Edna Worthley Underwood papers, 1889-1946

Summary

Creator:
Underwood, Edna Worthley
Physical description:
2.50 Linear Feet, 5.00 Boxes
Language:
English
Latin

Background

Scope and content:

The Edna Worthley Underwood Papers (1889-1946) covers the period of her most active publishing. Underwood wrote original works of plays, poetry, prose, short stories, and news articles. She also translated various author's works into English.
The first series, Correspondence (1910-1944), is divided into Personal Correspondence, letters from friends and admirers; Business Correspondence, letters regarding the publishing of books and reviews; Postcards; Telegram; Robert Earl Underwood's Correspondence; and a Letterbook, letters, and poems used for background information for her book of translation of poets of Haiti. The poets include Madame D. Viard, M. Leon Laleau, Victor Mangones, and Maurice A. Casseus. She corresponded with many of the authors, often asking for a biographical sketch and a photograph. After 1938, not much is known of her life. She did not publish but traveled within the U.S. Photographs have been transferred to the photograph collection of the University Archives.
Literary Works (1927-1938) is divided into several sub-series. Original Works contains works by Underwood; criticism of other authors; news articles on points of interest; notes; poems; prose; play, A Petersburg Night; short stories, "The Shudder of Don Giovanni", "Madame Dorette and Nature", and three untitled. The sub-series: 1) Translations, includes translations of short stories put into the book Flemish Short Stories; 2) plays, The Yellow Tent and Improvisations in June poems; 3) short stories, "The Van Helmers", "The Beggar Minar", "Tramp and Peasant", "Vaudrevil", "If Life is White", "Exile", "A Game of Chess", "Martha Timar", "Father, A Portrait", "The Trick", "Christmas Eve", and "The Wedding". Also included are original works by Aberto Zum Felde, Fernand Knopf, Robert Earl Underwood, and works by unknown authors. The last sub series contains miscellaneous items.
The series Individuals (1918-1939) contains folders on individuals that Underwood corresponded with and whose works she translated. The folders contain correspondence and original works of poetry and prose. The individuals include Max Dickman, Fabio Fiallo, Germaine Lassara-Bouchecourt, Coelho Netto, Luis Felipe Rodriguez, Daniel Thaly, and Cesar Vallejo.
The series Scrapbooks (1905-1940) contains three scrapbooks. Scrapbook #1 covers 1905-1939. It contains newspaper clippings, letters, and various printed materials. Scrapbook #2 covers the literature of South America. It contains correspondence and original works of poetry. Individuals included are Julio Herrera, Xavier Abril, Carlos Wyld Ospina, Lartigau Lespada, Juan Borch, and Fernando Torregrosa. Scrapbook #3 contains correspondence and poetry from individual poets included in Underwood's translation of poets from Haiti. The poets include Emile Roumer, Clement Magloire, Maurice Casseus, Carl Brouard, Milo Riguad, Jacques Romain, Justinien Ricot, Jean F. Brierre, and Timothee Paret.
The series Notebooks (1889-1924) contains seven notebooks. They cover the time Underwood attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. These are handwritten notes from lectures. Notebook #5 contains prose written in 1924, thirty years after her graduation from the University. The last series, Printed Material, contains booklets, "El Pais Lilac", "Revista de Las Indias", "The Hobart Guild", "De Godsdienstige Keinst Van Rubens", "La Poesia Sorprendida", and "Requiem Por Los Muertos De Europa"; translations: newspaper clippings: and miscellaneous.
Twelve photographs were removed and filed in the University Archives photograph collection under the heading of Underwood. The photographs include Maurice Andre Casseus, Concepcion Monterrosa, Cesar Vallejo (2), Xavier Abril de Viver, Jorge Luis Borges, Germaine Lassara-Bouchecourt, Coelho Netto, Helery, Balleitein de Martin, and unknown.

Biographical / historical:

Edna Worthley Underwood was a writer and author who published original works of poetry, prose, plays, and short stories, as well as translated the works of other authors into English, as she was fluent in 6 languages. After graduating from Arkansas City High School in Arkansas City, Kansas in 1888, Underwood attended Garfield University in Wichita for two years. She then attended the University of Michigan and graduated in 1892. Underwood spent time teaching in Arkansas City schools before moving to Kansas City prior to 1904 and living there until approximately 1910-1912. From 1911 to 1938, Underwood wrote much of her works of poetry and prose and translating various works into English while living in New York City. After moving back to Arkansas City in 1938, Underwood spent her time traveling between Maine, Boston, and Arkansas City until 1953 but did not publish any more writings. Underwood died in 1961.

Acquisition information:
Acqusition Source: Donation
Processing information:

Finding Aid Author: Deborah Wallis, student intern 1993
Processing Info: The processing of the collection was completed by Deborah Wallis, student intern, in May 1993.
Archon processing by Edward Nagurny, Graduate Research Assistant, June 2015.
Publication Date: 2015-06-25

Arrangement:

The Underwood Papers are contained in five document boxes (2.1 linear feet) and span the years 1889-1946.They are divided into six series: 1)Correspondence, 1910-1944; 2) Literary Works, 1927-1938; 3) Individuals, 1918-1939; 4) Scrapbooks, 1905-1940, 5) Notebooks, 1889-1924; and 6) Printed Material, 1895-1946.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Note:

Preferred Citation: [Item title], [item date], Edna Worthley Underwood papers, Box [number], Folder [number or title], Morse Department of Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.

General note:

Published

Dacs citation:

Preferred Citation: [Item title], [item date], Edna Worthley Underwood papers, Box [number], Folder [number or title], Morse Department of Special Collections, Kansas State University Libraries.

Subjects

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Subjects:
Kansas life and culture

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