The Register of
Charley George Papers
1959 - 1990

MSS 0387

Mandeville Special Collections Library
Geisel Library
University of California, San Diego

Extent: 1.00 linear feet (3 archives boxes)

Abstract

Papers of poet Charley George. Included are manuscripts of George's poetry and prose, correspondence and biographical materials. The papers contain the manuscript for his posthumously published collection of poetry entitled SUNDAY'S ENDING TOO SOON and his earlier chapbook A MORE. The materials are arranged in three series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE and 3) WRITINGS.

Biography

Born in Pennsylvania, Charley George grew up on a farm, served in the navy, and graduated from the University of Colorado. Throughout the 1970s, George was active in the Boulder poetry scene during a period that saw Jack Collom, Allen Ginsberg, Reed Bye, and others in residence. He gave readings, taught creative writing, wrote plays, and was published in over forty magazines. George's chapbook of poems, A MORE, was published in 1975.

Early on, George worked as a financial analyst for IBM, and later entered the retail jewelry industry, eventually becoming manager of the jewelry salon for Neiman-Marcus in San Francisco. Thoughout this period, he continued to write. Suddenly, in November of 1988, Charley George died of a heart attack at the age of 47.

George's sensitive and straightforwardly written pieces are undeniably American in tone and subject. As Carl Rakosi points out in his introduction of George's SUNDAY'S ENDING TOO SOON, George's poems are "extraordinarily free and natural, yet elegant...... look vaguely like haikus; but the language is more bold and speedy and there are interesting disjunctions that leap ahead and do not affect the clarity."

Scope and Content

Accessions Processed in 1996

The Charley George papers contain biographical materials, correspondence, and manuscripts of George's poetry and prose. Also included is Kathi George's correspondence with the publishers concering the posthumous publication of SUNDAY'S ENDING TOO SOON (1993).

The papers are arranged in three series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE and 3) WRITINGS.

SERIES 1: BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS

The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS series includes George's certificates of marriage and military enlistment, resumes, yearbooks, obituary materials, newspaper articles and appointment calendars.

SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE

The CORRESPONDENCE series which is dated from 1972 to 1988 relates to George's circle of friends. Also included is correspondence of Kathi George regarding the publication of her husband's poetry.

SERIES 3: WRITINGS

The WRITINGS series contains three subseries: A) Poetry, B) Prose and C) Editorial Works.The Poetry subseries includes typescripts of George's two poetic works, A MORE and SUNDAY'S ENDING TOO SOON, as well as some drafts of numerous unpublished poems. The Prose subseries includes George's two articles, "The Meaning of Being Numerous," and "Nixon and Watergate." Also included are untitled prose story fragments. The Editorial Works subseries includes two copies of BOULDER MAGAZINE which was edited by George in 1978, and some related editorial notes.

Finding aid generated: 2005-10-28