May Swenson and Elizabeth Bishop
Correspondence
Born in Logan, Utah on May 28, 1913, Anna Thilda May Swenson, later known only as May for her birth month, began writing
early in her life and continued her passion for writing by being active in The Scribble at Utah State University, where
she completed a bachelor of science degree in 1934. Shortly thereafter, Swenson moved to New York City, where she would futher develop her craft
while paying her bills by working odd jobs, including condensing and editing the autobiography of Anzia Yezierska a Polish Jew perhaps most well-known
for her novel Bread Givers. Along with Yezierska and many other authors, Swenson survived the Great Depression by working for the
Federal Writers' Project. While in New York, May lived in Greenwich Village, eventually moving to an apartment on Perry Street.
Having chosen the life of an author and in order to continue her craft, in 1950, Swenson went to Yaddo, an artists' colony in Saratoga Springs, New York.
While there, she met Elizabeth Bishop. The two mid-twentieth century American poets began to exchange letters at that time, a correspondence that lasted until
Bishop's death in 1979. Washington University Special Collections houses 267 of these letters, only a select few, mostly pertaining to the co-authoring
of "Dear Elizabeth," are available here.
Selected Images and Transcriptions of Correspondence between
May Swenson and Elizabeth Bishop
Page one of a letter dated June 4, 1958 from
Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop critiques
Swenson's poetry.
Transcription
Page two of a letter dated June 4, 1958 from
Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop critiques
Swenson's poetry.
Transcription
Page three of a letter dated June 4, 1958
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop critiques
Swenson's poetry.
Transcription
Page four of a letter dated June 4, 1958
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop critiques
Swenson's poetry.
Transcription
Letter dated August 27, 1963 from Elizabeth
Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop describes her new pet
birds, the "Bica Lacquas."
Transcription
Page one of a letter dated September 25, 1963
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop telling Bishop that she is writing a poem about her birds.
Page one of a letter dated October 3, 1963
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop further discusses "our
bird poem."
Transcription
Page two of a letter dated October 3, 1963
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop further discusses "our
bird poem."
Transcription
Page three of a letter dated October 3, 1963
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop further discusses "our
bird poem."
Transcription
Letter dated October 12, 1963 from Elizabeth
Bishop to May Swenson with "more about the Bicos de Lacre."
Transcription
Page one of a letter dated October 31, 1963
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking for clarification
about the Bicos de Lacre.
Transcription
Page two of a letter dated October 31, 1963
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking for clarification
about the Bicos de Lacre.
Transcription
Page three of a letter dated October 31,
1963 from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking for
clarification about the Bicos de Lacre.
Transcription
Page one of a letter dated November 11, 1963
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop clarifies
information about the Bicos de Lacre.
Transcription
Page two of a letter dated November 11, 1963
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop clarifies
information about the Bicos de Lacre.
Transcription
Image that accompanied the letter dated November 11, 1963
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson demonstrating where Bishop lives.
Transcription
Page one of a letter dated March 9, 1964
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop further
describes "Bicos de Lacre."
Transcription
Page two of a letter dated March 9, 1964
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop further
describes "Bicos de Lacre."
Transcription
Letter dated March 11, 1964
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson in which Bishop mentions obtaining more
"Bicos de Lacre."
Page one of a letter dated June 30, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop in which Swenson asks
permission to publish "Dear Elizabeth."
Transcription
Page two of a letter dated June 30, 1965
from from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop in which Swenson asks
permission to publish "Dear Elizabeth."
Transcription
Letter dated July 5, 1965
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson discussing the subtitle of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page one of a letter dated November 6, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking about Bishop's reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page two of a letter dated November 6, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking about Bishop's reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page three of a letter dated November 6, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking about Bishop's reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page four of a letter dated November 6, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking about Bishop's reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page five of a letter dated November 6, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking about Bishop's reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page six of a letter dated November 6, 1965
from May Swenson to Elizabeth Bishop asking about Bishop's reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page one of a letter dated November 10, 1965
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson discussing her reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
Page two of a letter dated November 10, 1965
from Elizabeth Bishop to May Swenson discussing her reception of "Dear Elizabeth."
