En Passant archive

The En Passant Archive, spanning the dates 1970 – 1983, is the archive of the little poetry magazine En Passant, edited by James Costello in Wilmington, Delaware. The 1.3 linear feet of material in the collection consists of letters from contributors, administrative correspondence, little magazines, including twelve issues of En Passant, and the manuscripts of most of the thirteen issues of the magazine published between 1975 and 1983.

The archive is divided into three series: the first is primarily correspondence from contributors, editors of other little magazines, and subscribers. The correspondence series is arranged chronologically by year, and divided into two smaller groups: correspondence from contributors and administrative matters. There is also one folder containing the personal papers and correspondence of James Costello, and a folder of miscellaneous newsletters and flyers related to poetry. The second series in the archive includes the manuscripts of nine of the thirteen published issues of En Passant. The third series contains publications related to En Passant and James Costello’s own poetry.

The En Passant Archive contains a comprehensive selection of items typically associated with administration of a little magazine. The majority of the items in the archive are letters from the contributors whose works were published in En Passant. Although examples of Costello’s written comments are rare, the correspondence does reflect the editorial exchange that passed between Costello and the poets who sought publication in his magazine. Many of the letters are replies to the detailed feedback Costello appears to have provided his contributors — some thanked him, while others voiced disagreement. After Costello accepted a poem for publication he often received letters of appreciation from the contributor. These letters typically include the biographical data that eventually appeared on En Passant’s contributor’s notes page. There is also a significant percentage of on-going correspondence between Costello and several En Passant contributors. One of the most frequent correspondents, Nathan Cervo, a poet and professor of English at Franklin Pierce College, discussed poetry, little magazines, and the difficulties of publishing poetry.

The administrative correspondence, which forms a much smaller group of items, deals mostly with business matters such as subscriptions, grants, and advertising.

The manuscripts in the second series are nearly all original typescripts as submitted by the contributors, most of which have autograph changes and corrections made in Costello’s hand. All of the nine issues represented are collated in their published page order and contain various typesetting instructions for the printer. The editorial process of the magazine is further revealed when examining the manuscripts alongside the contributor’s correspondence. Many of the contributors’ letters address the changes Costello has suggested and it is possible to trace the progression of several poems.

The personal papers of James Costello include letters from editors and associates, photos, reviews, and other items related to Costello’s published poetry.

The publications series includes twelve of the thirteen published issues of En Passant (a complete set of the little magazine is available in Special Collections), several little magazines that published Costello’s poetry, and two small books of Nathan Cervo’s poetry.