Alexander Blackburn papers, 1880-2021
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Summary
- Creator:
- Blackburn, Alexander
- Abstract:
- Professor emeritus of English and Creative Writing at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs; novelist; son of Duke University faculty member William M. Blackburn. Writings and correspondence of Alexander Blackburn, including books, correspondence, postcards, drafts, and typescripts of unpublished works. Also includes Blackburn and Cheney family history materials, genealogic materials, photographs, and a scrapbook.
- Extent:
- 26.5 Linear Feet
- Language:
- Material in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.00114
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection consists primarily of writings by Alexander Blackburn, including books, articles, clippings, and typescripts of unpublished works between 1953 and 1998. The collection also includes correspondence with writer Frank Waters and some other letters, memorabilia, editorial files, and an almost complete run of the literary journal "Writer's Forum", which Blackburn edited. The collection also includes documents dating from 1880 to 2021, such as writings, drafts, books, family history materials, and materials from Alexander Blackburn's mother, Elizabeth Cheney Blackburn, and the Cheney family.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Alexander Blackburn (1929-2021) was the son of William Blackburn and Elizabeth Cheney Bayne Blackburn. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina (M.A., 1956) and the University of Cambridge (Ph.D., 1963). He served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War before becoming a professor of English and literature at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1973. His interests and writings centered on the American West; he also published a critical study on the writer-philosopher Frank Waters. Blackburn also founded and edited the Writers' Forum literary journal. He retired in 1995 and died in October, 2021. His books and novels include the following:
- A Strange Joy
- Remembering Time: Stories and Novellas
- Creative Spirit: Toward a Better World
- A Sunrise Brighter Still: The Visionary Novels of Frank Waters
- The Cold War of Kitty Pentecost
- The Myth of the Picaro: Continuity and Transformation of the Picaresque Novel, 1554-1954
More information on Alexander Blackburn can be found at his website, www.alexanderblackburn.com . His autobiography, Meeting the Professor (2008), details both his life and that of his father, William Blackburn.
- Acquisition information:
- The Alexander Blackburn Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 1999, 2004, 2010, 2020, and 2023.
- Processing information:
-
Accessioned by Meghan Lyon, January 2010 and Laurin Penland, January 2020.
Encoded by Meghan Lyon, January 2010
Materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.
Accession 2023-0171 processed and finding aid updated by Ofelia Lopez.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged into series: Personal Correspondence, Works by Alexander Blackburn, Personal and Family Materials, General Materials, Books and Magazines, and Clippings.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
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Contents
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- Restrictions:
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Access note. Collection contains fragile audiovisual/photographic formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.
- Terms of access:
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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
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- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], Alexander Blackburn Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m17k56