11th Floor, .33 cubic ft. Scope and content One of the focus areas for collection development within Special Collections is contemporary poetry. An effort is made to collect Robert Duncan's works and enhance them with manuscripts and letters.
Provenance varies and is indicated for each item within folder contents.
Calif. Duncan was adopted by the Symmes when his mother died, and therefore he has also written as Robert Edward Symmes. Duncan is best remembered for his role in establishing the San Francisco Bay area as a hub for American poets. Important poet, critic, essayist, dramatist, non-fiction writer, editor, and author of children's books, linked with the Black Mountain School, the San Francisco Renaissance, and the Beat movement. Duncan's poetry reflects his knowledge of history, mythology, mysticism and literature. He believed that composing a poem is a spontaneous act, with no need for any revisions or formal structure.