MC 54
6 Hollinger boxes (2 cu.ft.)
About William Bronk:
William Bronk was born on February 17, 1918 in Fort Edward, New York, and was descended from Jonas Bronck, for whom the Bronx is named. He entered Dartmouth College in 1934, where he studied under the critic and poet Sidney Cox and met Robert Frost. After graduation he studied at Harvard briefly and then left to write a study of Thoreau, Melville, and Whitman that was published 30 years later as “The Brother in Elysium: Ideas of Friendship and Society in the United States.”
After Army service in World War II, Bronk taught at Union College, then took charge of the family business, the William M. Bronk Coal and Lumber Company, in Hudson Falls, New York until his retirement in 1978. He lived most of his life in the spacious Victorian house where he had grown up. He did not drive and rarely traveled or gave readings. Instead, his house became a mecca for poets and artists. He suffered from emphysema and died of respiratory failure on February 22, 1999 at the age of 81.
The New York Times obituary (2/25/99) calls Bronk “a poet of depth and haunting vision” and “one of the most prominent poets of his generation” known for “the philosophical depth of his work.” The Nation once referred to him as “our most significant poets,” and critics hailed his intellect, precise use of language, and intimate, haunting and unfrivolous vision.
In 1981, when the University of New Hampshire began collecting Bronk, he had had ten books of poetry and three books of essays published by small presses, but was still relatively unknown. Hugh Miller, a book seller in New Haven, Connecticut made the following statement about Bronk’s literary reputation:
Bronk’s first two books, Light and Dark (1956), published by Corman’s Origin Press and The World, The Worldless (1964), published by New Directions, did not bring him a wide reputation. He mentions in one letter that he received only one warm response to Light and Dark, though that was from Charles Olson. Otherwise, the response was a disappointment to him. This and his own inclination toward solitariness have hampered the development of his reputation as a poet of national stature. He recounts at times in the letters a number of his dealings with publishers who proposed and then abandoned projects for bringing out books of Bronk’s work. It is only in the last ten years or so as Jim Weil’s Elizabeth Press has continuously published Bronk’s books that the nature and importance of his work has begun to be recognized. With the publication of his Collected Poems, the recognition of Bronk’s work will continue to grow.
Miller’s prediction was fulfilled in 1982 when Bronk won the American Book Award for Life Supports.
About the William Bronk papers:
The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts, Bronk publications, photographs, and recordings. Material bequeathed in 1996 by Laura B. Greenlaw of Fort Edward is indicated in the finding aid by an asterisk.
Most of the letters are in Bronk’s hand; occasionally, he has typed a poem or portion of a letter, invariably completing it with a handwritten comment or short note. On a few of the letters Cid Corman has noted mistakes in dating of the letters, the date received, etc. The letters are arranged in chronological order. One is from 1951, but the others cover the period 1961-1986.
Bronk enclosed in letters to Corman twenty-three photographs of himself, his mother, or scenes of importance to the poems. On several of these photographs notes have been made by Cid Corman, his brother Leonard, or James Weil, Bronk’s publisher.
The correspondence also includes about 175 poems handwritten by the author. A title index to these poems appears in Appendix A of the finding-aid.
For an online interview with Bronk by Mark Katzman entitled “At Home in the Unknown,” see Artzar.
