MSS 3/2
Irving Layton
A Finding Aid of the Layton Collection at the University of Saskatchewan
Prepared by Craig Harkema and Mallory Wiebe(adapted from original inventory by Glen
Makahonuk)
Spring 2009
Series
I. Published Monographs
II. Anothologies
III. Tape Recordings
IV. Published Material by Irving Layton
V. Material About Irving Layton published by others.
VI. Irving Layton Manuscripts
VII. Material by Others.
VIII. Correspondence, 1954 - 1961.
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I. Published Monographs
1. Here and Now. Montreal, First statement, 1945. (New writers series, no. 1)
2. Love the conqueror worm. Toronto, Contact Press, 1953.
3. In the midst of my fever. Divers Press, 1954.
4. The long pea-shooter. Montreal, Laocoon Press, 1954.
5. The cold green element. Montreal, Contact Press, 1955.
6. The blue propeller. Montreal, Contact Press, 1955.
7. The improved binoculars. 2d. ed. Highland, North Caroline, Jonathan Williams, 1956. (Jargon
18).
8. The improved binoculars. 1st. ed. Highlands, North Caroline, Jonathan Williams, 1956.
9. Music on a kazoo. Montreal, Contact Press, 1956.
10. The bull calf and other poems. Montreal, Contact Press.
11. A laughter in the mind. Highlands, North Carolina, Jonathan Williams, 1958. 2 copies.
12. A laughter in the mind. 2d. ed. with twenty additional poems. Highlands, North Carolina,
Jonathan Williams, 1959.
13. A red carpet for the sun. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1959.
14. The Swinging flash. Toronto McClelland and Stewart, 1961.
15. Balls for a one-armed juggler. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1963.
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II. Anthologies
1. Cerberus; poems by Louis Dudek, Irving Layton and Raymond Souster. Toronto, Contact
Press, 1952.
2. Cerberus; mounted galley proofs.
3. Canadian Poems, 1850-1952; edited by Louis Dudek and Irving Layton. 1st. ed. Toronto,
Contact Press, 1952.
4. Canadian poems, 1850-1952; edited by Louis Dudek and Irving Layton. 2nd ed, rev. Toronto,
Contact Press, 1953.
5. Love where the nights are long: an anthology of Canadian love poems; selection, Irving
Layton. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1962.
6. Love where the nights are long special deluxe edition limited to 199 copies, (oversize)
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III. Tape Recordings
i. Irving Layton's lecture "Prince Hamlet and the Beatniks" It was delivered at the
David B. Steinman Festival, St. Lawrence University. February 18, 1962. Parts 1
and 2.
ii. Irving Layton Poetry. 2 reels of poetry reading.
ia.
1. The Swimmer
2. Harrowspecks
3. On My Way to School
4. Newsboy
5. To A Very Old Woman
6. Terrene
7. To the Girls of My Graduating Class
8. Philosophy "34"
9. The Madonna of the Magnificat
10. Seven O'clock Lecture
11. Composition in Late Spring
12. A Birth of Tragedy
13. How Poems Get Written
14. Misunderstanding
15. Latria
16. How to Look at an Abstract
17. The Cold Green Element
18. The Improved Binoculars
19. For Louise, Age 17
20. Song for Naomi
21. The Bull Calf
ib
1. The Bull Calf
2. The Fertile Muck
3. The Way of the World
4. Sacrament by the Water
5. On Being Bitten by a Dog
6. Bargain
7. Climbing
8. Cat Dying in Autumn
9. Untitled poem - A poem about his mother's death Family 10. Portrait Dans le
Jardin
11. Why I Don't Make Love to the First Lady Success
12. Moral with a Story
13. Love Among the Cannibals
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IV. Published Material by Irving Layton.
1. Photoprints of early items ca 1935-1938.
(a) Letter to editor of FaiIt-Ye Times signed Anthony Ayre.
November 22, 1935.
(b) Articles from Failt-Ye Times on Current History, October 18, 1935January 24, 1936.
