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Emily Wilson Collection on A. R. Ammons

Finding Aid & Inventory

Emily Wilson is an author and poet that predominantly worked in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She retained a strong friendship with poet A.R. Ammons that lasted for 30 years until Ammons' death in 2001. This collection includes Wilson's correspondence, Ammons' written work, newspaper clippings, publications, research materials, book drafts, and photographs of Ammons' personal life and artwork.

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Biographical and Historical Note

Emily Herring Wilson was born on June 11, 1939 in West Point, Georgia. She graduated from Woman's College in Greensboro, now the University of NC at Greensboro, in 1961 with a degree in English. After graduation, Wilson pursued an English master's degree at Wake Forest University. Wilson tauht at North Carolina's Poetry in the Schools program, UNC-G, and Salem College, as well as Cornell University at the invitation of friend A. R. Ammons. She wrote for the Winston-Salem Journal and co-founded and ran The Jackpine Press with Betty Leighton. Throughout her career, she wrote many books including,  Hope and Dignity: Older Black Women of the South, For the People of North Carolina: The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation at Half-Century and  North Carolina Women: Making History. She released a memoir about her 30-year friendship with A. R. Ammons,  When I Go Back to My Home Country: A Remembrance of Archie Ammons in 2019. Wilson began teaching in the Wake Forest English department and in 1964, she married then-dean of the College, Edwin G. Wilson and together they had 3 children (Eddie, Sally, and Julie).

Collection Overview

This collection documents the personal life and professional work materials of A. R. Ammons as collected by his friend and fellow poet Emily Herring Wilson. Materials in this collection include a variety of Ammons' written work, personal photographs of Ammons, Ammons' artwork photographs, book drafts by Ammons or about him, Wilson's correspondence, newspaper clippings, research materials and publications. Correspondence of Emily's husband, Dean of the College and Provost Edwin G. Wilson also appears in the collection. All mentions of Wilson refer to Emily Herring Wilson unless specified.

This collection is arranged into two series, Series 1. Ammons materials, and Series 2. Subject files. Series 1. Ammons materials contains materials directly by or about A. R. Ammons. Series 2. Subject files also contains Ammons-related materials, but these relate to the work Wilson did regarding Ammons, including research for books, events that she contributed to, and Ammons' watercolor artworks information and correspondence. Other subjects are also part of Series 2.