Folder Listing:
- Correspondence
- Manuscripts
- Publications
- Supplementary printed material
- Photographs
- Recordings
- Appendix A: Index to poems enclosed in correspondence
- Appendix B: Publications at UNH
I. Correspondence
| f.1 | Baker, Peter, 1972. |
| f.2 | Chrisafides, Peter, 1973-1974 (9 letters, 14pp) |
| f.3 | Chrisafides, Peter, Jan. 1975-Oct. 1975 (14 letters, 20pp) |
| f.4 | Chrisafides, Peter, Nov. 1975-1976 (13 letters, 22pp) |
| f.5 | Corman, Cid, 1951-1967. |
| f.6 | Corman, Cid, 1968. |
| f.7 | Corman, Cid, 1969. |
| f.8 | Corman, Cid, 1970. |
| f.9 | Corman, Cid, 1971. |
| f.10 | Corman, Cid, 1972. |
| f.11 | Corman, Cid, 1973. |
| f.12 | Corman, Cid, 1974-1976. |
| f.13 | Corman, Cid, 1977-undated. |
| f.14 | Eckman, Barbara, 1983 (A.L.S. Bronk to Barbara Eckman). |
| f.15 | Elman, Richard, 1967-1986. |
| f.16 | Elman, Richard, 1971 (A.C.S. Bronk to Richard Elman). |
| f.17 | Greenlaw,, Laura B., 1956-1986 and undated (includes postcard found at p. 208/209 of LBG’s copy of The Brother in Elysium). |
| f.18 | Simic, Charles, 1980-1982 (Letters to Simic from Bronk). |
| f.19 | Simic, Charles, 1980-1981 (Letters to Bronk from Simic). |
| f.20 | White, Barbara A., 1981-1984 (A.L.S. Bronk, Hudson to Barbara White). |
II. Manuscripts
| f.21 | 14 Poems in holograph (script for poetry reading), inscribed to UNH. With program for William Bronk and William Heyen poetry reading, April 27, 1981, New York Shakespeare Festival Public Theater. |
| f.22 | *Two poems in holograph, “It Comes to This” (Christmas 1980) and “The Rumination of Rivers,” each addressed to Laura B.Greenlaw (hereafter, LBG) and formerly in picture frames. |
| f.23 | *Holograph, “Pride Which Goes Not Only Before But Behind and Probably Sideways Too,” found between pages 4 and 5 of LBG’s copy of The World, the Worldless. |
| f.24 | *Typescript of essay “Costume as Metaphor” (published in A Partial Glossary, Elizabeth Press, 1974 and reprinted in Vectors and Smoothable Curves, North Point Press, 1983) found inside front cover of LBG’s copy of The Empty Hands. |
| f.25 | *Typescript of 20 poems, including those comprising Lite (James L. Weil, 1995). |
| f.26 | Life Supports. Contents, Title Page, Colophon, and Title Index. |
| f.27 | Life Supports. Proofs. 1. Clean unmarked set of corrected proofs, intended for the Elizabeth Press archives and used to keep track of the proofing process. |
| f.28 | 2. Another set of clean unmarked proofs. |
| f.29 | 3. Marked “WB”, corrected by Bronk in black ballpoint ink. |
| f.1 | Life Supports. Proofs (cont’d). 4. Two sets of proofs, corrected by James L. Weil, publisher of the Elizabeth Press, in red ballpoint ink, and Carroll Arnett, in black ballpoint ink. The two sets were later mixed together in the process of keeping a record of which errors had been corrected. Mixed in with the sheets marked “OK Sheets” are the sheets corrected by Martino Mardersteig, the designer of the book. |
| f.2-4 | As above. |
| f.5 | *Our Selves. Typescript. Spiral bound. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
III. Publications
A. Chapbooks and journals
| f.6 | *Address I:2 (July-August 1987). Alan Jones, editor. Contains four poems by WB. |
| f.7 | f.7 *And Magazine 3:1&2 (Spring/Summer 1989). Joseph Flaherty, editor. Contains “Post Mortem” by WB. |
| f.8 | *Audit II:5 (University of Buffalo). Ralph Maud, editor. Summer poetry issue, c.1961. Contains four poems by WB. |
| f.9 | *Bare Bones. n.p.: James L. Weil, 1994. One of fifty copies. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.10 | *Beethoven: The Late Sonatas [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, 1990. One of sixty keepsake copies. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.11 | *The Choice of Words. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, 1995. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.12 | *Credences I:3 (May 1976). Robert Bertholf, editor. Contains twelve poems by WB, plus an interview conducted by Donald Byrd and an essay by the editor. Markers placed by LBG between pages 4/5 and 24/25. |
| f.13 | *Dawnings [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, n.d. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.14 | *Diana’s BiMonthly. 1974. Tom Ahearn, editor. Contains “What Way the Weather Goes,” “Wanting to Come Back,” and “The Full Strength of Nothing” by WB. |
| f.15 | *Exemplaries. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, 1994. One of fifty copies. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.16 | Five Cummington Poems. Cummington, MA: The Playhouse-in-the-Hills, Inc. 1939. One of 300 copies. Contains “Pause Before Spring” and “Concert of the Ancient Instruments” by William Bronk. |
| f.17 | Four Dartmouth Poems. Hanover, NH: Baker Library Press, 1940. Copy number 20 of 125 copies. Preface by Sidney Cox. Contains “On a Course Known Backwards” by William Bronk. |
| f.18 | *Four Sonnets by Four Friends [William Bronk, Spencer Brown, Samuel French Morse, Felix Stefanile]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, 1986. One of fifty keepsake copies designed by Martino Mardersteig. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.19 | *The Glens Falls Review 1 (1983). Contains “Waterland,” written by WB for the January 1983 inauguration of Mario Cuomo, governor of New York. Two copies. |
| f.20 | *Grosseteste Review 5:1 (Spring 1972). William Bronk special issue. Tim Longville, editor. |
| f.21 | *Holy Orders [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, n.d. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.22 | *Ironwood 9 (Spring 1977). Michael Cuddihy, editor. Contains two poems by WB. |
| f.23 | *Ironwood 11 (Spring 1978). Michael Cuddihy, editor. Contains “The morning door is open,” “Unsatisfied Desire” and “The Destroyer Life” by WB, plus an essay about WB by John Taggart (marked in pencil). Markers between numerous pages, as noted in folder. |
| f.1 | *Ironwood 23 (Spring 1984). Michael Cuddihy, editor. Contains “Winter Sacrament,” “Simeon’s Now” and “Worlds and Changes” by WB. |
| f.2 | *The Life [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, 1986. One of fifty keepsake copies designed by Martino Mardersteig. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.3 | Light and Dark. Ashland, Mass.: Origin Press, 1956. First edition. The author’s scarce first
book. Published by Cid Corman at his Origin Press. Printed by G. Liantonio, Matera, Italy. Cover design by Eugene G.
