WAUUA19_13_5475BentleyNelson.xml Guide to the Nelson Bentley Papers 1915-1990 Bentley (Nelson) Papers Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries © 2007 (Last modified: 4/9/2021)
Allen Library BOX 352900 Seattle, Washington 98195-2900 Business Number: 206-543-1929 speccoll@uw.edu http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/

Donor restrictions on use: Copyright is retained by the estate until 2027, at which time it passes to the UW.

 This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-12-04. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries Nelson Bentley Papers Bentley, Nelson 5475 4.9 cubic feet 7 boxes and 1 oversize vertical file 1915-1990 Papers of poet and former University of Washington Professor of English Collection materials are in English.

Nelson Bentley (1918-1990) was a poet and Professor of English at the University of Washington from 1952 until his retirement in 1989. He was born in Elm, Michigan, and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan. Bentley studied under W. H. Auden, and was a friend and colleague of Theodore Roethke, among other Northwest poets.

Bentley won the University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award and the Washington Governor's Award for Service to the Arts. He was co-founder of both Poetry Northwest and The Seattle Review literary journals. In addition, he had a poetry column in The Seattle Times Pacific magazine, conducted poetry readings around Seattle, had regular poetry programs on local radio and television, and founded the Castalia Reading Series, which started at the University of Washington in the mid-1970s and continues today. He also published many books of poetry.

Bentley's papers include manuscripts and student writings by Bentley, correspondence, notebooks, publications, audio and video recordings of Bentley lectures and readings (with others), clippings and artifacts.

Arranged into 2 accesstions:

Accession no. 5475-001, Nelson Bentley papers, 1940-1990 Accession no. 5475-002, Nelson Bentley papers, 1915-1990

No restrictions on access to paper-based materials. No user access copies exist for the audio and video recordings. Contact Special Collections for terms of access to these materials.

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Beth Singer Bentley Papers

Bentley, Nelson--Archives Bentley, Nelson University of Washington. University Archives University of Washington--Faculty University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington) Poets--Archives College teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives Poets, American--20th century--History--Sources Literature Washington (State) Personal correspondence Business correspondence Poetry Lectures Notebooks Facsimiles Ephemera Course materials Instructional and educational works Poetry readings (Sound recordings) Newspaper clippings Manuscripts for publication Publications (documents) articles Accession No. 5475-001: Nelson Bentley papers, 1940-1990 2.84 cubic feet (5 boxes)

Scope and Content: Bentley's papers include manuscripts and student writings by Bentley, notebooks which include writings and course materials, and audio and video recordings of Bentley lectures and readings (with others).

Arrangement: Arranged into 4 series:

Writings, 1940-1989 Course materials, 1970-1989, undated Notebooks, 1942-1990 Recordings, 1960-1990

Acquisition Info: Source: Sean Bentley, son of Nelson Bentley, 2007.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

 Writings 1940-1989 5475-001 Box 1

Scope and Content:

Course materials 1970-1989, undated 5475-001 Box 1 Notebooks University of Michigan 1942-1949 5475-001 Box 1

Scope and Content: Spiral notebooks of class writings, notes, and classroom rosters from when Bentley was a student.

 University of Washington 1952-1989 5475-001 Box 2

Scope and Content: Spiral notebooks of class notes, lesson plans, classroom rosters, and writings from when Bentley was a professor.

