Charles Upton Papers


Overview of the Collection
Repository:	Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
Creator:	Upton, Charles.
Title:	Charles Upton Papers.
Dates:	undated, 1932-2002 (bulk, 1966-2002).
Extent:	1.75 linear feet.
Record Series:	MSS20030017
Language	English.
Abstract:	Charles Upton was born on December 13, 1948 in San Francisco. He published two volumes of poetry at the age of 19, and despite his relative youth, has been considered a member of the Beat Poet generation ever since. Upton was also involved in peace activism, alternative spiritualities and later in traditionalist metaphysics.

Charles Upton was born in 1948 and grew up in Marin County, California. He attended Catholic schools through high school during which time he met Lew Welch who became his mentor and helped him publish two volumes of poetry: Panic Grass and Time Raid. Although he is much younger than most of the Beat poets, these two volumes qualify him for inclusion with the Beats. After the publication of his poems, Charles Upton became involved with the Sanctuary Movement for Central American refugees and New Age dream networking. In the late 1980s, he joined a traditional Sufi order and has since published books about Sufism comparative religion and metaphysics according to the Traditionalist School.

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Scope and Content

This collection contains Upton's writings, poems and correspondence relating to his work.

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Organization

Series I: Beat Poetry and the Beat Poets contains Upton's early poetry, including Panic Grass and Time Raid, as well as his correspondence with several prominent Beat poets.

Series II: Sanctuary Movement and New Age dream networking contains writings, poems and letters concerning Upton's involvement with the peace activism surrounding the Sanctuary Movement and the dream networking he briefly participated in.

Series III: Traditionalist metaphysics contains writings and research related to Upton's book The System of Antichrist and his upcoming poem The Wars of Love,the sequel to Panic Grass. Letters between Upton and Robert Bly about the Men's Movement and Upton's book Hammering Hot Iron are also included. The work in this series relates to the Traditionalist school of comparative religion and metaphysics which Upton has been connected to since his conversion to Sufism.

Series IV: Poems and Writings contains unpublished and incomplete poems and manuscripts, including Songs for the Changing Woman, collected poetry from 1966-1976. Also included are publications entitled Longhouse and San Francisco Quarterly, with Upton's poetry.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged topically.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

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Related Material

Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of literary materials pertaining to Black Mountain College and individuals associated with the College. See especially, the Papers of Charles Olson and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.

The American Muslim. Volume two, number ten, April-June 1994 Dodd Periodicals

Crane, Ronald S., ed. A Collection of English Poems 1660-1800.

Friend's Review. Volume seven Issue four, Winter 1994 Dodd Periodicals

Fox, S. ed. "...where ring is what a bell does": an appreciation of Lew Welch.

Gnosis. Number twenty five, Fall 1992 Dodd Periodicals

Gnosis. Number twenty six, Winter 1993 Dodd Periodicals

Gnosis. Number twenty seven, Spring 1993 Dodd Periodicals

Gnosis. Number twenty eight, Summer 1993 Dodd Periodicals

New Dawn. Number sixty nine, November-December 2001 Dodd Periodicals

Sufi. Issue four, Winter 1989-1990 Dodd Periodicals

Sufi. Issue six, Summer 1990 Dodd Periodicals

Sufi. Issue twenty three, Autumn 1994 Dodd Periodicals

Sufi. Issue twenty four, Winter 1994-1995 Dodd Periodicals

Upton, Charles and Robert Starfire, eds.. Because You Talk. Dodd B6440

Upton, Charles. Doorkeeper of the Heart. (original poetry added)

Upton, Charles. Hammering Hot Iron. (original poetry added) Dodd B6441

Upton, Charles. Panic Grass. (original poetry added)

Upton, Charles. The System of Antichrist. (original poetry added) Dodd B6439

Upton, Charles. Time Raid. (original poetry added)

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Bly, Robert.

Ferlinghetti, Lawrence.

Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-.

Welch, Lew.

Subjects:

Beat generation.

Poets, American--20th century.

Document Types:

Books.

Contracts.

Correspondence.

Fliers. [printed matter]

Manuscripts.

Newsletters.

Newspapers.

Notes.

Photocopies.

Poems.

Posters.

Publications.

Sketches.

Typescripts.

Occupations:

Poet.

Functions:

Titles:

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Series I: Beat Poetry and the Beat Poets, 1932-2001
1:1	Panic Grass, undated
4:30	Panic Grass, undated
1:2	Time Raid, 1969 May 1 - 21
1:3	The Prayer of the Telling, May 1965- 1968
1:4	The Snake of Mute River, undated 1972 - 1979 February 7
1:5	Lew Welch, (1976-2002) undated 1932 - 2002
1:6	The Great Naropa Poetry Wars, undated
1:7	Letters from the Beats, Letters from Lawrence Ferlinghetti and one from Allen Ginsberg. 1991 June 17 - 2001 September 18


Series II: Sanctuary Movement and New Age dream networking, undated
1:8-10	Revolutionary Politics and Spirituality, undated
4:31	Revolutionary Politics and Spirituality, undated
1:11	Dreams and Dream Poems, undated


Series III: Traditionalist metaphysics, undated, 1966-1976
2:12	Robert Bly and the Men's Movement, undated
2:13	The System of Antichrist, undated
2:14	The Wars of Love, undated
2:15	The Wars of Love (Long Version), undated
2:16	Esoterism related to The Wars of Love (Long Version), undated
2:17-18	Romance, undated
2:19	Hafez, undated


Series IV: Poems and Writings, undated
3:20-22	Poems Uncollected or Unfinished (almost entierly unpublished), undated
3:23	Songs for the Changing Woman, 1966-1976
3:24	Poems/Manuscripts, undated
3:25	Longhouse, Spring 1978
3:26	Songs, undated
3:27	"Culture" Notes, undated
3:28	Fables, undated
3:29	Literary Criticism and Polititcs, undated
3:30	San Francisco Quarterly, 1968 Spring

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