William Stafford (1914-1993) was one of the most prolific and important American poets of the last half of the twentieth century. Among his many credentials, Stafford served as consultant in poetry at the Library of Congress, and received the National Book Award for his poetry collection
The William Stafford Archives, donated to Lewis & Clark College by the Stafford family in 2008, contain the private papers, publications, photographs, recordings, and teaching materials of the poet William Stafford. The Lewis & Clark College Special Collections actively add to this collection by acquiring unique Stafford related materials.
Stafford wrote every day of his life from 1950 to 1993. These 20,000 pages of daily writings form a complete record of the poet’s mostly early morning meditations, including poem drafts, dream records, aphorisms, and other visits to the unconscious, recorded on separate sheets of yellow or white paper or when traveling, often in spiral-bound reporters’ steno pads. The archive also includes typescripts of poems submitted for publication and for use in readings. Stafford listed where he submitted each poem, and whether it was accepted for publication on the typescript. Each of his published collections, large and small, is represented by its gathering of documentary copies (typescripts), called by Stafford a “put-together.” Unpublished poems, poems published in journals, and reading copies of published poems were also gathered, in a virtually complete record from 1937 to 1993, totaling about 7,000 items. The collection also includes copies of all known Stafford books and translations. Stafford saved correspondence received, with an indication of the date of reply, and sometimes a copy of the reply, from the early 1960s to August 1993. Estimated at 100,000 sheets, the collected correspondence contains some full exchanges of correspondence initiated by WS. One such exchange is the correspondence with Marvin Bell on their sequence
Books printed in the English language.
Materials in this sub-series are grouped alphabetically by the original language of the work, and then chronologically within language. All of the published materials in this sub-series are described in detail in section C of
This collection has no restrictions and is open for research.
Permission to publish, exhibit, broadcast, or quote from materials in the Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections requires written permission of the Head of Archives & Special Collections.
The William Stafford Archives, Lewis & Clark College Aubrey Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections, Portland, Oregon.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Elizabeth Kray (Poetry Center) on Bollingen project; Paul Luenow on translating Marco Antonio Montes de Oca (Spanish), with a number of unused drafts; other correspondence regarding Montes de Oca.
Elizabeth Kray (Academy of American Poets) on Bollingen Project. (Editor Jean Garrigne, published by Ohio University Press, 1970); Hardie St. Martin
Friebert, at Oberlin was co-editor with David Young, of
William Stafford correspondence with Richard Harris and W.M. Meredith on the poet Georgi Belev.
Original and translation by William Stafford.
Original and translation by William Stafford.
Original and translation by William Stafford.
Original and translation by William Stafford.
Original and translation by William Stafford.
Translations of poems by Georgi Belev by William Stafford for Carnegie Mellon University Press.
Includes the poems "August" Childhood", "The Forester", "Garden with Stone Fence and Quince Trees", "Hide and Seek", "Lake; Moth", "Museum", "Simultaneous Death of Salome and John the Baptist", "Spaces", "Vision".
Poem "Youth of Gold in the Grey Waves" draft translation by William Stafford, and Vance Savage. Author unknown.
Relating to Four poems by Estelles and one by Montaner.
Translation by William Stafford with Jaume P. Montaner and Vance Savage of "Si re la Mort…" (Catalan); or "Si Viene la Muerte…" (Spanish).
Translation by William Stafford, Jaume P. Montaner, and Vance Savage of "La Mort, contrasa al nen del veinat" (Catalan) or "La Muerte, contada al nino vecindario".
Translation by William Stafford, Jaume P. Montaner, and Vance Savage of "Volgues escriure, ara amable poema" (Catalan) or "Quisiera escribir, aborah, un amable poema" (Spanish). Published in
Translation by William Stafford, Jaume P. Montaner, and Vance Savage, from "Dama de Anoche" (Catalan). Published in
Translated by William Stafford and Vance Savage of "Les Horas Postresas". No evidence of publication.
Five poems translated by William Stafford and Jaume P. Montaner. Includes "Glory of Salamina", "I Think of the Heart", "Sunion", "Tannkas of the Four Seasons". "Tannkas of the Return". Also includes letter to Montaner, 17 May 1976.
Translation by William Stafford of "Milton" with undated typed comments on different kinds of translations.
Translation of "Celui qui entre par hasard" by William Stafford for the
Translation by William Stafford of "Demain des l'aube". No evidence of publication.
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in
Preface and translation of ten poems of Masao Nonagase by Junko Yoshida, lightly edited by William Stafford.
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. No evidence of publication.
Translation by William Stafford and Yorifumi Yaguchi. Published in
Translation by William Stafford and Herbert Baird of "Ante el Espejo". Published in
Translation draft by Vance Savage, considered for translation by William Stafford, no draft seen.
Translation of "Onor" by William Stafford and Vance Savage, and "Mendigo de Realidad" by Vance Savage. No evidence of publication.
Translations by William Stafford with Lillian Jean Stafford. No evidence of publication.
Translations by William Stafford, with draft translations by Jaume P. Montaner. No evidence of publication.
Translation of Angel Gonzale "El Campo de Batalia" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird.
Translation of Angel Gonzalez "Estio en Bidonville" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird. Published in
Translation of Jose Luis Hidalgo 'Hay Que Bajar" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird. Published in
Translation of Federico Garcia Lorca "Reyerta" by William Stafford and Herbert Baird. Published in
Translation of Montes de Oca "Cancion Para Celebrar lo que no Muere" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in
Translation of Montes de Oca "La Despedida del Bufon" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in
Translation of Montes de Oca "Nueve" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in
Translation of Montes de Oca "El Sol que no se Alcanza" by William Stafford and Paul Luenow. Published in
33 versions of Montes de Oca poems translated by Paul Luenow. Not completed by William Stafford or published.
Two volumes by Montes de Oca and one by Montaner. Source materials for translations by William Stafford and associates.
Free translation by William Stafford. Acceptance Second Growth (Oct. 1975), Not seen.
Translation of Miguel de Unamuno "Es de Noche, en Mi Estudio" by William Stafford and Lillian Jean Stafford. Published in
Two translation drafts of Cesar Vallejo "Messengers of Dark" by William Stafford. No typescript, or evidence of publication.
Interview with William Stafford on translating. Published in
Versions of poems by Ghalib translated by William Stafford, Aijaz Ahmad, and Adrienne Rich. Included is copy of
Translation versions, and notes for
Introduction and translations of Ghalib by William Stafford and Aijaz Ahmad for the
Program guide of Ghalib tribute event at the University of Minnesota.
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford. Published in
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford, and Aijaz Ahmad. Published in
Translations of Ghalib by William Stafford and associates for
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford published in
Translation of Ghalib by William Stafford and Aijaz Ahmad. Published in
Catalog of Ghalib, with list of Poems by Ghalib (including William Stafford translations) p. 8, #2
Interview with William Stafford on translating. Published in