Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 13/10/53
Richard C. Gustafson (1933-1977)
Papers, 1960-1978, undated


Descriptive summary

creator: Gustafson, Richard C. (1933-1977)
title: Papers
dates: 1960-1978, undated
extent: 2.10 linear feet (5 document boxes)
collection number: RS 13/10/53
repository: University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access: Open for research
publication rights: Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation: Richard C. Gustafson Papers, RS 13/10/53, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Abstract

Richard C. Gustafson was an author and professor of English at Iowa State University. He was an accomplished writer, essayist, and songwriter, but his main emphasis was in poetry. He was mainly interested in poetry, and published various poems in creative writing journals and periodicals. He served as editor (1964-1977) of the journal Poet and Critic. This collection contains various poems, essays, song lyrics, articles, scripts, and plays written by Gustafson during his career at Iowa State University. The collection also contains early copies of The Salt Reader, a literary journal published in Nebraska by Ted Kooser, along with some personal correspondence between Gustafson and Kooser.

 

Biographical note

Richard C. Gustafson was born to parents Carl and Anna (May) Gustafson on August 10, 1933 in Missoula, Montana. Prior to attending college he served in the National Guard (1948-1951). He received his B.A. (1955) from Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington and both his M.A. (1957) and Ph.D. (1960) from the University of Kansas. He was an Assistant Instructor (1955-1959) in English at the University of Kansas and came to Iowa State University as an Instructor (1960-1961). He was named Assistant Professor (1961-1966) in English and later became an Associate Professor (1966-1977).

During his life as a scholar, Gustafson became a very accomplished poet, writer, essayist, and songwriter. He was mainly interested in poetry, and published various poems in creative writing journals and periodicals. Poet and Critic, a journal which included both poetry and the criticism of the art form, came to Iowa State mainly because of Gustafson's influence in the subject matter, and he helped form it into a long living periodical which could be found on campus. He was the editor of Poet and Critic from 1964-1977.

Gustafson also taught courses in modern literature including 18th Century literature, 20th Century literature, and film criticism. He also taught courses on Greek and Roman literature. By teaching writing for television he developed courses that focused on the relationship between film and literature. Gustafson was a member of both the American Association of University Professors and the Modern Languages Association. Some of his poems and articles were published in titles such as Western Humanities Review, Colorado Quarterly, New Mexico Quarterly, Beloit Poetry Journal, Caravel, 20th Century Literature, College English, Perspective, Epos, Descasat, New Orleans Review, Midwest Quarterly, Kansas Quarterly, and South Dakota Review.

Richard Gustafson died on March 5, 1977, at the age of 43, in Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames, Iowa. His body was cremated and he was survived by his mother, Anna (May) Gustafson and sister, Shirley Durkin of Spokane, Washington. Upon his death, a memorial fund was established in his name, in order to support Poet and Critic.

 

Collection description

This collection (1960-1978, undated) contains biographical information, personal correspondence, and writings relating to the work of Richard C. Gustafson. Material contained reflects the academic career of Gustafson including works such as his dissertation and published works. The collection also contains various poems, essays, song lyrics, articles, scripts, and plays written by Gustafson during his career at Iowa State University. Some of the plays, musicals, and books created by him appear in both paper and carbon copies.

Specific items include, copies of The Salt Reader, a literary journal published in Nebraska by editor Ted Kooser, friend of Gustafson, "Excerpts", which are scripts either set in or involved with Iowa State University or Ames, Iowa, "The Beaver, The Beaver, Whose Own Little Hide", a musical written by Gustafson containing original score, and many original handwritten and typed poems including those published in titles such as the Iowa English Yearbook, the Liberator, and The Salt Reader. In addition to the previously mentioned The Salt Reader, one can also find within this collection personal correspondence between Ted Kooser and Gustafson which often included cartoons and witty remarks, plus a collection of mailed postcards.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical information: News clippings

1960-1978

1

2

Biographical information: Certificate of life membership, Iowa State Memorial Union

1968

1

3

Biographical information: Power of attorney certificate and promissory note signed of Gustafson

1969

1

4

Biographical information: Vita and faculty information forms

1971-1977

1

5

Academic writings: "To Hell with the Horror of the Hive" - Manuscript of an article published by Gustafson in the December 1967 Liberator; also contains a copy of the February 1968 Liberator, in which appeared a rebuttal written by Dick Bjornseth, and a manuscript of Gustafson's reply to Bjornseth's piece.