(c) The farmer thinks: the new deal for agriculture, n.d. Series of
articles published in Macdonald College Supplement of McGill dl Daily.
( d ) Silhouette of a man. Article. Undated.
(e) Poems:
i. Ah rats!
ii. Medley for our times
iii. Day of wrath Vigil
iv. Thaumaturge. Dated Montreal, November, 18, 1937. Masquerade, signed Irving
Lazaroviten. February 21, 1936. Meum sit propositum: Lyrics - Meditations of a
Liberal.
v. A Jewish Rabbi.
vi. Poetic socialism.,
(1) Portrait of a pseudo - socialist.
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(2)On the proposed air pact outlawing a bombing of cities.
De Mortuis To L.B.
Voltaire Jezebel
Old Halifax Cemetery
(f) College Life - Personalities - Biographical sketch of Layton -Lazarrovitch sic.
October 25, 1935.
2.First Statement, Montreal, edited by Layton and Louis Dudek. vol. 1,
no. 13, no. 15, no. 17, no. 19 (included "Say it again, Brother"),
no. 20 (includes 2 poems Gonorrhea Racetrack and Upper Water Street
(3 copies); vol. 2, no. 1 (August, 1943) (includes poem Forecast and review of J. E.
Ward's This England),vol■ 2, no. 2 (September 1943) includes poem 1943), vol. 2,
no. 5 (Mr. 1944) (includes poem DeBullion Street and review of Archibald
Lampmann's At the Long Sault), vol. 2, no. 12 (April/May, 1945) (review of Poems by
A.M. Klein); pages 9-24 unidentified issue (includes article Lets Win the Peace.
3.McGill Daily September 26, 1962 includes two poems of I. Layton
"Drunk on McGill Campus" and "Breakdown".
4.Canadian Forum, Toronto (indexed in Canadian Index). October, 1955,
October, 1956, March 1957, February 1958, September 1960, February 1961
March 1961, October 1961, May 1962, June 1962.
5. Northern Review, Montreal.
vol. 1, no. 4 (December, January, 1947) (includes short story A Death in the
Family).
vol. 2, no. 2 (July/August, 1962) (includes One and Two) vol. 2, no. 6
(August/September, 1947) includes two poems: Karl Marx and
Eagle).
vol. 2, no. 5 (February/March, 1947) (includes two poems: The Yard and A
Poor Poet is Grateful for a Sudden Thaw).
6. Commentary(American Jewish Community). New York. vol. 10, no. 1 (July, 1950)
(includes Gothic Landscape: a poem), vol. 12, no. 1 (July, 1951) (includes Haruspex: a
poem).
7. CIV/N no. 7(1957?) Montreal. (includes article Shaw, Pound and Poetry).
8. Black Mountain Review (Black Mountain College). North Carolina, vol. 1, no. 2
(Summer, 1954) includes Motet, a poem).
9. Bulletin of Montreal Teachers Federation of Jewish Schools. vol. 1, no. 1 (October,
1955) (includes The Role of the Teacher, an article).
10. Origin.
XVII (Fall/Winter, 1955/56) (includes his short story Mrs. Polinov).
XVIII (Winter/Spring, 1956) Ashland, Mass, Issue edited by Irving Layton. (includes
his poems The Way of the World, Halos at LacMarie Louise, Thoughts in the Water
and Abel Cain.
11. Panic: A Selection of Contemporary Canadian Poems; editied by Irving Layton
Housatonic, Mass. no. 2 (1958). (includes Olives for Jay Macpherson and Poetic Fame.
12. Exchange. Montreal
vol. 1, no. 1 (November, 1961) (includes The Gods Speak Out, a poem), vol. 1, no. 2
(December, 1961) (includes Questions, a poem)".
13. Tamarack Review. Toronto.
18 (Winter, 1961) (includes the short story A Game of Chess and three poems Magda,
Today I am A Man and For Professor F. M. Heichelheim). 22 (Winter, 1962) (includes
three poems Silence, The Cage and No Shish Kebab).
14. Montreal Star. Oct 25, 1961. More in Anger than in Sorrow, genius answers
mediocrity.