Canade. *Another copy. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.4 | *Light in a Dark Sky. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1982. Number 15 of 100 copies, of a total run of 136 signed by the author.Designed by C. Freeman Keith and printed at The Stinehour Press, Lunenberg, Vermont. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.5 | *Lite. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, 1995. One of fifty copies. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.6 | Looking At It. Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Sceptre Press, 1973. First edition. Copy number 27 of 50 copies signed by the author. Total edition: 150. *Copy number 58 of same. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.7 | Maps 2: Homage to David Smith. NY: Galin Press, May 1967. Contains “Displacement: the Locks on the Feeder Called the Five Combines” by William Bronk. |
| f.8 | *Missing Persons. n.p.: James L. Weil, 1996. One of fifty copies. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.9 | *The New Alfred Review, Issue One (Fall 1976). George Jevremovic, editor. Contains four poems by WB. Marked at p. 16/17 by review of three books by WB (now located in Box 5, clippings folder)/ |
| f.10 | *New Directions 21 (1969). J. Laughlin, editor. Contains six poems by WB. |
| f.11 | Of Poetry. New Rochelle, NY: James L. Weil, [1988]. Copy number 1 of 100. Printed at Kelly/Winterton Press, N.Y. Designed by Hermann Zapf. Signed by the author. |
| f.12 | *Omega 1:1 (Autumn 1975). J. Geoffrey Jones, editor. Contains “The Conclusion” and “The Non-Lying of Figures” by WB. |
| f.13 | Origin, III, first series. Dorchester, MA: Origin Press, Fall 1951. Features William Bronk
and Samuel French Morse, who were Dartmouth classmates. *Another copy. |
| f.14 | Origin, XIX, first series. Ashland, MA: Origin Press, Summer 1956. Includes five poems by
William Bronk.
Origin, XX, first series. Ashland, MA: Origin Press, Winter 1956. Includes five poems by William Bronk. |
| f.15 | *Origin 5, third series (Kyoto, Japan). April 1967. Cid Corman, editor. Features 28 poems
from The Empty Hands by WB. *Origin 10, third series (Kyoto, Japan). July 1968. Cid Corman, editor. Contains three essays by WB: “Copan,” “For Shirley Clarke,” and “Unwillingness,” plus a poem, Graffiti.” |
| f.16 | A Partial Glossary: Two Essays. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1974. First Edition. One of 300 copies. Designed by Cid Corman. Printed by Shavado Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan. *Another copy. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.17 | *Sagetrieb 7:3 (Winter 1988). William Bronk Special Issue. Inscribed by WB on front cover to LBG. |
| f.1 | *The Shaker Chair. n.p.: James L. Weil, 1993. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.2 | Six Duplicities. Brooklyn, NY: Jordan Davies, [1980?]. Copy number 8 of 174 numbered copies
signed by the author.
*Another copy, marked “hors commerce.” Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.3 | The Stance. Port Townsend, Wash.: Graywolf Press, 1975. Graywolf Pamphlet Series I. First separate edition. Copy 13 of 60 copies signed by the author. |
| f.4 | *Talisman 2 (Spring 1989). William Bronk: poems – conversations – bibliography. Edward Foster, editor. Inscribed by WB to LBG on front cover. |
| f.5 | That Beauty Still. Providence, RI: Burning Deck, 1978. First edition. Copy letter S of 26
copies signed by the author and printed on Barcham Green Charter Oak paper hand-sewn into wrappers. Printed silk screen by
Linda Lutes.
