A Guide to the Katherine Anne Porter Collection, 1955 March 17 Porter, Katherine Anne Collection 6339-h

A Guide to the Katherine Anne Porter Collection, 1955 March 17

A Collection in
Clifton Waller Barrett Library
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 6339-h

Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/

Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Special Collections Department

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

6339-h

Title

Katherine Anne Porter Collection 1955 Mar 17

Physical Characteristics

This collection consists of 2 items.

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Katherine Anne Porter Collection, Accession #6339-h, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased on 1997 June 23.

Scope and Content Information

Bower writes to Porter inviting her to teach at New York University.

Porter, New York City, replies that she would be interested in teaching courses in reading and understanding literature, but not in teaching or talking about writing.

Contents List

Warren Bower, Assistant Dean, New York University, New York City, to Katherine Anne Porter, New York City 1955 Mar 17

TL. 1 p.

[Asks Porter to consider teaching two evening courses, in writing and in literature, for the Adult Division of New York University while she is staying in the city]

Katherine Anne Porter, New York City, to Warren Bower, New York University 1955 Mar 17

TLS. 1 p.

[Replies to Bower's offer of a job teaching courses in the evenings by mentioning the types of work she has done for universities in the past, including lecture tours, writers' conferences, and straight teaching for eighteen years, visiting more than 150 colleges and universities; she also comments about teaching a writing course, "I cannot ever again undertake to teach a writing course. It is the most appalling work on earth, I had rather visit the blood bank once a week than again to undertake reading manuscripts and advising beginning writers. There is quite literally no end to it. And I could not engage myself for more than one lecture a week, a course in literature. I am at this point much more interested in encouraging people to be good readers than teaching them writing techniques. But the fact is, I am not willing to exhaust myself at this kind of teaching at the expense of a little time and energy for my own writing."]