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Mabel M. Kuykendall Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS108

Scope and Contents

This collection is arranged in three series. The first series makes up the bulk of the collection and includes the materials related to Quicksilver, the quarterly poetry magazine published from 1948-1962 in Fort Worth, TX by Mabel M. Kuykendall and Grace Ross. It contains the correspondence from contributors to the magazine, the original manuscripts of the poems that were published, index card files of subscribers and contributors and a nearly complete set of the magazine itself. A couple of early issues missing from this collection can be found on the Special Collections shelves. The second series includes some of Mabel's other work, such as transcripts from a couple different radio shows she regularly hosted, carbon copies and clippings of the newspaper column, Adobe Diggings, that she wrote for The Taos News and manuscripts for the book she and Grace Ross edited together, Poetry out Where the West Begins: A Collection of Poems by Fort Worth Authors (1949). The third series is comprised of various poetry and literary journals that Mabel collected over the years. It includes journals such as The Bard and The Buccaneer, both published in Dallas, TX in the early 1920's as well as examples of 105 other journals produced in a myriad of cities and universities through 1976.

Dates

  • Creation: 1923-1976, bulk 1948-1970
  • Creation: Majority of material found in 1923-1976,

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Detailed Biography

Mabel M. Kuykendall (Mabel McKinney Weir) was born near Athens, TX in 1906. She was a poet as well as an advocate for other poets. Mabel received a degree in English from Texas Women's University in Denton, TX. She was a prolific writer, mostly of poetry, but also of short stories and plays. The Poetry Society of Texas was the first to publish one of her poems. She also co-edited the anthologies, Poetry out Where the West Begins: A Collection of Poems by Fort Worth Authors (1949)and Divert the Interim (1940), with her long-time friend and fellow poet Grace Ross.Together, she and Grace published and edited Quicksilver, a quarterly poetry magazine, for nearly 15 years in Fort Worth, TX, in which they represented many renowned poets such as Walter R. Adams, Margaret Lewis Albanese, William D. Barney, Sue Abbott Boyd, Charles Bukowski, Lucille Coleman, Judson Crews, Raymond Currier, August Derleth, Charles Farber, Lisa Grenelle, Antoni Gronowicz, Herman Hesse, K. Raeburn Miller, Alden A. Nowlan, David Russell, Edward Storey, Lucia Trent and many others.

Mabel served as the president of the Fort Worth Poetry Society for about 5 years in the late 1940's. She was also the head of the Fort Worth chapter of the Texas Council for the Promotion of Poetry during which time she petitioned the mayor of Fort Worth for a signed proclamation to recognize an official day of poetry. A copy of the signed proclamation is included in this collection. She promoted poetry on the radio as well, spending four years broadcasting the programs "Local Color" and "The Poet's Tabloid" on Fort Worth's KFJZ. In 1961, Mabel and her husband James moved to Taos, NM where she wrote a weekly column in The Taos News, called Adobe Diggings, for three years. Mabel died in Taos in 1994.

Extent

12.75 Linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged in three series and one accession: Series I. Quicksilver, 1949-1963; Series II. Other Work, 1936-1972; Series III. Poetry and Literary Journal Collection, 1923-1976; Accession 2014-008, 1931-1957 [poetry albums].

Physical Location

See Bolt Street inventory for location.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Mabel M. Kuykendall, c. 1981.

Title
Guide to the Mabel M. Kuykendall Papers
Author
Compiled by Amy Leslie
Date
August 2012
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Archives and Special Collections, Mary Couts Burnett Library Repository

Contact:
TCU Box 298400
2800 S. University Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76129-0001
Fort Worth Texas 76129
(817) 257-4566
(817) 257-7282 (Fax)