*Copy letter A of same, inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.6 | That Beauty Still. Advance issue. Marked by the publisher on the colophon page: “A proof copy without the silkscreen cover.” Bound in grey paper wrappers with cover set in the same type as the title page. |
| f.7 | *The Thoreau Quarterly 14:1 (Winter 1982). Contains “The Actual and the Real in Thoreau,” an essay by WB. |
| f.8 | *Through the Woods [poem]. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1983. One of 36 copies (of a total run of 136) numbered and signed by the author and hand-sewn in paper wrappers by Carolyn Coman of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Marked “author’s copy” in place of the number and inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.9 | Twelve Losses Found. Pensnett, England: Grosseteste, 1976. First edition. Copy number 16 of first 30 copies, signed by Bronk. Copy number 150 of 300 numbered copies. Printed at the Arvon Foundation, Lamb Bank, Yorkshire. *Copy number 31 of same, inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.10 | *The Untold [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, n.d. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.11 | Utterances/The Loss of Grass, Trees, Water/The Unbecoming of Wanted and Wanter. Providence,
RI: Burning Deck, 1972. First edition. Copy number 114 of 250 numbered copies. *Copy number 40 of same, inscribed by WB to Joe Greenlaw with a note by LBG. Printed by Keith Waldrop. |
| f.12 | *What Art Is [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, n.d. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
| f.13 | *Winter Evening [poem]. New Rochelle, N.Y.: James L. Weil, n.d. One of fifty keepsake copies designed by Martino Mardersteig. Inscribed by WB to LBG. |
B. Broadsides and Cards
| f.14 | *The Bach Trombones at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania [poem]. Christmas card. n.d. Decorated in red
ink by WB. *A Bright day in December [broadside]. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1985. One of 136 copies, signed by the author. Inscribed by WB to LBG. The Changes. [Majorca, Divers Press, 1954.] Broadside. Author’s first separate publication. With copy of letter
to Bronk from Robert Creeley regarding publication. |
| f.15 | *Dawnings [poem]. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1987. One of 35 copies designed by John
Kristensen and printed at the Firefly Press. Inscribed by WB to LBG. The Fragile Endurance of the World. Providence, R.I.: Burning Deck, 1974. Postcard. One of 150 copies. Having Come a Long Way, The Wise Men Wait a Minute. Christmas, 1951. Christmas card, signed by Bronk. In the Beauty of the World…. Providence, R.I.: Burning Deck, 1978. First edition. Postcard. One of c. 150
copies. |
| f.16 | *Music That Sees Beyond the World [poem]. Christmas card. Inscribed by WB.
*Real Estate [poem]. Broadside. Inscribed by WB to LBG. *Through the Woods [poem]. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1983. Greeting card. One of 136 copies for private
distribution. Calligraphy and illustration by Douglas Strickler. Signed and inscribed by WB to LBG. *Winter Vocative [poem]. Christmas broadside, second series, number six, December 1984. Signed by the author. Published “under the auspices of the Friends of the University Libraries [at SUNY Buffalo] in an edition of 2000, of which the first 50 have been numbered and signed by the poet.” With a woodcut by Eugene Canade. |
C. Oversize Broadsides (located in wooden map case)
| #1 | “The Transuniversal Look.” New Haven: Vandercook Press. A Bibliographical Press Poetry Broadside.
Printed on the occasion of a reading by the poet on April 6, 1978.
*Another copy, signed by the poet. |
|
| #2 | “The Cipher.” San Francisco: Andrew Hoyem. 1965. *Another copy. Inscribed to Joe and Laura Greenlaw. |
|
| #3 | “The Lover As Not the Loved.” *Another copy. Proof copy signed by [L. Luter]. Inscribed by WB for LBG. |
|
| #4 | “The Fragile Endurance of the World.” Providence: Burning Deck. 1974. | |
| #5 | “Rule Book.” Buffalo: Friends of the University Libraries. Published…on the occasion of a reading by the poet…April 10, 1980. | |
| #6 | *”Two Apostrophes.” Inscribed by WB to LBG. | |
