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MS 9354 Papers of Philip Mead (1953-
)
Scope and Content Note
Papers
1975-91
2.24m (16 boxes)
Restricted.
The papers were purchased by the National Library from Philip Mead in
1992.
The papers include personal and professional correspondence, drafts and
typescripts of poetry, copies of articles, reviews, talks, lectures,
manuscripts, writings, notes, cuttings and reports relating to Meads
career as a poet, writer, editor, lecturer, teacher and literary reviewer.
Correspondents include Kevin Hart, Les Murray, Judith Rodriguez, Alec
Bolton, David Brooks, Andrew Sant, Geoff Page, John Tranter, R.A. Simpson, A.D.
Hope, Tom Shapcott and Chris Wallace-Crabbe.
The collection was arranged and listed by the donor before being
transferred to the Library. The file titles and the arrangement of records
within the files have been preserved by the Library. The Library has arranged
the collection into 9 series which closely resemble alphabetical groupings made
by Mead at the time of transfer to the Library.
Biographical Note
| 1953 |
Born in Brisbane, 31 August |
| 1975 |
B.A. (Honours), Australian National University |
| 1981 |
M.A., La Trobe University |
| 1982 |
Dip. Ed., University of Melbourne |
| 1990 |
PhD, University of Melbourne |
Employment
| 1980-81 |
Teaching Fellow in English, Geelong College, Geelong |
| 1980-84 |
Off Campus Assessor, School of Humanities, Deakin University |
| 1982-85 |
Head of English Faculty, Geelong College, Geelong |
| 1986-87 |
Research Assistant, School of Humanities, Deakin University |
| 1986 |
Tutor in English, Ormond College, University of Melbourne |
| 1987-91 |
Lockie Fellow in Creative Writing and Australian Literature,
English Department, University Of Melbourne |
| 1987-94 |
Poetry Editor, Meanjin |
| 1991-94 |
Lockie Lecturer in Australian Writing, English Department,
University of Melbourne |
| 1995- |
Senior lecturer, English Department, University of Tasmania |
|
|
Publications
- Songs from another country, Canberra, Open Door Press,
1975
- Be faithful go, Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1980
- The spring-mire, Canberra, Brindabella Press, 1983
- This river is in the south, Brisbane, University of Queensland
Press, 1984
- The temperament of generations : fifty years of writing in
Meanjin, edited by Jenny Lee, Philip Mead and Gerald Murnane, Melbourne
University Press, 1990
- The Penguin book of modern Australian poetry, edited by John
Tranter and Philip Mead, Penguin, 1992
- Shakespeare's books : contemporary cultural politics and the
persistenceof empire, edited by Philip Mead and Marion Campbell, University
of Melbourne, 1993
- Kenneth Slessor : critical readings, edited by Philip Mead,
Queensland University Press, 1997
Series List
- Correspondence, 1975-91
- Out-letters, 1989-91
- Writings, 1985-91
- Penguin book of modern Australian poetry,
1989-91
- Manuscripts by others
- Committees, 1989-91
- University of Queensland Press, 1988-90
- Open Door Press
- Other papers, 1986-88
Series Description
Series 1. Correspondence, 1971-91
The series consists of personal and professional correspondence. The
personal correspondence is extensive; in particular there is a large number of
letters written by Meads close friend and fellow poet Alan Gould. These
letters ( ca. 120 ) often run to six pages of typescript and are usually
accompanied by poems written by Gould. Other correspondents include Kevin Hart,
Les Murray, Judith Rodriguez, Alec Bolton, David Brooks, Andrew Sant, Geoff
Page, John Tranter, R.A. Simpson, A.D. Hope, Tom Shapcott and Chris
Wallace-Crabbe.
Letters by Mead to Alan Gould are held by the Library at MS 6635.
Personal correspondence, 1975-91
The series consists of in-letters, postcards, greeting cards,
invitations, leaflets, notices, brochures and copies of the Victorian
Fellowship of Australia Writers Bulletin.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 1 |
Correspondence, September 1975 - April 1979 |
| 2 |
Correspondence, June - December 1979 |
| 3 |
Correspondence, January - November 1980 |
| 4 |
Correspondence, December 1980 - December 1981 |
| 5 |
Correspondence, January - November 1982 |
| 6 |
Correspondence, January - December 1983 |
| 7 |
Correspondence, January - December 1984 |
| 8 |
Correspondence, January - December 1985 |
| 9 |
Correspondence, January - December 1986 |
| 10-11 |
Correspondence, January - December 1987 |
| 12-13 |
Correspondence, January - December 1988 |
| 14-15 |
Correspondence, January - December 1989 |
| 16-17 |
Correspondence, January - December 1990 |
Professional correspondence, 1971-91
The professional correspondence includes letters relating to the
publication of his poems in newspapers and journals and papers relating to his
academic studies and teaching positions.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 18 |
Poetry, May 1971 - April 1979 |
| 19 |
Academic training, La Trobe University (M.A.) and
University of Melbourne, Dip.Ed., PhD, Jan 1979 - December 1990 |
| 20 |
Geelong College, July 1979 - February 1986 |
| 21 |
Deakin University, 1980 - 88 |
| 22 |
Lockie Lectureship in Australian Writing, Melbourne
University, September 1977 - February 1991 |
Series 2. Out-letters, 1989-91
The series consists of computer generated copies of letters written by
Mead from 1989-91 relating to literary and academic matters. Recipients include
John Tranter, Sue Abbey (UQP), and Linda Ristow (Penguin).
