Telegraph Books collection, 1970-1972.

Format:

Other

Author/Creator:

Bockris, Victor, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Telegraph Books (Firm).

Authors and publishers.

Genre:

Manuscripts, American.

Audiocassettes.

Broadsides (notices)

Correspondence.

Drafts (documents)

Interviews.

Photographs.

Poems.

Publications.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Victor Bockris, 1972.

Physical Description:

4 boxes (1.6 linear feet)

Arrangement:

Organized into 3 series: I. Authors' publications and related materials, II. Telegraph Books correspondence and publicity, and III. Mignon Poetry Workshop.

Place of Publication:

1970-1972.

Biography/History:

Telegraph Books (circa 1970-1972) was a publishing company founded by Victor Bockris, a poet, editor, and biographer of artists, authors, and musicians; poet Aram Saroyan; and literary agent Andrew Wylie. The company published poetry and prose and is heralded for having published some of Patti Smith's early work, Seventh heaven and Kodak being two shining examples. Born in Sussex, England in 1949, Bockris and his parents moved to Philadelphia when he was four years old. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. During his tenure at the university, he founded Telegraph Books. In a relatively short period of time, the company saw publications by writers of poetry and prose including Tom Clark, Gerard Malanga, and fellow Philadelphian "Godmother of Punk," Patti Smith, in addition to work by Bockris, Saroyan, and Wylie. Telegraph Books appears to have been in production from around 1970 to 1972. In 1973, Bockris and Wylie moved to New York City to focus on larger biographical writing projects on such luminaries as Lou Reed (and the Velvet Underground), Andy Warhol, Keith Richards, William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, Blondie, Patti Smith, and Muhammad Ali.

Summary:

The Telegraph Books collection, dating from 1970 through 1972, documents the activities and functions of Telegraph Books publications in addition to the activities of Victor Bockris, Aram Saroyan, and Andrew Wylie. The collection includes audio recordings of interviews and conversations with colleagues and workshop materials. The bulk of the collection is comprised of Telegraph Books publications and related materials, arranged by author. The related materials for these publications generally include correspondence between the author and Bockris, drafts, mock-ups, photographs, sketches, and published copies of the work. There are also a number of audiocassettes that contain interviews and conversations between Bockris and many of the authors published by Telegraph Books conducted between 1970 and the end of 1972. This audio content may enhance the contextual environment surrounding the publications, undoubtedly delving into the personal relationships between Bockris and his colleagues. The collection also contains incoming and outgoing correspondence with regard to the distribution and publicity of Telegraph Books publications and readings between Bockris and poets, booksellers, publishers, distributors, and poetry societies, as well as examples of publicity materials such as broadsheets, photographs, and newspapers. Finally, the collection includes some materials from the Mignon Poetry Workshop, led by Bockris, in a school setting for 5th and 6th grade students. In these records, it is evident that Bockris led the students through the assembly of publications from start to finish, having the students write, compile, and print poetic work. Taken as a whole, this collection provides researchers with an insight into the activities of Victor Bockris with particular regard for his work as a publishing agent for poets during the early 1970s in the Philadelphia and New York area.

OCLC:

881843629