| #7 | *”Spring Storm.” Streetfare Journal 7:2 (Spring 1991). Inscribed by WB to LBG. | |
| #8 | *”Ultimate reality . . . ” Poetry in Public Places, 1977. |
IV. Supplementary Printed Material
| f.17 | *Clippings, 1976-1983. |
| f.18 | *Program, American Book Awards 1982. |
| f.19 | *Press kit, Inauguration of Governor Mario M. Cuomo, January 1, 1983, Albany, New York. |
| f.20 | *Programs of readings and performances, 1983-1991 (see also Videocassettes). |
| f.21 | Accompanying material for Audiocassette 1. |
| f.22 | *North Point Press catalogue, Spring 1991. |
| f.23 | *The Glens Falls Review 5 (1987/88) [WB, charter member]. |
| f.24 | Program: “A Symposium on the Work of William Bronk” held at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken NJ November 13-14, 1999; memorial booklet, “Now and Then,” 22 May 1999. |
V. Photographs
| f.25 | |
| e.1 | “William Bronk in his kitchen. November ’73.” (View image) |
| e.2 | “Five Combines/1974/photo by J[ames]L W[eil].” |
| e.3 | “Bill–at the bridge in Hudson Falls/1974 (Summer).” (View image) |
| e.4 | August 1974: WB’s house at 57 Pearl Street, side view. (View image) |
| e.5 | August 1974 – Photograph of front of William Bronk’s house, with jade plant. (View image) |
| e.6 | Photograph of side of William Bronk’s house: “Note Bill’s 35 yr. old jade plant.” (View image) |
| e.7 | Another view of Bronk’s house. (View image) |
| e.8 | “Mrs. Bronk & neighbor gossip/Note gingko sweeping the lawn.” |
| e.9 | “Sherman’s Farm/1974.” |
| e.10 | “Bill’s mother/August ’74/former Republican committeewoman.” |
| e.11 | “The Bronk ‘town mansion’ (Victorian, yet) a la [Richard] Elman–from Pearl Street.” (View image) |
| e.12 | William Bronk at home in the conservatory. “Spring 1975/J[ames] L W[eil]/(May/June).” (View image) |
| e.13 | As above, different view. (View image) |
| e.14 | Bronk standing in front of his house. “Spring 1975/J[ames] L W[eil]/(May/June).” (View image) |
| e.15 | “View from the NE–fall ’75″: Bronk and another walking across the street from the Bronk Coal and Lumber Company. (View image) |
| e.16 | “View from the NW–fall ’75″ of the Bronk Coal and Lumber Company. |
| e.17 | “The Proprietor./Is business that bad?/Fall ’75.” (View image) |
| e.18 | “The Native, gives directions on the right-of-way. Montreal to N, ‘background’/Fall ’75.” |
| e.19 | “Hudson Falls:/ the track to Montreal,/ and right-of-way where /we walk.” |
| e.20 | “Hudson Falls: site of/’The Lover As Not The Loved’/ (Silence And Metaphor).” |
| e.21 | “Hudson Falls: feeder canal.” |
| e.22 | “flooded corn fields from the/right of way: Hudson Falls.” |
| e.23 | “Site of Bill’s flop–note bridge/(belatedly) demolished: Hudson Falls.” |
| e.24 | *?Polaroid portrait, n.d. |
| f.26 | |
| e.1 | Full face of WB taken by Kelly Wise. |
| e.2 | *Profile of WB taken by Kelly Wise. |
| e.3-6 | *Four poses [? unpublished, from photo shoot by Joyce Block and James L. Weil for Sagetrieb 7:3]. |
| e.7 | *Portrait of WB (photographer unknown). |
| e.8 | *By Layle Silbert: WB at the lectern, dated 11/10/73 (c1974). |
VI. Recordings
| Videocassettes/DVDs | |
| *Videocassette 1 | “The International Poetry Forum presents William Bronk,” a reading held March 9, 1988 at the Carnegie Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Oakland, PA. Return address Network Video, 321 Unity Center Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15239; postmarked July 7, 1988. See Supplementary Materials, Box 4 for program. (Also in DVD format). |
| *Videocassette 2 | Poetry Center Reading Series, “Poetry at the Gallery,” February 14, 1991 solo reading held in the SF Arts Commission Gallery at San Francisco State University. Recording made by The American Poetry Archive, The Poetry Center, SFSU, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132. See Supplementary Materials, Box 4 for program. (Also in DVD format). |
| Audiocassettes | |
| Cassette 1 | Bronk reading at Friends of the Library annual meeting, University of New Hampshire, February 28, 1983. 45 minutes: short introduction by William B. Ewert, followed by readings from Life Supports by William Bronk. See Box 4 for accompanying material. |
