Papers MA 047.01 - David Dwyer Papers

Identity area

Reference code

MA 047.01

Title

David Dwyer Papers

Date(s)

  • 1984-2017 (Creation)

Level of description

Papers

Extent and medium

4.0 linear feet (4 record boxes)

Context area

Name of creator

(1946-2003)

Biographical history

Poet David Dwyer grew up just north of New York City and commuted to Manhattan for high school. He later settled in Lemmon, South Dakota, with his wife, writer Kathleen Norris, after she inherited her maternal grandparents’ farm.

Dwyer’s debut poetry collection, Ariana Olisvos: Her Last Works and Days, received the Juniper Prize and was published in 1976 by the University of Massachusetts Press. His second collection, Other Men and Other Women, was supported by a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and published in 1988 by Sandhills Press in Ord, Nebraska. His work also appeared in leading literary journals and anthologies, including The New York Quarterly, The Agni Review, and The Virginia Quarterly Review.

David Dwyer died in 2003 at the age of 57 after a long illness, leaving a legacy of reflective and evocative poetry.

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Scope and content

The David Dwyer Papers, spanning the years 1924–2017 (bulk 1969–2003), document the life and literary career of poet, translator, and writer David Dwyer. The collection comprises a wide range of materials related to Dwyer’s published works, translations, personal correspondence, literary activities, and other creative endeavors, reflecting his engagement with both regional and national literary communities.

Included are drafts, manuscripts, annotated proofs, and correspondence for Dwyer’s major poetry collections, including Ariana Olisvos: Her Last Works and Days (1976) and Other Men and Other Women (1988), as well as numerous published and unpublished poems, prose pieces, and literary projects. The papers also preserve working notes and early drafts that provide insight into Dwyer’s creative process. His translation work is well-represented, particularly his efforts to render the writings of French poet Catherine Pozzi, including Agnes, and related research notes and manuscripts.

Correspondence reflects Dwyer’s relationships with publishers, literary figures, and institutions, as well as his efforts to secure fellowships and publication. The collection includes documentation of his participation in residencies and literary programs, such as the Plains Writers Series and an artist residency in Glen Falls, New York. Awards and recognitions such as the Juniper Prize and the Bush Artist Fellowship are also documented.

Personal materials include educational records, travel documentation, personal correspondence, and items related to his health and final years, notably materials concerning his lung cancer diagnosis, treatment, and death in 2003. Tributes, memorials, and correspondence related to his burial at Assumption Abbey in North Dakota are also present.

Visual and ephemera materials include photographs of Dwyer and family members, headshots, and images of rural South Dakota, as well as membership cards, certificates, and personal documents. The collection also contains literary journals, chapbooks, anthologies, and yearbooks in which Dwyer's work appeared, making it a resource for studying American poetry, literary translation, and regional literary history.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

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Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

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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 Copyright Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permissions 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. .sdstate.edu/sdsu-archives-and-special-collections/researcher-registration-form)

The collection is open for research, but please note that the materials in the Archives do not circulate and can only be used In the SDSU Archives and Special Collections Reading Room.

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In most cases, the materials in this collection have not been digitized and are not available online.

South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections supports access to the materials in its collections. However, access to some items may be restricted due to their fragile condition, donor agreements, or other considerations.

If you would like to know more about the contents of the collection, please contact the SDSU Archives at: Telephone: 605-688-5094 Email: arcrefs@sdstate.edu

Conditions governing reproduction

Reproduction of materials from the collection is subject to the following conditions:

  • Permission: Written permission must be obtained from the SDSU Archives for any reproduction, publication, or quotation of materials.
  • Copyright: Users are responsible for complying with copyright laws and securing any necessary permissions from copyright holders.
  • Fragile Materials: Some items may not be reproduced due to their fragile condition.
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Language of material

  • English

Script of material

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    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Uploaded finding aid

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Ariana Olisvos: Her Last Works and Days
    Publication Date: 1976

    Other Men and Other Women
    Publication Date: 1988

    Notes area

    Note

    Copyright and Use Statement

    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 Copyright Act. Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with copyright, privacy, trademark, and other applicable rights for their intended use. Obtaining all necessary permissions 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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