William Witherup papers, 1935-2009 PDF
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Witherup, William
- Title
- William Witherup papers
- Dates
- 1935-2009 (bulk)19352009
- Quantity
- 19.62 cubic feet (27 boxes plus OS folder and 1 vertical file)
- Collection Number
- 4321
- Summary
- Biographical features, correspondence, writings, poems, and other papers of William Witherup, a poet, author, playwright, and activist based in Seattle, Washington
- Repository
- University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 206-543-1929
Fax: 206-543-1931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Open to all users.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
William Witherup was a self-described "working-class" Seattle poet, author, playwright, and activist. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 24, 1935, Witherup grew up in Richland, Washington. His father was employed at the Hanford nuclear facility. Witherup lived in the San Francisco Bay area from his late teens until 1989, when he moved to Seattle. He also served in the Air Force as a Russian translator from 1957 to 1959.
Witherup authored several collected volumes of poetry and also served as a contributing editor to the anthology Atomic Ghost: Poets Respond to the Nuclear Age. Much of his work focused on racism, technology, and the Hanford nuclear facility and people who lived nearby.
William Witherup died of leukemia on June 3, 2009.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Biographical features, correspondence, writings, poems, drafts, notebooks, submission records, medical records, subject files, publicity materials, publications, clippings, posters, ephemera, artifacts, artworks, photographs, sound recordings, and video recordings.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Preferred Citation
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Accession No. 4321-001: William Witherup papers, 1935-1991Return to Top
Scope and Content: Biographical features, correspondence, writings, publications, clippings, audiotapes, posters from poetry readings, photographs, artifacts, ephemera, memorabilia, subject series.
Bulk of this accession documents William Witherup's response to threats posed by nuclear energy. Also includes a file of material on The Slant Step in Box 4.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, October 1, 10, and 14, 1991.
Accession No. 4321-002: William Witherup correspondence and writing, 1973-1980Return to Top
Scope and Content: Correspondence (1973-1980), draft of poem (1980).
Correspondence is with Robert D. Monroe, Head, Special Collections Division of the University of Washington Libraries, a friend of the poet.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from Robert Monroe, October 1, 1980.
Accession No. 4321-003: William Witherup papers, 1951-1991Return to Top
Scope and Content: Biographical features, correspondence, submission records, writings, photographs, art works, ephemera, subject series.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, November 5 and 18, 1991 and December 11, 1991.
Accession No. 4321-004: William Witherup papers, circa 1957- circa 1992Return to Top
Scope and Content: Correspondence, writings, poems, ephemera, photographs, publications.
Includes writings and related materials from 1981, when he taught at Soledad Prison, as well as his letters to his family during his service in the U.S. Air Force, 1957-1960.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup in several installments, starting on May 8, 1992.
Accession No. 4321-005: William Witherup papers, 1943-1996 (bulk 1993-1996)Return to Top
Scope and Content: Correspondence, publications, clippings, and sound and video recording of the poet's recent activity, especially in commemorations of the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, and other anti-nuclear issues. Also includes childhood photographs.
Videotape is an interview with Bill Witherup and his mother, Rose Witherup, produced by Nagasaki Broadcasting Company in 1995.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, April 19, 1996.
Accession No. 4321-006: William Witherup papers, 1977-1996 (bulk 1987-1996)Return to Top
Scope and Content: Correspondence, audiotaped interview, typescripts and drafts of reviews and essays, journals, signed copies of poster poem "Witherup in Nighttown," publications containing Witherup's poetry and prose including the anthology ATOMIC GHOST. Also contains works about Witherup, typescripts of works by others, medical file, photographs, clippings, and memorabilia.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, October 1, 1996.
Accession No. 4321-007: William Witherup papers, circa 1957-1997Return to Top
Scope and Content: Notebooks, correspondence, writings of Witherup and others, publications containing Witherup's poems and those of fellow poets. Includes correspondence, drafts and related material for the compilation Learning to Glow.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, July 12, 2001.
Accession No. 4321-008: William Witherup correspondence, 1994-2001Return to Top
Scope and Content: Letters to John Bradley, with whom Witherup worked on "Atomic Ghost" and "Learning to Glow"; 1994-2001.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from John Bradley, June 26, 2001.
Accession No. 4321-009: William Witherup papers, 1945-2002 (bulk circa 1979-2000)Return to Top
Scope and Content: Letters, incoming (1945, circa 1979-2002), including letters from his mother, Rose Witherup; outgoing, 1996-2002; photocopied family photos, photos of Witherup, publicity about Witherup and others, publications containing his poems, his books: Black Ash, Orange Fire; Down wind, Down river; sound and video recordings, including readings by Witherup, 1980, 1988, 2000, 2001; broadsides, poster, mask by James McGrath, clippings; 1945-2002.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, June 6, 1997; August 1, 1998; April 20, 2001; and January 16 and November 8, 2002.
