Identifier

MA 47

Dates

1919-1920

Extent

55.0 linear feet (55 record boxes)

Abstract

The Kathleen Norris Papers document the literary career and personal writings of poet and nonfiction writer Kathleen Norris (born 1947). Norris graduated from Punahou Preparatory School in Hawaii in 1965 and from Bennington College in 1969. Early in her career she worked as an arts administrator for Elizabeth Kray of the Academy of American Poets. Her first book of poetry, Falling Off, was published in 1971 and received the Big Table Younger Poets Award. She later lived for more than twenty-five years in Lemmon, South Dakota, with her husband, poet David Dwyer. Experiences from this period informed her nonfiction work Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, which received national recognition. Norris has also maintained a longstanding relationship with Benedictine monastic communities, particularly Assumption Abbey in North Dakota and Saint John’s Abbey in Minnesota, influences that are reflected in her writing. In addition to her publications, Norris has served as poetry editor of Spirituality & Health and has participated widely in lectures, workshops, and symposia.

The collection includes manuscripts, correspondence, research materials, notebooks, and publications related to Norris’s poetry, nonfiction books, essays, and other writings. Materials include juvenilia from Bennington College, faculty reports, interviews, and a substantial series of notebooks dating from the early 1970s to 2009 that contain journal entries, drafts of poems and essays, and inserted ephemera such as postcards, clippings, photographs, and prayer cards. Files relating to Norris’s published works include draft and annotated manuscripts, galley proofs, cover designs, book notes, reviews, promotional materials, and international editions. Additional materials document her essays, sermons, reviews, and contributions to anthologies and symposia, as well as publications referencing her work.

The papers document the development of Norris’s literary career and her contributions to contemporary American poetry and spiritual nonfiction. They provide insight into her writing process, intellectual influences, and the relationship between literature, spirituality, and regional identity in the northern Great Plains.

SDSU Archives and Special Collections

This document is a descriptive inventory of the collection in the SDSU Archives and Special Collections. It contains:

  • An overview of the collection, including information about the person or organization and a brief description of the materials and subjects found within.
  • A detailed inventory listing, organized by boxes and folders.
  • Information on how to access the materials, including any restrictions or special conditions.

In most cases, the materials in the collections have not been digitized and are not available online. If you would like to know more about the contents of the collection, please contact the SDSU Archives at:

Language

English

Publisher

South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library, Brookings, South Dakota.

Rights

In Copyright: This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). Materials in this collection may be subject to Title 17, Section 108 of the United States Copy-right Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, publicity, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permis-sions is the user's responsibility. Written authorization from the copyright and/or other rights holders is required for publication, distribution, or any use of protected materials beyond what is permitted under fair use.

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