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V. Material about Irving Layton published by others.
1. Queen's Quarterly. Vol. 62, no. 4 (Winter, 1956) includes "The Fertile Muck" a
poem and a review of Layton's recent poetry by A. J. M. Smith. Vol. 63, no. 2
(Summer, 1956) includes "Layton now and Then" by Louis Dudek.
2. University of Toronto Quarterly Vol. 26, no. 3 (April 1957) includes Poetry reviews
for 1956 by Northrop Frye.
Vol. 31, no. 4 (July 1962) Poetry review for 1961 by Milton Wilson.
3. Alphabet no. 3 (December 1961) includes Geoffrey Ran's review of Layton's
Swinging Flesh.
4. Teangadoir. Series 2, vol. 5 (November 1961) mimeographed. Includes "FiveDrake" an interview with Irving Layton on Jewish writers in Canadian Literature.
5. Dalhousie Review n.d.
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a. Includes A. D. Hope's book review of I. Layton's A red Carpet for the Sun.
b. Includes E. W. MandelVs book review of I. Layton's A laughter in the Mind.
6. Tarmarack Review, Autumn 1959.
Includes E. Mandel's book review of I. Layton's A Red Carpet for the Sun.
7. Saturday Night October 24, 1959.
Includes a short article discussing I. Layton's poetry.
8. Hugh Kenner on the Work of Irving Layton In
Poetry (Chicago) September 1959. This is a book
review of Irving Layton's A Laughter in the Mind.
9. Newspaper clippings about I. Layton
a. The Georgian March 4, 1958 "Layton Lashes Western Spiritual Decline" by Tevia
Abrams.
b. Congress Bulletin May 1959 "Layton-Strong Voice in Canaian Poetry"
by William C. Williams
c . Brunswickan January 22, 1960 "Irving Layton versus Dave Fairbairn" by Dave
Fairbairn.
d. Monitor March 17, 1960 "Canadian not aware of tradition", Layton by Nat
Bernstein,
e. McGilT Daily November 17, 1961. "Layton Enumerates Enemies" by Boyle
Schecter.
f. Toronto Daily Star, December 23, 1961 "Irving Layton"
g. Free Press 1962 "Eichmann should Make Lecture Tour, Says Poet" by Pat Benham.
h. Loyola News March 16, 1962 "The News talks to Irving Layton, the Montreal Poet"
by Martin Sherwood.
i. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix November 8, 1965 "Layton claims Canadians repressed,
lacking in passion" by Paul Jackson.
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VI. Irving Layton Manuscripts
1. Machiavelli. 1938 10 p. essay.
2. Notebook containing lecture notes and drafts of poems, [ca. 1944?] ms.
Contents:
p1-5 Lecture notes on Plato & Athens.
p6-8 Drafts of poem - first line "From the reeling autobus I see", titled Street Scene
then A vision
p9 Lecture note on Hamlet
plO-12 Lecture notes on educational problems in a changing world.
p13-27 Drafts of poems finally titled Teacher, earlier titles Re-union, Schoolmaster
p28-34 Drafts of poem finally titled Philosophy 34
p35 The literary life; hateful verses draft
p36-44 Overhead in a barbershop various drafts with changing titles.
p45 A booklist
p46-50 Overhead in a barbershop further drafts.
p51-52 Education draft
p53 Draft of poem - first line "What the wind said"
p54-55 Blank
p66 A timetable and further draft of Philosophy 34
3. Undated drafts [ca. 1955] all prose items.
a. The poet in Canada typescript with ms. annotations. 3 1. notes for a talk.
b. Wanted a new vocabulary typescript with ms. title & annotations 1 1.
c. An open letter to Louis Dudek, typescript carbon 4 1.
d. A Dominion Day address mimeographed with ms. title 3 1.
4. Music on a Kazoo [ca. 1956] typescript draft of book for ms. annotations.
5. Commonplace book, cover dated October 29, 1958.
ms. Contents:
p1 Notes of expenses in Paris
p2-5 In praise of benefactors drafts with changing title &
diary entries of Paris visit.