| *Cassette 2 | Henry Lyman “Poems to a Listener” interview radio series, including readings of “The Outcry,”"The Duplicities of Sense,” “The Emptiness of Human Being,” “The Wall,” “Of the Natural World,” “The Final Despair,” “The Inability,” and more. |
| *Cassette 3 | “Freedom” chapter of “Silence and Henry Thoreau” essay from The Brother in Elysium, read by the author in 1981, at 51 (sic) Pearl Street. |
| *Cassette 4 | 9/14/81 informal reading at 57 Pearl Street for some Oneonta students, with discussion. |
| *Cassette 5 | 3/19/80 “Poems to a Listener,” with host Henry Lyman (WFCR-FM, Amherst, MA). Bronk reads “mostly new, uncollected poems.” Also 3/30/79 reading in Glens Falls, NY. |
| *Cassette 6 | 11/7/79 poetry reading at Cooper Union forum with Spencer Brown. Introduced by James Weil. |
| *Cassette 7 | Side A: “Public Theatre–No title #1.” Side B: “Providence.” |
| *Cassette 8 | Side A: “No title #2.” Side B:”Cooper Union ’79′ with Brown pt. 1.” Side B is the same material as the beginning of Cassette 6. [note: occasional feedback and squeaks] |
| Cassette 9 | “Poems to a Listener: readings and conversation with William Bronk.” Recorded in Hudson Falls, New York, 1984, 1989. Produced by Henry Lyman, WFCR-FM, Amherst, Massachusetts. Copyright 1994. |
| Cassette 10 | Tape-cassette. William Bronk. Bronk. A Selection. Watershed Signature Series, 1979. [Living Poetry, C-1128]. 56 minutes. |
VII. Appendix A: Index to Bronk Poems Included in Letters
| Poem | Box | Folder | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Abjuration Avowed | 1 | 10 | 4/72 | |
| The Abnegation | 1 | 6 | 5/68 | |
| Adequacy | 1 | 12 | 1/76 | |
| Afraid To Be | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| The Aggrandizement: A Short Road That Has No Turnoff | 1 | 7 | 4/69 | |
| The Aggrandizement: A Short Road That Has No Turnoff | 1 | 7 | 6/69 | |
| The Apartness | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Asking | 1 | 10 | 7/72 | |
| Assuming Reason | 1 | 10 | 3/72 | |
| Bare | 1 | 12 | 6/74 | |
| The Being | 1 | 6 | 8/68 | |
| Being As Unperson | 1 | 13 | 5/75 | |
| Being As Unperson | 1 | 12 | n/a | |
| The Bottom Line | 1 | 12 | 1/76 | |
| Brief | 1 | 18 | 12/82 | |
| A Bright Day In December | 1 | 13 | n.d. | |
| *A Bright Day In December | 1 | 17 | n.d. | |
| Civitas Dei | 1 | 7 | 9/69 | |
| Compulsion | 1 | 4 | 12/75 | |
| The Con | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| Concessions, Cessations | 1 | 10 | 6/72 | |
| The Conclusion | 1 | 11 | 9/73 | |
| The Confirmation | 1 | 12 | 2/76 | |
| The Contention | 1 | 11 | 5/73 | |
| The Convention Of The Species | 1 | 9 | 1/71 | |
| The Crossing | 1 | 12 | 2/76 | |
| *Dawnings (two versions) | 1 | 17 | 12/86 | |
| *Dawnings | n/d | |||
| Dealing With Measure | 1 | 12 | 10/74 | |
| The Defence Of Poesie | 1 | 10 | 4/72 | |
| The Deprived | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| Diminishment | 1 | 12 | 10/74 | |
| The Disproportions of Desire | 1 | 5 | 5/63 | |
| Domine Refugium | 1 | 8 | 5/70 | |
| Dramatis Personae | 1 | 12 | 10/75 | |
| Draw Near With Faith | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| The Dream Of A World Of Objects | 1 | 5 | 6/62 | |
| The Elms Dying | 1 | 5 | 5/63 | |
| The Elusions of Desire | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| The Emptiness of Human Being | 1 | 9 | 10/71 | |
| Equals | 1 | 9 | 3/71 | |
| Ergo Non Sum Est | 1 | 9 | 4/71 | |
| L’Etre Et Le Neant | 1 | 10 | 3/72 | |
| Euclidean Spaces; Linear Time | 1 | 5 | 6/62 | |
| External Determinants | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The False Premise | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Fantasy | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| The Food | 1 | 8 | 2/71 | |
| For Any Speakers | 1 | 2 | 6/75 | |
| For Evil And Destruction | 1 | 12 | 5/76 | |
| The Fragile Endurance Of The World | 1 | 10 | 9/73 | |
| Friendly Greeting | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Full Strength Of Nothing | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Getting Us Straight | 1 | 9 | 3/71 | |
| Gist And Gism | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| The Greeks, The Chinese, Or, Say, The Mayans | 1 | 5 | 6/62 | |
| Green Is A Verity | 1 | 13 | n/d | |
| * Green Is A Verity | 1 | 17 | n/d | |
