Molly Peacock papers

Collection

Identifier: BUSC-2003-001

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The works and related materials of Molly Peacock span the years 1955 - 2017 and deal primarily with the publication of her novels and manuscripts, as well as personal correspondence. However, the majority of the collection is concentrated between 1970 - 1997. The collection is contained in 71 boxes and 10 map case drawers.

Dates

1955 - 2017
Majority of material found within 1970 - 1997

Biographical Note

Molly Peacock was born in Buffalo, New York in 1947 and graduated with a B.A. from Binghamton University and M.A. from The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. A poet and creative nonfiction writer, she is the author of seven collections of poems, including Cornucopia: New and Selected Poems, and The Analyst. Her other works include a memoir, Paradise Piece by Piece; a one-woman staged monologue in poems, The Shimmering Verge; and the noted biography The Paper Garden. Passionate about bringing poetry to the public, Peacock was one of the creators of Poetry in Motion on New York city's subways and buses; she also inaugurated The Best Canadian Poetry series. Her poems appear in The Oxford Book of American Poetry and many other anthologies.

Peacock is featured in two documentary films about women's choices not to have children, "A Life outside Convention," and "My So-Called Selfish Life" by Therese Shechter. Her essays have appeared in Elle, Oprah Magazine, and House and Garden, among others. She has read her poetry at numerous colleges, universities, and libraries including the Library of Congress. Over the past century she has received awards from The Leon Levy Center for Biography, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Danforth Foundation, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Extent

71 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

The Molly Peacock papers contains personal and literary related correspondence, manuscript drafts and revisions of this American poet's prose and poetry works, publications, teaching materials, and photographs. The collection also contains artwork such as paintings by Molly Peacock and by other artists, as well as posters, advertisements, and costumes for poetry readings and other events. The Binghamton University Libraries has a collection of monographs from her personal poetry library and all of her published works. The Molly Peacock papers were arranged and described in 2011 by Kyle Johnson, undergraduate Student Assistant, and Beth Turcy Kilmarx, Curator of Rare Books.

Arrangement

Box 1 - 16: Literary Activities

Box 17 - 45: Manuscripts

Box 46 - 55: Correspondence

Box 55 - 59: Photographs

Box 60: Ephemera

Box 61 - 64: Audio / Visuals

Box 65 - 68: Publicity

Box 69 - 70: Publications

Box 71: Ephemera

Drawer 01 - 10: Map Cases