondence to Harvey Breit was acquired by the McCormick Library of Special Collections from the firm of Hamill & Barker in the early 1970s.
Restrictions
Available for research. Copyright for materials resides with the literary executors of individual letters. All users must comply with federal copyright regulations.
Preferred Citation
Harvey Breit Correspondence, 1940-1965, Manuscript Series I, Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections, Northwestern University Library.
Abstract: Harvey Breit, poet, playwright, and interviewer, was a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review from 1940-1965. This collection consists of more than 225 pages of correspondence sent to Breit during this period by more than fifty authors and public figures.
Biographical History
Harvey Breit, 1909-1968, poet, playwright, and interviewer, was a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review from 1940-1965. He published a series of interviews with various authors in the Book Review which was collected as The Writer Observed (London, 1957). He also wrote book reviews for Poetry magazine and other journals.
Scope and Content note
This collection of more than 225 pages of correspondence sent to reviewer Harvey Breit between 1940 and 1965 includes letters and some manuscripts from more than fifty literary and political figures of the mid-twentieth century. Most entries consist of only one or two letters, but more frequent correspondents include W.H. Auden, Dudley Fitts, Marianne Moore, Katherine Anne Porter, C.P. Snow, Wallace Stevens, and William Carlos Williams. John Steinbeck's file includes the typescript of an article he intended to send to the Saturday Review. William Carlos Williams, Louis Armstrong, and W.H. Auden files also include some manuscript material.
Arrangement
All materials are arranged alphabetically by author.
Description of Contents
Aiken, Conrad. 1p. [ Folder 1 ]
1953.
Algren, Nelson. 2 letters, 2 postcards. 5pp. [ Folder 2 ]
1949-1955.
Auden, W.H. 2 book reviews. 11pp. [ Folder 3 ]
Note: Reviews of Five Novels by Ronald Firbank and An Acre in the Seed by Theodore Spencer. n.d.
Armstrong, Louis. Corrected review of Mr. Jelly Roll. 3pp. [ Folder 4 ]
1950.
Auslander, Joseph. 1p. [ Folder 5 ]
1956.
Baldwin, Faith. 4pp. [ Folder 6 ]
n.d.
Bishop, Elizabeth. 1p. [ Folder 7 ]
1956.
Bishop, John Peale. 2pp. [ Folder 8 ]
1940.
Blackmur, Richard P. 1p. [ Folder 9 ]
n.d.
Bogan, Louise. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 10 ]
1945-1948.
Bourke-White, Margaret. 1p. [ Folder 11 ]
n.d.
Bradbury, Ray. 1p. [ Folder 12 ]
1954.
Byrne, John Francis. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 13 ]
1952.
Cousins, Norman. 1p. [ Folder 14 ]
1951.
Daniels, Jonathan. 1p. [ Folder 15 ]
1950.
Durante, Jimmy. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 16 ]
1948.
Edman, Irwin. 1p. [ Folder 17 ]
1950.
Eliot, T.S. 1p. [ Folder 18 ]
1956.
Faulkner, William. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 19 ]
1950.
Fitts, Dudley. 10 letters, postcard. 11pp. [ Folder 20 ]
1943-1951.
Forster, E.M. letter, postcard. 2pp. [ Folder 21 ]
1948-1949.
Greene, Henry. 1p. [ Folder 22 ]
1952.
Jarrell, Randall. 5 letters. 10pp. [ Folder 23 ]
1954.
Kennedy, Robert F. 1p. [ Folder 24 ]
1965.
Koestler, Arthur. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 25 ]
1951.
Lerner, Max. 1p. [ Folder 26 ]
1956.
Miller, Henry. 6 letters, 3 postcards. 13pp. [ Folder 27 ]
1943-1964.
Mizener, Arthur. 1p. [ Folder 28 ]
1951.
Moore, Marianne. 8 letters. 11pp. [ Folder 29 ]
1947-1956.
Morris, Wright. 1p. [ Folder 30 ]
n.d.
Olson, Charles. 1p. [ Folder 31 ]
1947.
O'Faolain, Sean. 2 letters. 4pp. [ Folder 32 ]
n.d.
Patchen, Kenneth. 1p. [ Folder 33 ]
Note: Includes watercolor drawing and decorated envelope. 1960.
Perry, Ralph Barton. 1p. [ Folder 34 ]
1951.
Porter, Katherine Anne. 12 letters, photograph. 20pp. [ Folder 35 ]
1941-1956.
Potter, Stephen. 1p. [ Folder 36 ]
1951.
Rickey, Branch. 1p. [ Folder 37 ]
1943.
Rodgers, Dorothy. 2pp. [ Folder 38 ]
n.d.
Rosenfeld, Paul. 1p. [ Folder 39 ]
1942.
Ross, Nancy Wilson. 1p. [ Folder 40 ]
1949.
Roth, Lillian. 1p. [ Folder 41 ]
1954.
Sandburg, Carl. 3 letters. 3pp. [ Folder 42 ]
1961.
Schwartz, Delmore. 1p. [ Folder 43 ]
1955.
Sender, Ramon. 1p. [ Folder 44 ]
1949.
Snow, C.P. 3 letters. 8pp. [ Folder 45 ]
1954-1958.
Spencer, Theodore. Letter, postcard. 2pp. [ Folder 46 ]
1946-1947.
Steinbeck, John. 2 letters, typescript. 7pp. [ Folder 47 ]
Note: Letter describes typescript as "bloodchilling little parlor game" to be sent to the Saturday Review. 1957.
Stevens, Wallace. 5 letters. 6pp. [ Folder 48 ]
1941-1951.
Taylor, Harold. 1p. [ Folder 49 ]
1949.
Thirkell, Angela. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 50 ]
1949.
Thurber, James. 4 letters. 7pp. [ Folder 51 ]
1949-1954.
Warren, Robert Penn. 2 letters. 2pp. [ Folder 52 ]
1955, 1957.
Westcott, Glenway. 1p. [ Folder 53 ]
1950.
Williams, William Carlos. 11 letters. 18pp. 2 typescripts. 9pp. [ Folder 54 ]
1940-1954.
Wilson, Edmund. 1p. [ Folder 55 ]
1953.
Woodburn, John. 1p. [ Folder 56 ]
1951.