| The Happy Man | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| He Praises Nescience And Impotence | 1 | 2 | 9/74 | |
| The Holding | 1 | 9 | 5/71 | |
| Hypotheses | 1 | 10 | 12/72 | |
| I Am | 1 | 7 | 3/69 | |
| I Thought It Was Harry | 1 | 6 | 5/68 | |
| I Thought It Was Harry | 1 | 6 | 8/68 | |
| Impersonation | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Importuning of Truth | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| The Impossible As True And The Possible As Not | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| In April | 1 | 11 | 5/73 | |
| In Praise of Love | 1 | 7 | 9/69 | |
| The Inability | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Increasing Abstraction of Language | 1 | 11 | 5/73 | |
| The Indecision | 1 | 2 | 9/74 | |
| The Indecision | 1 | 13 | 10/74 | |
| The Inference | 1 | 9 | 6/71 | |
| Instead | 1 | 9 | 4/71 | |
| The Intended Taste | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| It Comes to This | 1 | 18 | 12/80 | |
| June Comes, Janus-Faced | 1 | 7 | 9/69 | |
| The Lack Of Information | 1 | 12 | 10/75 | |
| The Lack Of Information | 1 | 3 | 10/75 | |
| Leaving Us Out | 1 | 2 | 10/75 | |
| Left | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| The Limits Of Knowledge | 1 | 10 | 3/72 | |
| Looking | 1 | 6 | 5/68 | |
| Looking At It | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| The Lover as not the Loved | 1 | 1 | 5/72 | |
| Lovers | 1 | 12 | 2/76 | |
| The Lullaby | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Makeshift | 1 | 12 | 9/54 | |
| Making It | 1 | 6 | 5/68 | |
| The Mask The Wearer of The Mask Wears | 1 | 7 | 2/69 | |
| Meaning | 1 | 12 | 1/76 | |
| The Meaning | 1 | 10 | 12/72 | |
| The Method | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| *The Mind’s Landscape on an Early Winter Day | 1 | 17 | n/d | |
| Missing | 1 | 10 | 4/72 | |
| Misspoken | 1 | 10 | 10/72 | |
| My Shoulder For Robert. Help Us Both | 1 | 9 | 1/71 | |
| Mystery, Transcendent | 1 | 7 | 9/69 | |
| Name Calling | 1 | 2 | 8/75 | |
| Names Like Barney Cain’s | 1 | 12 | 9/54 | |
| The Natural Sciences | 1 | 12 | 6/74 | |
| 90. Domine Refugium | 1 | 7 | 5/70 | |
| No Need | 1 | 12 | 1/76 | |
| The Non-Lying Of Figures | 1 | 11 | 5/73 | |
| Not My Loneliness, But Ours | 1 | 5 | 6/62 | |
| The Now Rejects Time And Eternity | 1 | 5 | 6/62 | |
| Nowhere | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| Occurrences | 1 | 9 | 11/71 | |
| Old Him | 1 | 12 | 9/54 | |
| On Being Together | 1 | 2 | 11/74 | |
| On Seeing Two Friends Together | 1 | 12 | 9/54 | |
| On The Death Of Cardinal Tissenant | 1 | 10 | 3/72 | |
| Ontology Offers A Hindrance To Humanism | 1 | 12 | 6/74 | |
| The Opposition | 1 | 7 | 9/63 | |
| Our Helpless Wonder | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| Outspoken | 1 | 12 | 2/76 | |
| The Passage | 1 | 12 | 10/74 | |
| Paul, Prisoner of the Lord And Courses Run | 1 | 12 | 10/75 | |
| The Poems: All Concessions Made | 1 | 11 | 2/73 | |
| Polarity | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Potential of Shame Acknowledged | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| The Preference | 1 | 10 | 12/72 | |
| The Prejudice of Good Order | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| The Pretext | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| *The Primacy of Light | 1 | 17 | n.d. | |
| Pride Which Goes Not Only Before But Behind and Probably Side-Ways Too | 1 | 13 | 10/74 | |
| Put | 1 | 10 | 4/72 | |
| The Random | 1 | 12 | 6/75a | |
| The Rapport | 1 | 12 | 9/54 | |
| *The Red at Sherman’s Farm | 1 | 17 | n.d. | |
| The Revelation | 1 | 10 | 9/72 | |
| The Ruling Passion | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| 17 March | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Signification | 1 | 10 | 3/72 | |
| The Slightness of Unbelief | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Smart Cookies: Are You It? | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Something Like Tepees | 1 | 6 | 9/68 | |
| Sovereign Value | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Spring Storm | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| The Stance | 1 | 9 | 6/71 | |
| The Story Of Mankind From Earliest Times to the Present Day | 1 | 7 | 9/63 | |
