Guide to the Marguerite Yourcenar Collection, 1937, 1964-1996, undated
No restrictions.
"L'Oeuvre au Noir," 1968, ts. with ms. corrections, also available on microfilm; George J. Mitchell Dept. of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Me.; 1 microfilm reel.
Marguerite Yourcenar Collection, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine
The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.
Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) was the author of historical novels, essays, poetry, and short stories, and a translator of works into her native French. Working principally in French, her most famous works are Mémoires d'Hadrien (Memoirs of Hadrian), published in 1951, and L'Oeuvre au Noir (The Abyss), published in 1968.
Madame Yourcenar was born Marguerite de Crayencour in Belgium, and came to the United States in 1937 in pursuit of her friendship with the American academic Grace Frick, who became her lifelong companion and translator. She returned to this country at the outbreak of the Second World War and became a naturalized citizen in 1947. She taught briefly at Sarah Lawrence College (1942) and lectured at other colleges and universities in the U.S. and Europe, but chose to live and write at Northeast Harbor, Maine. Her long and distinguished career as a writer led to memberships in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, in the Acadêmie de Belgique, and, the first woman so elected, in the Acadêmie Française. She received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Bowdoin in 1968.
The collection consists of drafts and proofs with holographic corrections, including L'Oeuvre au Noir; correspondence; newspaper clippings and articles; information on Marguerite Yourcenar's hometown of Bailleul; and an audio tape of an interview with Marguerite Yourcenar.
It is supplemented by first and subsequent editions and translations of the published works of Marguerite Yourcenar, which include many of her bibliographic notations.
Page proofs and typescripts of works by Marguerite Yourcenar with manuscript corrections.
Arranged chronologically.
"L'Oeuvre au Noir," 1968, ts. with ms. corrections, also available on microfilm.
No restrictions.
1966, "Fleuve Profond, Sombre Riviere," page proof for pocket edition
1968, "L'Oeuvre au Noir," ts. with ms. corrections (also available on microfilm)
[1970 or 1971], "Theatre I," ts. with corrections in the author's hand in preparation for the 1971 Gallimard ed.
1974, "Souvenirs Pieux," ts. with ms. corrections; autographed copy
1975, "Souvenirs Pieux," ts. with ms. corrections; autographed copy
Includes correspondence, primarily with Bowdoin College librarians, the Humane Society, and Mary Blume; newspaper clippings, articles, book reviews, obituaries, and posters. Also included is an audio tape of a 1983 interview with Marguerite Yourcenar.
Arranged alphabetically.
No restrictions.
Audio tape: interview with Marguerite Yourcenar, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, 1983
Correspondence, 1968-1970
Correspondence, 1974-1987
Correspondence, undated
Drawing of Caestre in Flanders, France, by J.DZ, 1937
Ephemera - printed material, some with handwritten notes, 1964-1996, n.d.
Material concerning Bailleul, Marguerite Yourcenar's hometown, n.d.
Newspaper clippings and articles, 1968-1993
Posters, 1968, 1989
Publisher's catalogue, 1985
Records of Yourcenar video recording held by Bowdoin's library, 1986
Reviews: Mishima: A Vision of the Void, 1986 Nov, Dec