Ashbery, John, 1927-2017

Variant names

Hide Profile

American poet and editor of Art & Literature.

From the description of The Tennis Court Oath galley proof, 1961. (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC); University of Texas at Austin). WorldCat record id: 122685058

The letters cover a span starting two days after Ashbery and Gregg graduated from Deerfield Academy, and continue through the following summers and during a period of time when Gregg was drafted into the Army and served in postwar Europe, while Ashbery was still a student at Harvard.

Gregg was a friend of Ashbery's at Deerfield Academy and a classmate his first year at Harvard.

From the description of John Ashbery letters to Richard A. "Sandy" Gregg and other papers, 1945-1947. (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 612873384

John Lawrence Ashbery (28 July 1927 – 3 September 2017), was an American poet, art critic, and occasional film critic. He was born in Rochester, New York, and raised on a farm near Lake Ontario. Ashbery was educated at Deerfield Academy where he began writing poetry. His first ambition was to be a painter: from age 11 to 15, he took weekly classes at the art museum in Rochester.

Ashbery earned degrees from Harvard (1949) and Columbia. At Harvard, he began life-long friendships with fellow poets Frank O’Hara, Kenneth Koch, Barbara Guest, and Robert Creeley. He went to France as a Fulbright Scholar in 1955, living there for much of the next decade. He lived during this time with the French poet Pierre Martory whose books Ashbery translated. He also translated works of Arthur Rimbaud, Max Jacob, Pierre Reverdy, and many titles by Raymond Roussel. Ashbery worked with dozens of composers over the years including Elliott Carter, Ned Rorem, and Eric Salzman.

He was the issue editor of a double issue (numbers 3-4) of Locus Solus (1961-1962), served as executive editor of Art News (1966-1972), as art critic for New York magazine and Newsweek, and occasionally as a film critic. His collages are represented by Tibor de Nagy Gallery (New York). He taught for many years at Brooklyn College (CUNY) and Bard College, and in 1989-1990 delivered the Charles Eliot Norton lectures at Harvard (2000). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (receiving its Gold Medal for Poetry in 1997) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he was a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 1988 to 1999.

The winner of many national and international prizes, appointments, and awards, he received two Guggenheim Fellowships and was a MacArthur Fellow from 1985 to 1990. He was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation (2011), the National Humanities Medal presented by President Obama at the White House (2012), and the Bollingen Prize. Harvard, among a number of institutions, awarded Ashbery an honorary degree (2001); it also awarded him the Harvard Arts Medal (2009) and the Signet Society’s Medal for Achievement in the Arts. The Harvard Film Archive honored him in a 2009 series, “John Ashbery at the Movies”.

An early book by Ashbery, Some Trees (1956), was selected by W.H. Auden for the Yale Younger Poets Series. Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (1975) won three major American prizes: the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Ashbery’s many collections of poetry include Commotion of the Birds (2016), Breezeway (2015), Quick Question (2012), Planisphere (2009) and Notes from the Air: Selected Later Poems (2007), which was awarded the 2008 International Griffin Poetry Prize. The Library of America published the first volume of his collected poems in 2008 and the second in 2017. A two-volume set of his collected translations from the French (poetry and prose) was published in 2014. His own work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

Ashbery lived in New York City and Hudson, New York, with his husband, David Kermani. He died of natural causes on September 3, 2017, at his home in Hudson.