| Subject As If Certainty | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| The Subsidy | 1 | 8 | 11/70 | |
| The Substantive | 1 | 8 | 12/70 | |
| Succoth | 1 | 12 | 10/75 | |
| Succoth | 1 | 3 | 10/75 | |
| Sun | 1 | 5 | 6/62 | |
| Surprise Ending | 1 | 12 | n/a | |
| Telling Us | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Temporal Considerations | 1 | 4 | 11/75 | |
| Temporal Considerations | 1 | 12 | 11/75 | |
| That Something There Is Should Be | 1 | 6 | ?/68 | |
| The Things That Are, Are Not | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| This Time, Get It Notarized | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| Through the Woods | 1 | 18 | 2/81 | |
| To Be A Saint Like Christopher | 1 | 2 | 9/74 | |
| To Praise The Music | 1 | 8 | 2/71 | |
| The Torment | 1 | 6 | 8/68 | |
| The Touch | 1 | 11 | 7/73 | |
| Ultimate Proof | 1 | 12 | 10/74 | |
| The Unbecoming Of Wanted And Wanter | 1 | 10 | 2/72 | |
| The Unbelievable | 1 | 7 | 9/69 | |
| The Unsaid | 1 | 10 | 4/72 | |
| The Use Of Invented Order | 1 | 5 | 6/63 | |
| The Use-Unuse Of Us | 1 | 7 | 4/69 | |
| Utterances | 1 | 9 | 10/71 | |
| *Virgin and Child with Music and Numbers | 1 | 17 | 12/56 | |
| Wanting To Come Back | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Watching The Young | 1 | 9 | 3/71 | |
| The What And Where | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| What Goes, What Stays | 1 | 11 | 1/73 | |
| What It Is | 1 | 12 | 8/75 | |
| What It Is | 1 | 12 | n/a | |
| What The Body Does And Doesn’t Do | 1 | 10 | 10/72 | |
| What To Do In Our Helplessness | 1 | 10 | 6/72 | |
| What Way The Weather Goes | 1 | 10 | 10/72 | |
| What We Are | 1 | 9 | 2/71 | |
| What We Call Force. Gravity? | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Where Are We | 1 | 12 | 2/74 | |
| Where It Ends | 1 | 13 | n/a | |
| Who Feels It | 1 | 12 | 1/74 | |
| Who Needs It | 1 | 11 | 11/73 | |
| Who Wanted It | 1 | 11 | 11/73 | |
| Why Not? | 1 | 10 | 3/72 | |
| With It | 1 | 12 | 6/75 | |
| *The Wonder | 1 | 17 | n.d. | |
| The World As World | 1 | 12 | 2/74 | |
| Writing You | 1 | 6 | 6/68 | |
| Writing You | 1 | 6 | 8/68 | |
| 11 untitled poems | 1 | 12 | 9/76 | |
| 4 untitled poems | 1 | 12 | 10/76 | |
| 6 untitled poems | 1 | 13 | 3/77 | |
| 2 untitled poems | 1 | 3 | 10/75 | |
| 1 untitled poem (Burning Deck postcard) | 1 | 18 | 7/90 |
VIII. Appendix B: Bronk Publications at UNH
| Complete listing of items published by Bronk in the UNH library |
| Books about Bronk |
| Limited edition publications in William B. Ewert Collection: |
| MC 70 Box 2 f.3 |
Light in a Dark Sky. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1982. Ms/typed mock-up. Proofs. Uncut printed proofs. Printed mock up with cover. printed cover labels. Publication announcement. |
| MC 70 Box 7 f.2 |
Through The Woods. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1983. Christmas card. One of 100 copies printed for private distribution by the author and publisher. Calligraphy and illustration by Douglas Strickler. |
| MC 70 Box 7 f.9 | A Bright Day in December. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1985. One of 136 copies printed for private distribution. One of a set of Christmas cards printed on special paper and signed by their authors. Set 2 of 36. Also includes two signed but unnumbered cards of this poem by Bronk. |
| MC 70 Oversize Box 1 f.11 |
Two Apostrophes. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1985. Designed by John Kristensen. Printed at the Firefly Press. Copy number 11 of 86 copies signed by the author. Copy letter U of 86 copies signed by the author and presentation copy inscribed “for Stuart Wright.” |
| MC 70 Box 7 f.16 |
Dawnings. Concord, N.H.: William B. Ewert, 1987. Broadside. Designed by John Kristensen. Printed at the Firefly Press for private distribution. Number 4 of 35. Signed by the author. |
May 30th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Bill Bronk was a friend, and we met and corresponded in the 1980s. He included “Dawnings” in a note he wrote to me on January 5, 1987, as follows:
Dawnings
Summers, dawn says the dark is aberrant but in winter, dawn’s confidence astonishes coming with all it knows about the dark.