Scope and Content Note
The collection of Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) spans the years 1919-2001, with the bulk of the material dating from 1928 to 1985. The papers consist of correspondence, poetry, plays, and miscellaneous items.
Early correspondence, 1919-1950, contains letters of Millay and her husband, Eugen Boissevain, to Lola Bronstein (translator of Millay’s poetry into German), George Dillon, Anne Lanfranchi, Nino Lanfranchi, and Deems Taylor. Incoming letters are from Witter Bynner and Frank Shay. Subjects include poetry, operas, producing The King’s Henchmen, Millay’s relationship with George Dillon, the death of Elinor Wylie, and social activities. Later correspondence, 1950-2001, concerns the disposition of Millay’s papers and writing her biography. Chief correspondents are Norma Millay, Charles Hamilton, Alice Baur Hodges, Nancy Milford, and Nan Sussmann.
The collection contains Millay’s poems “I Like Americans,” “The Rabbit,” “Ebb,” an untitled poem written in 1939, sixteen sonnets included with an undated letter to George Dillon, and a typescript of her play, “The Princess Marries the Page.” Also included are two short stories written by her sister Kathleen Millay and an excerpt from Blue Pastures by Mary Oliver regarding her association with the poet’s family after her death. Miscellaneous items consist of photographs, newspaper clippings, and Millay’s monogrammed handkerchief.