Accession No. 4321-010: William Witherup papers, 1986-2005Return to Top
Scope and Content: Correspondence, writings, publicity materials, and video recording.
Correspondence includes incoming and outgoing letters with James B. Hall and Bill Hotchkiss. Writings document two essays and a review of a James B. Hall's "The Extreme Stories +3," written by Witherup. Publicity materials feature a flyer and a clipping related to James B. Hall and William Witherup readings. Also includes a DVD copy of a film containing Witherup reading his piece, "Slant Step Chant."
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Acquisition Info: Received from William Witherup, August 11, September 23 and 29, and October 14, 2005.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Correspondence
|
|||
Incoming Letters
|
|||
Box | Accession | ||
1 | 4321-010 |
Letters from Bill Hotchkiss
|
1999-2002 |
1 | 4321-010 |
Letters from James B. Hall
2 folders
|
1987-2005 |
Outgoing Letters
|
|||
Box | Accession | ||
1 | 4321-010 |
Letters to James B. Hall
4 folders
|
1986-2005 |
2 | 4321-010 |
Letter to Bill Hotchkiss
|
2002 |
2 | 4321-010 |
Letter to North American Review
|
1986 |
2 | 4321-010 |
Letters to Editors re: James B. Hall
pieces
|
1989-2000 |
2 | 4321-010 |
Letters to Karyl Winn
|
2001 |
Writings
|
|||
Box | Accession | ||
2 | 4321-010 |
"Fallout" Essay in
Political Affairs
|
2005 July |
2 | 4321-010 |
"Dream of a Nuclear Nightmare" Essay
|
2005 July 14 |
2 | 4321-010 |
Review of James B. Hall's " The Extreme Stories, +3"
in
Northwest Review
|
2002 |
Publicity Materials
|
|||
Box | Accession | ||
2 | 4321-010 |
Poster for James B. Hall Reading at Michael Good Fine
Books
|
circa mid 1980's |
2 | 4321-010 |
Clipping re: James B. Hall and William Witherup
reading at Seattle University
|
1992 |
Video Recording
|
|||
Box | Accession | ||
2 | 4321-010 |
DVD of William Witherup's Slant Step Chant
|
circa 2005 |
Accession No. 4321-011: William Witherup papers, 1960-2009Return to Top
Scope and Content: Incoming and outgoing correspondence with James McGrath, Don Foran, Ken MacLean, John Bradley, Joel Weishaus, and Robert Schuler; other McGrath materials; research materials; literary magazines and other publications; and other papers of William Witherup.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Restrictions on Use: Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Acquisition Info: William Witherup, 2006-04-03
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Accession | ||
1 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence with James McGrath
|
1979-2005 |
1 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence relating to James McGrath
|
1973-2000 |
1 | 4321-011 |
Speaking with Magpies manuscript
by James McGrath
|
2003 |
1 | 4321-011 |
James McGrath research materials and notes
|
1995-2006 |
1 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence from Don Foran
|
1991-1992 |
1 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence from and dissertation by Ken
MacLean
|
1984-1989 |
1 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence to John Bradley
|
1996-2009 |
1 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence with Joel Weishaus
|
1977-1999 |
2 | 4321-011 |
Correspondence with Robert Schuler
|
1977-2005 |
2 | 4321-011 |
Miscellaneous
|
1970, 1993, 1999, undated |
2 | 4321-011 |
Miscellaneous publications
|
1981, 1999-2002 |
2 | 4321-011 |
Literary journals, magazines, and other
publications
|
1960s-2000s |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
- Subject Terms :
- Antinuclear movement--Poetry
- Nuclear energy--Poetry
- Nuclear warfare--Social aspects--Poetry
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
- Protest poetry, American
- Personal Names :
- Witherup, William. Atomic ghosts
- Witherup, William. Learning to glow
- Witherup, William--Archives
- Witherup, William--Interviews
- Witherup, William--Photographs
- Form or Genre Terms :
- Drafts (documents)
- Ephemera
- Notebooks
- Personal correspondence
- Photographs
- Publications (documents)
- Records (Documents)
- Sound recordings
- Video recordings
- Titles within the Collection :
- Atomic ghost : poets respond to the nuclear age
- Learning to glow : a nuclear reader
- Other Creators :
-
- Personal Names :
- Witherup, Rose (interviewee)