Happy National Poetry Day! Explore the Cid Corman collection of poetry, translations, and edited works

Corman, Cid. no less. Elizabeth Press, 1968.

In celebration of National Poetry Day, we’re highlighting our collection of works by local poet Cid Corman. Cid Corman was born in 1934 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and grew up in Dorchester. He graduated from Tufts University in 1941 and did graduate work at the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina, and the Sorbonne.

A prolific poet, editor, and translator, Corman was the owner of the Origin Press, and he edited and published Origin magazine. While living in Boston he worked to promote the poetry community through events and a radio program. He moved to Japan in the late 1950s and continued to edit Origin, write poetry, and translate Japanese works. He died in 2004.

This collection in University Archives and Special Collections at UMass Boston consists of volumes of poetry written by Cid Corman, volumes of poetry written by other authors that were edited or translated by Corman, and two series of the periodical Origins, edited by Corman. In addition to the cataloged monographs and serials, the collection contains a small number of broadsides, publicity material, and miscellaneous publications.

Snow drips
into
snow drifts

What less
than this
than this

Rain falls —
nothing else
to say —
but say it

In cylin-
drical
rainwater

azalea
petals:
help
yourself

-Excerpt from no less by Cid Corman, 1968.

View the finding aid for the Cid Corman collection here.

For questions about this collection or to schedule a research appointment, please contact library.archives@umb.edu or 617-287-5469.

University Archives & Special Collections in the Joseph P. Healey Library at UMass Boston collects materials related to the university’s history, as well as materials that reflect the institution’s urban mission and strong support of community service, notably in collections of records of urban planning, social welfare, social action, alternative movements, community organizations, and local history related to neighboring communities.

University Archives & Special Collections welcomes inquiries from individuals, organizations, and businesses interested in donating materials of an archival nature that that fit within our collecting policy. These include manuscripts, documents, organizational archives, collections of photographs, unique publications, and audio and video media. For more information about donating to University Archives & Special Collections, click here or email library.archives@umb.edu.