All Series Level Scope and Content Notes

Scope and Contents Note

The collection holds a wide variety of materials.

Correspondence in the Meltzer Collection includes a number of letters to and from Hawley which provide an interesting insight into Oyez Press and its production of some of Meltzer's books.

Out of Meltzer's California experiences came the book, Rock Tao, Meltzer's personal reflection upon rock music of the sixties. Because the book required so many copyright permissions for song lyrics, it was never published; drafts, galleys, and other material toward Rock Tao form an integral part of Washington University's Meltzer collection.

In addition to writing numerous collections of poetry, Meltzer has edited a number of anthologies and the significant collection of interviews, The San Francisco Poets (1971). The book consists of interviews, poetry, and bibliographies of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Rexroth, Lew Welch, Michael McClure, Richard Brautigan, and William Everson. Material toward this collection, including correspondence, manuscripts, editorial material and the interview audiotapes, comprise about a third of the Meltzer Papers.

Also included in the Meltzer Papers are manuscripts and editorial matter toward several of Meltzer's other publications including Yesod (1969) and Letters & Numbers (1970), as well as various Meltzer essays and columns for the Los Angles Free Press.


Consists of personal and professional correspondence including a large number of letters from Meltzer to the American bookseller Henry Wenning.


Consists of correspondence, notes, drafts of introduction by Meltzer, drafts of transcribed interviews, and 10 reel-to-reel audiotapes of interviews toward The San Francisco Poets, later revised and reprinted as Golden Gate (Berkeley: Wingbow Press, 1976).


Consists of correspondence (1969-1970) to and from Meltzer relating to The San Francisco Poets, notes by Meltzer, and a proof of the cover for the book.


Consists of drafts, notes, clippings, galley proofs, publisher's mock-up of book, and TNS from Meltzer which identifies the various materials.


Consists of drafts, notes, clippings, fragments, and drawings toward Rock Tao.


Consists of publisher's mock-up of manuscript with some editorial markings and includes TNS by Meltzer describing contents.


Consists of 3 sets of galley proofs with extensive editorial markings. Filed in galley case.


Consists of material toward Greenspeech, (Goleta, CA: Christopher Books, 1970) including drafts of poems and author's notes.


Consists of 3 drafts toward Isla Vista Notes (Goleta, CA: Christopher Books, 1970).


Consists of material toward Letters and Numbers(Berkeley: Oyez Press, 1970)including drafts of poems, fragments, and drawings.


Consists of drafts of poems for Round the Poem Box, (Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1969).


Consists of drafts, one signed by Meltzer, of the poem, Yehudal. A portion of the poem was published in The Aldebaran Review,2.


Consists of drafts of poems for Yesod, five TNS and drawings by Meltzer, galley proofs and partial page proofs toward Yesod(London: Trigram Press,


Consists of various drafts of published and unpublished essays for Meltzer's column under the title Green Atom, for the Los Angeles Free Press, 1969. Also included are several logo designs for the column.


Consists of Ts notes and partial drafts of essay on Kenneth Patchen for Contemporary Poets of the English Language (London: St. James Press, 1970).


Consists of a photograph of Meltzer, postcard, flyer, 4 issues of Poetry Workshop Notesand a poster for a reading by Meltzer which is filed in Oversize.