1 folder
Series 3. Writings, 1985-91
This series is a comprehensive collection of drafts and typescripts of
Meads poems, articles, lectures, reviews, talks and translations. It
includes a draft manuscript of This river is in the south published in
1984 by Penguin Australia. Bound copies of his theses, John
Berrymans The dream songs (M.A., 1980) and Reading
origins in Australian literature (PhD, 1990) are located in folders 36
and 37.
Critical Writings
| Folder(s) |
|
| 1-10 |
Reviews, review articles, 1985-91 |
Talks, lectures, radio programs and public performances
| Folder(s) |
|
| 11 |
Radio review of John Tranter, Under Berlin: new
poems 1988; Seamus Heaney, The haw lantern, ABC Radio First
edition, 1988; Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Im deadly serious, ABC
Radio First edition, 1988 |
| 12 |
The place of poetry now, Spoleto Festival,
1988 |
| 13 |
Writing the object: the language of art
criticism, 1988, a talk later published as Talking pictures,
Agenda: Contemporary Art Criticism, 1988 |
| 14 |
Constructions of the colonial in Australian
writing and painting, lecture to the Fine Arts Department, University of
Melbourne, 1988 |
| 15 |
Poets and dreamers: history and apocalypse in
McAuleys Quiros, The Australian Centre, 1989 |
| 16-17 |
Poetic theory/poetic practice, Department
of English, University of Melbourne, 1988 |
| 18 |
Horizon, then home, Cultural practice and
the environment seminar series, The Australian Centre, May 1991; papers
relating to a seminar titled Perception-language-description, 1991
|
| 19 |
Crucifixion and rose: religious art in
Australia, The Catholic Worker, 1987 |
| 20 |
Memoranda of our feelings: John Ashberys
A wave, Scripsi, 1986; Self-fashioning and self-portraits:
John Ashbery and Stephen Greenblatt, ABC Radio Helicon,
1988 |
| 21 |
Topopoesis: Laurie Duggans The ash
range, Scripsi, 1987 |
| 22-23 |
Charles Harpur and the fate of poetry, ABC
Radio, Fictions, 1988; Charles Harpur selected poetry and
prose, ed Michael Ackland, In the first place: Charles Harpur and the
fate of poetry, The Age Monthly Review, 1987; Charles Harpur,
Stalwart the bushranger, ed Elizabeth Perkins, Invisible
heritage, The Age Monthly Review, 1989; Charles
Harpurs disfiguring origins, Australian Literary Studies,
1990, delivered as a paper at a conference Romanticism and the
Imagination, University of Melbourne, 1989 and published in collected
papers Imagining romanticism: essays on English and Australian
romanticisms, 1991 |
| 24-25 |
Map-makers colours: Paul Carters
The road to Botany Bay, Scripsi, 1989 |
|
|
|
|
Poetry manuscripts
See also Series 7 for royalty statements for
This river is in the south.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 26 |
Draft manuscript, This river is in the south, 1983 |
| 27 |
Poetry workbook to 1975 |
| 28 |
Poetry drafts to 1975 |
| 29-31 |
Poetry drafts, 1976-84 |
| 32 |
Poetry drafts, 1985-90 |
| 33 |
Poetry and biology, The Dante shirt and
Wallace Stevens and John Ashbury: the central of our being |
Translations
Translations of French and German poetry.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 34 |
Translations, 1981-82 |
| 35 |
Workbook, 1983 |
Theses
| Folder(s) |
|
| 36 |
John Berrymans The dream songs, 1980 |
| 37 |
Reading origins in Australian literature, 1990 |
Collaborations
| Folder(s) |
|
| 38 |
Designs upon the reader: new critical perspectives on
Australian literature, a proposal written with Kevin Hart |
Reviews
| Folder(s) |
|
| 39-40 |
Newscuttings and journals containing Meads poetry |
| 41 |
Newscuttings and journals containing reviews of This river is in
the south and Spring-mire |
| 42 |
Newscuttings, newspapers and journals containing reviews by
Mead |
|
|
Series 4. Penguin book of modern Australian
poetry, 1989-91
The Penguin book of modern Australian poetry was edited by Philip
Mead and John Tranter and published in 1991. Both have also contributed poems
to the publication. The papers provide an interesting insight into the
publication of the anthology as Mead was living in Melbourne and Tranter in
Sydney. Much of the discussion was carried out in correspondence or by
exchanging annotated copies of poems. The drafts of the introduction also went
back and forth between the two editors.
