Harry Moore papers

The Harry Moore papers, spanning the dates between 1919 and 1982, comprises one linear foot of correspondence, clippings, essays, and ephemera relating to the academic work of literary scholar and educator Harry Thorton Moore; the collection documents some of Moore's work on English novelist D.H. Lawrence as well as his literary and personal associations with several authors and poets including Kay Boyle, Caresse Crosby, Anais Nin, and Richard Rees.

The collection is arranged into six series: I. D.H. Lawrence; II. Kay Boyle; III. Caresse Crosby; IV. Anais Nin; V. Richard Rees; and VI. Letters. The series titles generally correspond to the person with whom Moore corresponded. Series one and series six, however, are the exceptions.

Series I. contains letters and other items related to D.H. Lawrence, a major figure in Moore's literary scholarship. Although the series contains only one letter from D.H. Lawrence, it includes letters from his wife, Frieda Lawrence, and friend, Helen Corke. Also included in this series are letters from D.H. Lawrence’s sister Ada to Martha Gordon Crotch (addressed as "Auntie"), letters to Harry Moore regarding D.H. Lawrence scholarship and articles and essays on D.H. Lawrence.

Series II. contains letters from Kay Boyle to Moore written between 1956 and 1974. Kay Boyle (1902-1992) is known for her work and achievements as a poet, short story writer, novelist, journalist, teacher, and political activist. During the time when the letters in this collection were written, Boyle was teaching creative writing at San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University) and was heavily involved in political activism.

Series III. includes letters to Moore from Caresse Crosby written between 1945 and 1969. Caresse Crosby (1892-1970) was a writer and publisher born in New York City. During the time when the letters in this collection were written, Crosby was living in Washington, D.C., running a modern art gallery and founding and managing Portfolio: An Intercontinental Review, issued under the Black Sun Press, the publishing company begun by Crosby and her late husband, Harry Crosby. In the early 1950s Crosby moved to a castle near Rome, Italy, and established an artist and writers' colony. She also founded two organizations, Women Against War and Citizens of the World, both aimed at improving international relations. Her memoir, The Passionate Years, was published in 1953. Moore was also named Crosby's literary executor upon her death in 1970.

Series IV. includes letters to Moore from Anais Nin from 1963-1976. Anais Nin (1903-1977) was a writer born in Paris, France, who is best known for her diary which was published in seven volumes. In 1961, Nin had moved to Los Angeles and the first volume of her diary was published in 1966. At this time, she began to give lectures and speeches around the country and she was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1974.

Series V. includes letters from Sir Richard Rees to Harry Moore written between 1940 and 1969. Richard Rees (1900-1970) was a translator, publisher, author and part-time painter whose works were exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. Rees was editor of Adelphi for six years and was considered to be an authority on Simone Weil.

Series VI. includes letters sent to Moore from various authors arranged by date. Among the notable authors represented in this section are Henry Miller, Robert Penn Warren, Bertrand Russell, John Ciardi, Aldous Huxley, Alfred Kinsey, Lionel Trilling, Diana Trilling, James Farrell, Truman Capote, Arthur Mizener, Normal Mailer, Saul Bellow, John Guenther, John Gardner, David Garnett, Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike, E.M. Forster, Herbert Gold, and Edmund Wilson. An index arranged by author's last name provides the folder number in which letters from each correspondent can be found.