[From: Ashbery, John, 1914-2017. John Ashbery papers, circa 1927-2018 (MS Am 3189): Guide. Houghton Library, Harvard University]
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Hopwood Awards Collection, 1930- University of Michigan
creatorOf Allen, Donald, 1912-2004. Donald Allen collection, 1930-2005. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Henry Nash Smith Papers, 1927-1986 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Lieberman, Laurence. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1972-1998. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Jane Freilicher papers, 1945-1995. Houghton Library
referencedIn Amichai, Yehuda. Yehuda Amichai papers, 1929-1999. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Reminiscences of John Ashbery : oral history, 1974. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Ashbery, John. Collection of John Ashbery ephemera. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Holden, Jonathan. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1977-1987. University of Pennsylvania Library
referencedIn American Review records, 1967-1977 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Cornell University. Creative Writing Program. Creative Writing Program broadsides, 2003-2010. Cornell University Library
creatorOf Ashbery, John. The Tennis Court Oath galley proof, 1961. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Stewart, Susan, 1952-. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1977-1993. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Harmon, William, 1938-. William Harmon papers, 1939-2000 (correspondents A). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Amid mounting evidence : typescript signed with autograph corrections : [New York], 1986 Dec. 2. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn Harper's Magazine Records, 1847-1983, (bulk 1940-1983) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Koch, Kenneth, 1925-2002. Kenneth Koch papers, ca. 1939-1995. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Paul Auster Papers The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. John Ashbery letters to Richard A. "Sandy" Gregg and other papers, 1945-1947. Houghton Library
referencedIn Yevtushenko, Yevgeny Aleksandrovich, 1933-. Papers, ca. 1920-1999, ca. 1945-1997 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Insect Trust Gazette. Manuscripts-Correspondence, 1963-1968. Temple University Libraries, Paley Library
creatorOf Klein, Joseph. 3 haiku : after John Ashbery, for mezzo-soprano and percussion (1989) / Joseph Klein. University of North Texas Library, UNT
creatorOf Hickman, Leland. Papers, 1950-1991. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Garrett, George, 1929-2008. Papers of George Garrett [manuscript], 1989-1990. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn George P. Garrett Papers, 1929-2008, (bulk 1960-2000) David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn Evans, Cynthia. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1977. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn First Poems of American Poets. First Poems of American Poets records, 1969-1970. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Stephen Sandy letters from poets, 1954-1988. Houghton Library
referencedIn Ashbery, John Lawrence, 1927- : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Poets' Theatre (Cambridge, Mass.) records Houghton Library
referencedIn Ted Berrigan Papers, 1963-1964 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Nell Blaine papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Woodberry Poetry Room (Harvard College Library) poetry readings, 1931- (ongoing). Woodberry Poetry Room, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn C: A Journal of Poetry, Archive, ca. 1955-1966 (Bulk 1964-1966) Fales Library & Special Collections
referencedIn Parnassus: poetry in review records, 1971-1996 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Hardwick, Elizabeth. Papers, 1934-1991 (bulk 1960-1990). Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Elizabeth Bishop Papers Vassar College
referencedIn James Tate Papers TXRC05-A10003., 1944-1998 (bulk 1962-1998) Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Schuyler, James. Papers, 1947-1991. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
creatorOf Carter, Elliott, 1908-. Syringa : for mezzo-soprano, bass, guitar, alto flute, English horn, bass clarinet (also B♭ clar.), trombone (ten.-bass), percussion (one player), violin, viola, 'cello, bass, piano / Elliott Carter ; English poem by John Ashbery ; texts in Classical Greek by Sappho, Ibycos, Mimnermus, and others chosen by the composer. University of North Texas Library, UNT
creatorOf Moramarco, Fred S., 1938-. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1970-1983. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Harvard Film Archive Visiting Directors Audio Collection, 2008. Harvard Film Archive, Fine Arts Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Irma Hurley papers, ca. 1958-1961. Houghton Library
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Correspondence to Edward F. Fry, 1975-1976. University of Pennsylvania Library
creatorOf Carter, Elliott, 1908-. Syringa : for mezzo-soprano, bass, guitar, alto flute, English horn, bass clarinet (also B♭ clar.), trombone, percussion (one player), violin, viola, 'cello, bass, piano / [music by] Elliott Carter ; English poem by John Ashbery ; texts in Classical Greek by Sappho, Ibycus, Mimnermus, and others chosen by the composer. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Poems, [ca.1950-1964]. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
referencedIn Rochelle Owens Papers, 1900-1997 Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Irma Hurley papers, ca. 1958-1961. Houghton Library