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p6 Blank
p7-78 The day Aviva came to Paris various drafts, incl. 2
blank pages
p79-81 Blank.
p82-85 Women of Rome various drafts
Remainder blank.
6. Notebook kept during visit to Europe [1958] ms.
Contents:
p1-16 The day Aviva came to Paris various drafts, incl.
p2 blank pages and 1 of financial calculations.
p17-18 In praise of benefactors drafts variously titled
p19-66 Blank
p67-77 The day Aviva came to Paris drafts.
p78-88 Piazzo San Marco drafts variously titled.
p89-108 Women of Rome various drafts, incl. 2 blank pages
p109-119 Blank except for an address in unidentified hand.
p119-121 Diary entries of Italian trip.
p122 Blank
p123-124 Diary entry of day in Rome Remainder
blank.
7. The bull calf and other poems dated March 5, 1956. Typescript draft of book
with ms. annotations.
8. Poetry outlets in Canada dated Montreal, 1957. ms. 5 1. Prose article.
9. A laughter in the mind. [1958] typescript draft of book with slight ms.
annotations.
10. Dislocation ms. draft and typescript 28 p. and 23 1. short story Published in
shortened reviews form with title Osmeck in Canadian Forum February, 1961
and in his The swinging Flesh, 1961.
11. Mrs. Polinov and A plausible story the latter dated October 21,1951.
typescript drafts 21 1 and 16 1. short stories Mrs. Polinov published in Origin
(Fall/ Winter 1955/56); both published in The swinging flesh, 1961.
12. Balls for an one-armed juggler typescript draft of book published1964.
13. Collection of poems and short stories.
i) Holograph poems, in draft, in pencil, on back of dust jacket of The Complete
Bible, with Apocrypha (Smith & Goodspeed). Poems are: "An Old Poet
Complains" (3 drafts); "On a Certain Canadian Author"; "Riposte"; "Bargain";
"On Reading Spender's Collected Poems" (2 drafts)
ii) "The Dwarf." Holograph draft and final typescript. (4 pages).
iii) "Spikes". Holograph drafts (3), and "Flat Lux." holograph and typescript, all
these stapled together, one draft of "Flat Lux being on back of draft of "Spikes".
iv) "Real Estate Room". Typescript, no emendations.
v) "Psychosoma" (two lines) Typescript, no emendations.
vi) "The Birth of Tragedy", typescript, title crossed out in pencil, Nietzsche
written in pencil under title and crossed out.
vii) "Early Morning in Cote St. Luc" typescript, one emendation,.
viii) "Winter Fantasy", typescript, one emendation.
ix) Manuscript of In the Midst of My Fever, various emendations in pencil,
including, on the reverse side of the title poem's last page a note to Raymond
Souster beginning, "Here's a long one that I hope you can use", and praising
some of Souster's poems as "Great."
x) Manuscript of The Improved Binoculars (title page missing,) emendations in
blue and red ink. I am not sure if this was final version, or complete,
ix) "My Brother, Irving", dated Sept. 22, 1954, short story (2 1/4 pages in blue
and red ink.) Plus a few other jottings, written in a Sir George Williams College
exam book.
xii) Drafts, in pencil, of "The Cold Green Element", numbering 10 in all, with
final typescript. Also on reverse of first page a poem called "Turnabout",
typescript with emendations. Contained in Sir George Williams College exam
book, dated July 16, 17, 1954.
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VII. Material by others.
1. "The Poetry of Irving Layton" by Patricia Porth [thesis? 1962]
2. Montreal Hebrew Academy. Herbiz Junior High School. Students
magazine, graduation exercises, June 19, 1952 and June 24, 1955.
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Mss 3 Box 4
VIII. Correspondence, 1954 - 1961.
This file contains a few letters relating to Layton's poetry.
Layton to Mr. J. S. Caplan April 30, 1960.
Layton to Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy April 19, 1961.
W. C. Williams to Layton eight letters and three postcards.
H. McLennan to Layton March 18, 1960.
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