The series consists of correspondence with John Tranter and Penguin,
original selections, drafts of the introduction, galley proofs, permission
letters, notes and journal articles and a draft manuscript.
Tranters papers are held by the Library at MS 5715.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 1 |
Draft manuscript |
| 2 |
Original selections |
| 3 |
Galley proofs with covers |
| 4 |
Permissions letters |
| 5 |
Drafts of introduction |
| 6-7 |
Correspondence with John Tranter (co-editor) and Penguin |
| 8 |
Reviews of other poetry works |
| 9 |
Journal articles |
| 10 |
Miscellaneous notes, photographs of Philip Mead and John Tranter
and two tapes |
| 11 |
House of vitriol, manuscript by Peter Rose |
| 12 |
Peniel, manuscript by Kevin Hart |
Series 5. Manuscripts by others
The series consists of typescript copies of poems and writings by other
Australian poets. There is evidence within the correspondence in Series 1 that
material was circulated amongst this group and others for comment and criticism
and general information.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 1-3 |
Kevin Hart |
| 4 |
Peter Craven, Michael Heyward, Christina Thompson, G. M. Gillard,
John Forbes, Ann Mitchell, Ian Reid, Chris Wallace-Crabbe and Alan Gould |
| 5 |
Martin Harrison |
| 6 |
Lionel Mead |
| 7 |
Laurie Duggan |
| 8 |
David Herrkt, Alan Gould, Paul Kane, Les Murray, Chris Andrews and
John Forbes |
| 9 |
John Tranter |
| 10 |
Judith Rodriguez, Bev Roberts, Chris Wallace-Crabbe |
Series 6. Committees, 1988-91
In 1988 Mead was a judge for the ABC Bicentennial Literary Awards. From
1989-91 he was a member of a number of advisory groups for the Victorian
Ministry for the Arts. These included the Premiers Literary Awards and
the Literature Advisory Panel. He was also a committee member for the Melbourne
International Writers Festival in 1990 and 1991.
The series consists of correspondence, agenda, minutes of meetings,
notes and reports.
| Folder(s) |
|
| 1 |
Bicentennial Prize for Poetry, 1988 |
| 2-4 |
Literature Advisory Panel, 1989-91 |
| 5-8 |
Premiers Literary Awards, 1989-91 |
| 9-11 |
Melbourne International Writers Festival, 1990-91 |
Series 7. University of Queensland Press,
1988-90
The series includes royalty statements for Meads book This
river is in the south. There is also some correspondence with Sue Abbey
(senior editor, UQP) and a manuscript relating to his position as a reader for
Queenland University Press.
2 folders
Series 8. Open Door Press
Open Door Press was the initiative of a small group known as Canberra
Poetry. The group was formed in 1972 when Alan Gould, David Brooks and Philip
Mead, all students at the Australian National University, joined with Mark
OConnor, a lecturer in the English Department, to start a small quarterly
magazine. The magazine was meant to serve those Canberra writers who had not
been published before. A series of fortnightly Broadsheets was launched on 1
January 1975. Each broadsheet was a limited edition of between 100 and 150
copies, signed and numbered by the author.
The series contains an almost complete set of Broadsheets from 1
26 ( items 10 and 22 are missing). They include poets such as R. F.
Brissenden, David Campbell, Tom Shapcott, Les Murray, Judith Rodriguez and
three of the original Canberra group Alan Gould, David Brooks and Philip
Mead.
There are also copies of other publications including The skald
mosaic by Alan Gould; Lyrical dust by Robert Crocker; Sketches
from Herodotus by R. F. Brissenden; Encounters by David Campbell and
The Convert by Kevin Hart.
1 folder
Series 9. Other papers, 1986-88
The series consists of miscellaneous papers. There are a number of
photocopies of the contents pages of various literary journals. There is also
an abstract and associated correspondence for a proposed paper for the
Association for the Study of Australian Literature conference held in
Launceston, 1987.
1 folder
Box List
|
Box |
Series |
Folder/Piece |
|
1 |
1 |
1-6 |
|
2 |
1 |
7-12 |
|
3 |
1 |
13-17 |
|
4 |
1 |
18-22 |
|
5 |
2 |
1 |
|
5 |
3 |
1-14 |
|
6 |
3 |
15-22 |
|
7 |
3 |
23-28 |
|
8 |
3 |
29-35 |
|
9 |
3 |
36-40 |
|
10 |
3 |
41-42 |
|
10 |
4 |
1 |
|
11 |
4 |
2-3 |
|
12 |
4 |
4-10 |
|
13 |
4 |
11-12 |
|
13 |
5 |
1-5 |
|
14 |
5 |
6-10 |
|
14 |
6 |
1-2 |
|
15 |
6 |
3-9 |
|
16 |
6 |
10-11 |
|
16 |
7 |
1-2 |
|
16 |
8 |
1 |
|
16 |
9 |
1 |
Guide prepared June 1999 |