creatorOf Carter, Elliott, 1908-. Syringa / Elliott Carter ; poem by John Ashbery ; Greek by Hesiod, Sappho, Mimnermus, Plato, Ibycus, Homer, Orpheus. University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music, Sibley Music Library
referencedIn Larry Fagin Papers., n.d., 1958-1977. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
creatorOf Aldan, Daisy. Papers, 1946-1966. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Hanuman books. Hanuman books records, 1978-1996, (bulk 1986-1994). University of Michigan
referencedIn James Lord papers, 1917-2003, 1946-2003 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf William Corbett collection, 1968-2003 Ohio State University Libraries
referencedIn Diane Di Prima Papers, 1948-1971 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Eye and Ear Theater Archive, 1979-1996 (Bulk ) Fales Library & Special Collections
referencedIn New Yorker records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Brainard, Joe, 1942-1994. Joe Brainard letters, 1957-1994. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Ron Padgett papers, 1929-2008 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Eshleman, Clayton. Papers, 1958-1993. University of California, San Diego, UC San Diego Library; UCSD Library
referencedIn Dashow, James. Second voyage : for tenor with electronic accompaniment / James Dashow ; text by John Ashberry. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Aram Saroyan Papers., undated, 1950-1977. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Clayton Eshleman Papers, 1958 - 1993 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
referencedIn Poets' Theatre (Cambridge, Mass.). Records of the Poets' Theatre, 1950-1968 (inclusive), 1951-1958 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Dashow, James. Second voyage : for tenor voice solo with electronic accompaniment / [music by] James Dashow ; text : Voyage in the blue by John Ashbery. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1914-2017. John Ashbery papers, circa 1927-2018 (MS Am 3189). Houghton Library, Harvard University. Houghton Library
referencedIn Richard Miller archive for the Tiber Press poetry series by Ashbery, Koch, O'Hara, and Schuyler, ca. 1955-1975. Houghton Library
referencedIn Perloff, Marjorie. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1977-1987. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Poetry mss., 1954-2002 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Joe Brainard Letters, 1957-1994 Mandeville Special Collections Library
referencedIn Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996. Nell Blaine diaries and correspondence, ca. 1947-2002. Houghton Library
creatorOf Palaemon Press (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Editorial archive, 1974-1984. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
referencedIn Living Theatre records, 1945-1991 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Lowenfels, Walter, 1897-1976. Papers, 1966-1967. Washington University in St. Louis, .
creatorOf Michael Gizzi papers, Gizzi (Michael) Papers, circa 1940-2010 John Hay Library, Special Collections
referencedIn John Hollander Papers, circa 1950-2007 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Papers, ca. 1927-1987. Houghton Library
referencedIn Frank O'Hara collection of papers, 1955-1966 The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.
referencedIn Yehuda Amichai papers, 1929-1999 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Updike, John. [Broadside collection]. Hollins University, Wyndham Robertson Library
creatorOf Carroll, Donald, 1940-. Donald Carroll letters received from poets, 1959-1969. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Millicent Dillon Papers TXRC92-A25., 1905-1990 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Kenneth Koch papers, ca. 1939-1995 The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.
referencedIn Ecco Press records, 1963-1996 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn John Taggart Papers, 1962-2002 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
referencedIn (Everett) Leroi Jones (aka Amiri Baraka) Papers, 1957-1965 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Ecco Press. Ecco Press records, 1963-1996. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Leland Hickman Papers, 1950-1991 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
creatorOf Tate, James, 1943-. James Tate Papers, 1944-1998 (bulk 1962-1998). Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Bertolino, James, 1942-. Papers, 1968-1980. Ohio University, Alden Library
referencedIn Fink, Thomas A. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1987. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Ashbery, John Lawrence. Three novels of Henry Green. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Di Piero, W. S. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1973-1976. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Gizzi, Michael. Michael Gizzi Papers circa 1940-2010 Brown University, Brown University Library
referencedIn Gerard Malanga Papers, 1944-1971 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Amid mounting evidence : typescript signed with autograph corrections : [New York], 1986 Dec. 2. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn William Harmon Papers (#4568), 1939-2000 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
creatorOf Miller, Richard. Richard Miller archive for the Tiber Press poetry series by Ashbery, Koch, O'Hara, and Schuyler, ca. 1955-1975. Houghton Library
creatorOf Anne Waldman Papers (1945-2012, bulk 1965-2000) University of Michigan
referencedIn New Directions Publishing records Houghton Library