 University of Washington 1952-1989 5475-001 Box 3 University of Washington 1952-1989 5475-001 Box 4 Recordings Nelson Bentley 1 sound tape reel 1960 April 11 5475-001 Box 5 Conversations on the Craft of Poetry: Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren with Robert Frost, John Crowe Ransom, Robert Lowell, Theodore Roethke 2 sound tape reels 1961 5475-001 Box 5 CBC, Watkins "Yeats in Dublin" 1 sound tape reel 1967 March 14 5475-001 Box 5 Mrs. Vernon Watkins, Nelson and Beth Bentley, and Dale Nelson reading Vernon Watkins' work 1 sound tape reel 1968 5475-001 Box 5 Highline College 1 sound tape reel 1972 October 18 5475-001 Box 5 Kathie/Jim/Nelson Bentley Bainbridge Island Reading 1 videocassette (vhs) 1987 September 5475-001 Box 5 Nelson Bentley- Art of Teaching lecture at the University of Washington, Savery Hall 1 sound cassette 1989 May 24 5475-001 Box 5 World's Worst by SB 1 videocassette (vhs) 1990 5475-001 Box 5 Castalia Reading #1831, 17th Annual Poems, Stories, and Songs for Children 1 videocassette (vhs) undated 5475-001 Box 5 The Ballad of the Mari Lwyd-Vernon Watkins, BBC 1 sound tape reel undated 5475-001 Box 5 "Untitled" 2 sound tape reels undated 5475-001 Box 5 Accession No. 5475-002: Nelson Bentley papers, 1915-1990 2.06 cubic feet (2 boxes and 1 oversize vertical file)

Arrangement: Arranged as received

Scope and Content: Correspondence, poetry and prose manuscripts, published writings, awards.

Drafts of poems from college and later (handwritten, typed, and photocopied); drafts of poetry manuscripts (including early versions of "Sea Lion Caves"); drafts and finished prose manuscripts (fiction and essays) from college; notebooks with notes for poems and lectures; miscellaneous papers and artifacts, including awards, articles about Bentley, and published writings; and correspondence.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users

Acquisition Info: Donor: Sean Bentley, son of Nelson Bentley, May 29, 2008.

 Series 1: Manuscripts and Drafts "Phantasmal Barriers" 1939 5475-002 Box 1 "A Slip in Time" 5475-002 Box 1 "A Year in Youth" 5475-002 Box 1 "Ricecar" 5475-002 Box 1 "Emblems: 21 Poems" 5475-002 Box 1 Sea Lions and Other Poems 5475-002 OSVF129 "Sea Lions and Other Poems" 5475-002 Box 1

Missing pages (?)

 "Worthy is the Lamb" by Robert Shank 5475-002 Box 1 "Song of the Sightless Heart" 1942 5475-002 Box 1 "Message for the Bitter in Heart" 1941 5475-002 Box 1 "Journey Through Dawn: Four Segments of a Life" 1941 5475-002 Box 1 "Greyhound to Chicago" 5475-002 Box 1 "Beginning in September" 5475-002 Box 1 "Winter Solo" and "A Slip in Time" 5475-002 Box 1 "A Year in Youth" and notebook 5475-002 Box 1 "Songs of the Passing Days" 5475-002 Box 1 "Oysterville Apocalypse" 5475-002 Box 1

Photocopied handwritten draft

 Various drafts of poems and prose 5475-002 Box 1 Series 2: Published Works Works in "Bellowing Ark" 1987-1990 5475-002 Box 1 Various Publications 1953-1959 5475-002 Box 1

Prairie Schooner, Coastlines, The Western Humanities Review, Poultry, American Weave, The Beloit Poetry Journeal, Whetstone

 Series 3: Juvenalia Juvenalia - youth writings 5475-002 Box 1 Elementary School report cards 5475-002 Box 1 Series 4: Ephemera Awards 5475-002 Box 1 Sea Lion Caves Elevator sign 5475-002 Box 1 Loose notes 5475-002 Box 1 Notebooks 5475-002 Box 2 Acceptance and Rejection letters 5475-002 Box 2 "Cedrelatoona" by Paula Jones broadside 5475-002 OSVF129 "Calling for a Song on the Mountain" by Samuel Green broadside 5475-002 OSVF129 Bentley T-shirt designs 5475-002 OSVF129 Photo collage "Parrington & Savery" 1975 5475-002 OSVF129 Photograph of Roethke's classroom 1968 5475-002 OSVF129