Chimera papers

The Chimera papers document the publishing activities of a New York based "little magazine" between its inception in 1942 and its cessation in 1947. The papers span the years between 1943 and 195l, with the bulk covering the years of Barbara Howes's editorship, 1943-1947.

Housed in eight boxes, the collection is divided into three series: I. Correspondence; II. Business Papers; and III.Manuscript Submissions

Series I, Correspondence , is arranged alphabetically by author in Boxes 1-2. The correspondence covers the years 1943-1947 and includes notes and letters from notable authors and critics such as Jacques Barzun, R. P. Blackmur, Malcolm Cowley, Lawrence Durrell, Richard Eberhart, Wallace Fowlie, Randall Jarrell, Thomas Mann, Henry Miller, Marianne Moore, George Orwell, Henri Peyre, Dorothy Sayers, Wallace Stevens, Allen Tate, and Lionel Trilling. The letters are generally short and often discuss routine business matters such as subscriptions or manuscripts submitted to Chimera; many offer advice or praise.

More substantive letters are scattered throughout the collection. C. G. Wallis writes a lengthy letter-essay on June 15, 1943 on Philip Wheelwright and Kenneth Burke's positions on metaphysics and "knowing" in science and theology; in a letter of July 4, 1945 Louise Bogan discusses the esoteric in literature; and Henry Miller makes a plea for financial help for author-traveler George Dibbern. A letter from Edwin Seldon (Box 2, folder 75) discusses the poetry of Éluard; Francis Fergusson discusses the works of Paul Claudel; Enrique de Ezcurra (Box 1, folder 17) comments (in Spanish) on current Spanish literature; and Raymond Cook (Box 1, folder 13) comments on directions in recent Southern literature. Maria Jolas's letters refer to problems in translating Sartre.

First-hand accounts of conditions in post-war Europe can be found in letters from Elmer Diktonius (Box 1, folder 18), Allanah Harper, Lawrence Durrell, and Olivia Manning. Analyses of various characteristics and themes of detective fiction may be found in the letters of Alan Harrington (Box 1, folder 31), G. Robert Stange, Philip Van Doren Stern, and Hugh Wheeler ("Quentin Patrick") (Box 2, folder 96). Many letters comment on Chimera, but see especially those of Sherman Conrad (Box 1, folder 13), James Boyer May, John Nerber, Hardiman Scott (Box 2, folder 75), and John Stewart. Several letters by G. W. Van Vechten of Van Vechten Press discuss publication layouts, and letters to and from Chimera editors William Arrowsmith, David Newton, Fearon J. Brown, Frederick Morgan, and Ximena de Angulo reveal much about the editorial practices and problems of the journal.

Series II, Business Papers , is chronologically arranged in Boxes 3-6 and covers such areas as advertising and promotions, editorial papers, finances, invoices, printed material, and subscription papers.

Advertising and Promotions contain promotional correspondence with bookstores, libraries, newspapers, etc.; samples of promotional material from Chimera and other literary journals; and letters and order forms concerning advertising in Chimera and Chimera's advertising in other journals. Editorial Papers include editor's plans for contents and layouts of individual issues, a copy of Chimera's editorial policy by Barbara Howes (June, 1945), information on the significance of the journal's title and references to chimeras in literature, three newspaper articles on detective fiction, and a list of proof symbols used by Chimera editors.

Finances contain financial statements for Chimera, copies of printing bills, letters relating to financing, and a receipt book listing payments to contributors, 1946-1948. Invoices hold copies of invoices sent by Chimera to subscribers and consignees between 1943 and 1951. Printed Material contains copies of newspaper and magazine articles making reference to Chimera and "little magazines" in general, along with a brief biographical sketch of Barbara Howes. Subscription Papers cover the years 1942-1951 and contain lists of current and potential subscribers, purchase orders, and bills for subscriptions.

Series III, Manuscript Submissions (Boxes 7-8), contains typed copies of most of the poems, articles, stories, and reviews appearing in Chimera between Autumn, 1943 and Summer, 1947, most of them with corrections and suggested changes, presumably by Barbara Howes. Included also are some final page proofs for accepted contributions. The series concludes with two folders of manuscripts intended for future publication. Among the submissions in this series are poems by John Berryman, Babette Deutsch, Richard Eberhart, Pablo Neruda, Kenneth Patchen, and Peter Viereck; articles by Jacques Barzun, Louise Bogan, Hermann Broch, Kenneth Burke, Wallace Fowlie, C. G. Jung, Mario Praz, Paul Rosenfeld, Jean Wahl, and Marguerite Yourcenar; and stories by Alex Comfort and Philip Van Doren Stern. Brief biographical sketches are included for most of the authors. There is also some correspondence between editor and contributors relating to manuscript changes.