Collection Inventory

  • Ammons materials (circa 1941-2018)
    • Ammons article in Wake Forest Magazine   (2001 June) box 1 folder 14
    • Ammons artwork photographs  (2000) box 1 folder 49-50
    • Ammons biographical timeline notes and related materials (circa 2001-2018) box 2 folder 19
    • Ammons correspondence with WFU  (1971-1980) box 1 folder 41
    • Ammons interview in Diacritics magazine  (1973) box 1 folder 8
    • Ammons interview in Poetry Nation Review   (1997) box 1 folder 33
    • Ammons letters to Phyllis Ammons  (1947-1949) box 1 folder 18
    • Ammons memorial service and celebration event materials  (2001 April) box 2 folder 9
    • Ammons notes about poems  (1949-1952) box 1 folder 9
    • Ammons photographs and negatives (circa 1979-1980) box 2 folder 23
    • Ammons photographs and photocopies (circa 1941-2014) box 2 folder 4
    • Ammons poems (circa 1947-1997) box 1 folder 2
    • Ammons poetry feature in Harper's Magazine   (2017) box 1 folder 28
    • Ammons publications and magazine materials  (1995-2017) box 2 folder 6
    • Ammons published and unpublished poems (circa 1961-2001) box 2 folder 2
    • Ammons transcribed letters (circa 2000s) box 1 folder 4-7
    • Ammons WFU Howler photograph  (1949) box 2 folder 7
    • "An Interview with A.R. Ammons," by Cynthia Haythe for Contemporary Literature Magazine   (1980) box 1 folder 27
    • "A.R. Ammons's Comic Strip Glare: Literary Musings About Nothing," article by Lorraine DiCicco  (2005) box 1 folder 16
    • A. R. Ammons interview in Paris Review   (1996 Summer) box 1 folder 19
    • "A.R. Ammons' Levity" essay by Frank J. Kerfaw  (2011) box 1 folder 30
    • Colombus County and Ammons family genealogy materials  (2007-2016) box 2 folder 18
    • Correspondence between Wilsons and Ammonses  (1974-2008) box 1 folder 37
    • "For Emily Wilson from a Newcomer" and "Catch" poem drafts  (1975-1986) box 2 folder 3
    • Hatteras (NC) school graduation exercises and related materials (circa 1950-2006) box 2 folder 20
    • "The Home Country of A. R. Ammons" N.C. Humanities Committee Conference poster  (1986 May) box 4 folder 2
    • "I Went to the Summit: The Literary Bromance of A. R. Ammons and Harold Bloom," interview and essay by Roger Gilbert  (2008-2012) box 1 folder 10
    • Jackpine Press correspondence (1976-1982, 2006) box 1 folder 20
    • "Lake Effect Country" by Ammons draft (circa 1980-1983) box 2 folder 25
    • Newspaper clippings and articles regarding Ammons  (1995-2007) box 2 folder 22
    • Newspaper death announcements and obituaries  (2001) box 1 folder 36
    • "One Man's Trash," Dan Chiasson article about Ammons in New Yorker   (2017) box 1 folder 17
    • "Pattern and Possibility" exhibit brochure draft  (circa 2002) box 4 folder 1
    • Photographs of Ammons in different settings and artwork (circa 1953-2000) box 2 folder 24
    • Scholarly articles on Ammons' poetry (1988, 2002) box 1 folder 34
    • The Nickelodeon newsletter, Ammons edits  (1975 March) box 2 folder 1
  • Subject files  (1952-2021)
    • "Always We Two Together: Letters of A.R. Ammons to Phyllis Plumbo 1947-1950" drafts  (circa 2007) box 1 folder 22
    • Ammons art acquisiton notice, Herbert Johnson Museums of Art, Cornell Uiversity  (2005) box 1 folder 13
    • Ammons documentary video order form (circa 1990s) box 1 folder 29
    • Ammons lecture review and greeting card from Vida Cox  (2004) box 1 folder 12
    • Ammons letters to Phyllis Plumbo transcripts (circa 2000-2010) box 1 folder 26
    • Ammons memorial service (1 VHS videocassette)  (2001 April) box 3 folder 1
    • Ammons publication submission draft (circa 2018-2019) box 2 folder 12
    • Ammons watercolors artwork correspondence and related materials  (2004-2019) box 2 folder 15
    • Ammons watercolors at Saltimbanque gallery materials  (circa 2002) box 2 folder 16
    • Ammons writing workshop notes  (1981 June 1-13) box 1 folder 23
    • Ammonsfest programs  (1998 April) box 1 folder 35
    • Annotated bibliography of Ammons writings  (2017) box 1 folder 11
    • Blog post about Phyllis Ammons  (2013) box 2 folder 10
    • Book reviews  (circa 2008) box 1 folder 15
    • Campbell White McMillan, "An Oral History of My Wake Forest College Experience, 1943-1944 and 1946-1948"  (2001 December) box 1 folder 40
    • Copyright materials  (2008-2013) box 2 folder 17
    • Event programs and materials  (1974-2019) box 1 folder 51
    • Events fliers, brochures, and invitations  (1981-2005) box 1 folder 48
    • Fred Chappell correspondence regarding Ammons  (2019) box 2 folder 8
    • Helen Vendler materials  (1986-2018) box 1 folder 46
    • John L. Remington: Ammons memories correspondence  (2020) box 1 folder 55
    • Journal letter with John Charles McNeill poems  (1952) box 1 folder 54
    • Ken Frazelle and Steven Stucky musical composition materials  (2004-2018) box 2 folder 14
    • Ken Frazelle correspondence  (1980-2018) box 2 folder 13
    • Ken McClane feature, Cornell newsletter  (2011 Fall) box 1 folder 24
    • "Lectures and readings in celebration of A. R. Ammons" program  (1974 December) box 1 folder 32
    • Michael McFee writing about Ammons and letter  (1980-2018) box 2 folder 21
    • N.C. Women's Writers artwork by Anne Kesler Shields materials  (circa 1992) box 3 folder 5
    • Newspaper articles and clippings  (1975-2017) box 1 folder 31
    • Newspaper articles featuring Wilson  (1975-2019) box 3 folder 4
    • Photographs of Phyllis Ammons, photocopies  (circa 2013) box 1 folder 1
    • Publication request correspondence  (2006-2008) box 2 folder 11
    • Richard McBride: Ammons remembrance correspondence and related documents  (1974-2021) box 1 folder 53
    • Say Things and Gather About poetry festival materials  (1995) box 2 folder 5
    • WFU Poetry Review newsletters  (1975-1976) box 1 folder 25
    • Wilson and John Ammons correspondence  (2014-2018) box 1 folder 42
    • Wilson correspondence  (1979-2011) box 1 folder 52
    • Wilson correspondence  (2000-2018) box 1 folder 43
    • Wilson correspondence with Alex Fountain  (2019) box 1 folder 57
    • Wilson correspondence with Ammons  (1973-1998) box 1 folder 47
    • Wilson correspondence with Beacon Press (2000-2001, 2018) box 1 folder 45
    • Wilson correspondence with Phyllis Ammons  (1993-2007) box 1 folder 44
    • Wilson e-mail correspondence  (2002-2016) box 1 folder 3
    • Wilson interview of Romare Bearden and Maya Angelou at Reynolda House and Angelou's article "Why I Moved Back to the South" (circa 1980-1985) box 3 folder 3
    • Wilson manuscript notes  (circa 2006) box 3 folder 2
    • Wilson short biography and related information (circa 2000s) box 1 folder 56
    • Wilson, "I Went Back to My Home County, A Remembrance of Archie Ammons" first draft  (2018 August) box 1 folder 38-39
    • Wilson, "I Went Back to My Home County, A Remembrance of Archie Ammons" page layouts and table of contents  (circa 2019) box 1 folder 58
    • Wilson, "The Life in Words: Letters of A. R. Ammons" draft (undated) box 1 folder 21

Summary Information

Repository
Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives
Creator
Wilson, Emily Herring
Title
Emily Wilson Collection on A. R. Ammons
ID
MS896
Date
circa 1941-2021
Quantity
1 record carton, 1 document box, 1 half-document box, 1 oversize box
Extent
3.43  Linear Feet

Administrative Information

Publication Information
Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, 2022
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for researchers. 
Copyright Notice
The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 
Preferred Citation
Emily Wilson Collection on A. R. Ammons (MS896), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

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