1967-1968

1

6

Academic writings: "Article Ideas" - Notes on various subjects (Some sheet music included)

undated

1

7

Ted Kooser and The Salt Creek Reader: Correspondence from Ted Kooser and copies of The Salt Creek Reader, a serial edited by Kooser

1967-1972, undated

1

10

Cartoons: Ink on paper drawings

1966, undated

1

8

Dissertation: "The Perspicuous and the Sublime: A Historical Study of the Language of Pope's Iliad"

1972, undated

1

9

Music notes

undated

4

5

Poems: Typed

undated

4

6

Poems: Handwritten

1977, undated

5

14

Poems: Published works

1959-1975, undated

1

11

Writings: "Verse Technique"

undated

1

12

Writings: "Excerpts" Scripts

1962-64, undated

1

13

Writings: Scripts

1972, undated

1

14

Radio skit: "A Million for a Scent" (2 reel-to-reel audio tapes); recordings of a selection of songs written by Gustafson and sung by Powell Woods(?); songs include: "Don't Mess Around Me", "Ocean, Ocean", "Stewardess Mary", "When I Was Young", "Cassandra", "Vampire's Joy Song", "Suburban Samba", "Never the Time or the Place", "The Sun is on Wheels", "The Bartender's Song", "Laughter in the Sky", "End of the Line"

1967 circa

1

15

Writings: "The Beaver, The Beaver, Whose Own Little Hide", rough draft, a musical

undated

1

16

Writings: "The Beaver, The Beaver, Whose Own Little Hide", clean copy

undated

1

17

Writings: "The Beaver, The Beaver, Whose Own Little Hide", clean copy

undated

2

1

Writings: "The Sun's Own Gold" (Alternative title for "The Beaver, The Beaver, Whose Own Little Hide")

undated

2

2

Writings: Sheet music for "The Beaver, The Beaver, Whose Own Little Hide"

1967-1969, undated

2

3

Writings: "Dolliver's Office" - a play

undated

2

4

Writings: "The Chosen" - a play

undated

2

5

Writings: "The Chosen" (carbon copy)

undated

2

6

Writings: "All Rivers Run Backwards" - a film script

undated

2

7

Writings: "The Fungus" - a television drama

undated

2

8

Writings: "The Set-Up Man"- a short story

undated

2

9

Writings: Untitled Novel - manuscript

undated

2

10

Writings: Untitled Novel (carbon copy)

undated

2

11

Writings: Cat-Tight - manuscript, 297 page version (first folder, chapters 1-8)

undated

2

12

Writings: Cat-Tight - manuscript, 297 page version (second folder, chapters 9-17)

undated

2

13

Writings: Cat-Tight - manuscript, 303 page version (first folder, chapters 1-8)

undated

3

1

Writings: Cat-Tight - manuscript, 303 page version (second folder, chapters 9-17)

undated

3

2

Writings: Cat-Tight - manuscript, 303 page version (carbon copy) (first folder, chapters 1-8)

undated

3

3

Writings: Cat-Tight - manuscript, 303 page version (carbon copy) (second folder, chapters 9-17)

undated

3

4

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 364 page version (first folder, chapters 1-4)

undated

3

5

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 364 page version (second folder, chapters 5-9)

undated

3

6

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 364 page version (third folder, chapters 10-14)

undated

3

7

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 315 page version (first folder, chapters 1-6)

undated

3

8

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 315 page version (second folder, chapters 7-14)

undated

4

1

Writings: Editorial notes for The Girl With No Eyes

undated

4

2

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 364 page version (carbon copy) (first folder, chapters 1-7)

undated

4

3

Writings: The Girl With No Eyes - manuscript, 364 page version (carbon copy) (second folder, chapters 8-14)

undated

4

4

Writings: "Second Album" - lyrics and sheet music

undated

4

7

Writings: Preliminary manuscript for The Arc from Now

1977

4

8

Writings: Working draft for The Arc from Now

1977

4

9

Writings: The Arc From Now galley

1978

4

10

Writings: Word - includes several copies of Word, a poetry broadsheet published at the University of New Mexico; see May 1969 issue for poem by Gustafson

1967-1969

4

11

Writings: "The Peace of a Good Line"

undated

4

12

Writings: "The Godless Curse of the Modern Woman"

undated

4

13

Writings: "'Time is a Waiting Woman': New Poetic Icons"

undated

5

1

Writings: "Contemporary Writers in Christian Perspective: Wallace Stevens, a Critical Essay"

undated

5

2

Writings: "The Vogue of the Screen Biography" -Also containing correspondence & notes

1976-1977, undated

5

3

Writings: "What Merwin is Trying to Do"

undated

5

4

Writings: "The Courage of the Quotidian in Recent Poetry", includes correspondence

 1975, undated

5

5

Writings: "The other Side of Robinson Jeffers"

1964

5

6

Writings: "Marshall McLuhan & Charles Olson: Forces of Field", includes correspondence, memos, notes, and an issue of the Camels Coming Newsletter

1967-1976, undated

5

7

Writings: Book reviews

1965

5

8-9

Writings: A Key to Modern American Poetry, rough draft

undated

5

10-11

Writings: A Key to Modern American Poetry, later copy

undated

5

12-13

Writings: A Clean Vengeance: Modern American Poetry, (alternative title to A Key to Modern American Poetry)

undated