referencedIn Grand Street Publications, Inc. Grand Street Publications editorial files, 1981-1990. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Boyle, Kay, 1902-1992. Kay Boyle letters and poems, 1935-1975. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Freilicher, Jane, 1924-. Jane Freilicher papers, 1945-1995. Houghton Library
creatorOf Ashbery, John, 1927-. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 1972-1995. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn James Schuyler Papers, 1947-1991 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
referencedIn Owens, Rochelle. Papers, 1900-1997. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Books & Co. records, 1978-1997 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Babbitt, Milton, 1916-2011. No longer very clear (1994) / music by Milton Babbitt ; poem by John Ashbery. Manhattan School of Music, Peter Jay Sharp Library
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Oral history interview with Jane Freilicher Archives of American Art
Relation Name
associatedWith Aldan, Daisy. person
associatedWith Allen, Donald, 1912-2004. person
associatedWith American Review corporateBody
associatedWith Amichai, Yehuda. person
associatedWith Amichai, Yehuda. person
associatedWith Angel, Ralph, 1951- person
associatedWith Auster, Paul, 1947- person
associatedWith Babbitt, Milton, 1916-2011. person
associatedWith Baraka, Amiri, 1934- person
associatedWith Berrigan, Ted person
associatedWith Bertolino, James, 1942- person
associatedWith Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979. person
associatedWith Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996. person
associatedWith Books & Co corporateBody
associatedWith Boyle, Kay, 1902-1992. person
associatedWith Brainard, Joe, 1942-1994. person
associatedWith Campbell, Virginia. person
associatedWith Carroll, Donald, 1940- person
associatedWith Carter, Elliott, 1908- person
associatedWith Clary, Killarney. person
associatedWith Coolidge, Clark, 1939- person
associatedWith Corbett, Bill person
associatedWith Corbett, William, 1942- person
associatedWith Cornell University. Creative Writing Program. corporateBody
associatedWith Dashow, James. person
associatedWith Dillon, Millicent 1925- person
associatedWith Di Piero, W. S. person
associatedWith Di Prima, Diane, Archives person
associatedWith Ecco Press. corporateBody
associatedWith Eshleman, Clayton. person
associatedWith Evans, Cynthia. person
correspondedWith Fagin, Larry. person
associatedWith Farewell, Patricia. person
associatedWith Fink, Thomas A. person
associatedWith First Poems of American Poets. corporateBody
associatedWith Freilicher, Jane, 1924- person
associatedWith Garrett, George, 1929-2008. person
associatedWith Gilfillan, Merrill, 1945- person
associatedWith Gizzi, Barbieo Barros person
associatedWith Gizzi, Michael. person
associatedWith Gizzi, Peter person
associatedWith Grand Street Publications, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Gregg, Richard A. person
associatedWith Hanuman books. corporateBody
associatedWith Hardwick, Elizabeth. person
associatedWith Harmon, William, 1938- person
associatedWith Harper's Magazine corporateBody
associatedWith Henry, Gerrit. person
associatedWith Hickman, Leland. person
associatedWith Holden, Jonathan. person
associatedWith Hollander, John. person
associatedWith Hurley, Irma, 1929-2009 person
associatedWith Insect Trust Gazette. corporateBody
associatedWith Kermani, David K., person
associatedWith Klein, Joseph. person
associatedWith Koch, Kenneth, 1925-2002. person
associatedWith Labrie, Ross. person
associatedWith Lieberman, Laurence. person
associatedWith Living Theatre (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Lord, James. person
correspondedWith Lowenfels, Walter, 1897-1976. person
associatedWith Malanga, Gerard. person
associatedWith Martory, Pierre. person
associatedWith Mayer, Bernadette person
correspondedWith Miller, Richard. person
associatedWith Miller, Richard. person
associatedWith Modern Poetry Association corporateBody
associatedWith Moramarco, Fred S., 1938- person
correspondedWith New Directions Publishing Corp. corporateBody
correspondedWith New Yorker Magazine, Inc corporateBody
associatedWith O'Hara, Frank, 1926-1966 person
associatedWith Owens, Rochelle. person
associatedWith Padgett, Ron, 1942- person
associatedWith Palaemon Press (Winston-Salem, N.C.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Parnassus: poetry in review corporateBody
associatedWith Perloff, Marjorie. person
associatedWith Poets' Theatre (Cambridge, Mass.) corporateBody
associatedWith Qua Books. corporateBody
associatedWith Rosenberg, Chuck. person
correspondedWith Sandy, Stephen, recipient. person
correspondedWith Saroyan, Aram. person
correspondedWith Schuyler, James person
associatedWith Schuyler, James. person
associatedWith Smith, Henry Nash person
associatedWith Stanley, George, 1934- person
associatedWith Stewart, Susan, 1952- person
correspondedWith Taggart, John, 1942- person
associatedWith Tate, James, 1943- person
associatedWith Waldman, Anne, 1945-. person
associatedWith Waldrop, Keith person
associatedWith Waldrop, Rosemarie person
associatedWith Watson, Craig, 1950- person
associatedWith Wolf, Leslie. person
associatedWith Woodberry Poetry Room (Harvard College Library). corporateBody
associatedWith Yevtushenko, Yevgeny person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Rochester NY US
Hudson NY US
New York City NY US
Subject
American poetry
American poetry
Poets
Poets
Occupation
Publishers and publishing
Authors
Poets
Translator
Activity

Person

Birth 1927-07-28

Death 2017-09-03

Male

Americans

French,

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6524ppt

Ark ID: w6524ppt

SNAC ID: 85551714