University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html



Guide to the Glen Stemmons Coffield Papers, 1943-1981


Coll. 217





Finding aid prepared by Eric Douma and Rose M. Smith

Finding aid encoded by Xiaotong Wang, August 2003
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection

 
Repository Name:
 

University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives

1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html

 
Collection Number:
 

Coll. 217

 
Creator:
 

Coffield, Glen, 1917-

 
Title:
 

Glen Stemmons Coffield Papers

 
Dates:
 

1943-1981 (inclusive)

 
Quantity:
 

33.5 linear feet
44 containers

 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

During World War II, Glen Stemmons Coffield (1917-1981) was an intern at the famous Civilian Public Service (CPS) camp for conscientious objectors, Camp Waldport, whose Untide Press published two of his books of poems. Later, he was an active force in the Beat and San Francisco Renaissance scenes throughout his creative career. The Coffield Papers contain Coffield's essays, periodicals, plays, poems/poetry-books, prose and miscellaneous work.

 

Biographical Note

Glen Stemmons Coffield was born in Prescott, Arizona on June 5, 1917. He started writing poetry while a sophomore in high school. After high school (around 1935), he attended Central Missouri State Teachers College (CMSTC) in Warrensburg, Missouri. Soon after entering the college, he became president of the English Club and edited Spring Flight, the college literary magazine. Coffield also played on a national championship basketball team while in college. In 1940 Coffield received his B.S. degree in education from CMSTC.

At the start of WWII Coffield declared himself a conscientious objector and the Selective Service placed him in the Civilian Public Service Camp (CPS Camp) program. The CPS Camps for conscientious objectors were largely administered by the “Historical Peace Churches”: Mennonites, Brethren and Friends (Quakers). Coffield was initially placed first in CPS Camp #7 in Magnolia, Arkansas; while there, he contributed poetry to the camp newsletter Peace Pathways. Late in 1942 or early in 1943 Coffield was transferred to CPS Camp #56 at Waldport, Oregon. The Waldport Camp was home to the “Fine Arts Group,” of which Coffield became the activities coordinator. Other artists who stayed at Waldport were book designer Adrian Wilson, architect Kemper Nomland, Kermit Sheets (founder of “Interplayers,” the San Francisco theater group), poet Kenneth Patchen, painter Morris Graves, novelist Henry Miller, and poet William Everson (Brother Antoninus). The Waldport Camp gained national attention with the founding of the Untide Press by Harold Macket, Everson, and Coffield; its motto was: “What is not Tide is Untide” (Tide was the name of Camp Waldport’s official newsletter). Untide Press published two of Coffield’s books of poems: The Horned Moon and Ultimatum, as well as William Everson’s book of poems, X War Elegie.

After the war Coffield studied privately at the Hopwood Poetry Library of the University of Michigan. From 1945 to 1947 he acted in three little theater groups in San Francisco. In 1947 he moved back to Oregon and started the Grundtvig Folk School, a "humanist school in the woods," on the Columbia Gorge near Eagle Creek. This lasted until 1954, after which Coffield attended Portland State College for one summer session, and continued his studies at the Hopwood Poetry Library. In 1960, Coffield started the publication of his literary quarterly The Creative Review, while in 1961 he began additional graduate studies in Poetry and Criticism at the University of Oregon. He finished his graduate studies in 1964, after which he started publication of The Creativity Newsletter.

In 1964 Coffield spent some time in San Francisco, where he was the House Manager of the Firehouse Repertory Opera Company until 1966. While in San Francisco, probably late in 1965 or early 1966, Coffield was knocked into the air by a hit-and-run driver. Coffield developed blood clots in his brain, heart, lungs, and right leg, and complications from his injuries resulted in his partial crippling. After the accident he moved back to Carthage, Missouri. Due to his injuries, Coffield did not resume working on his publications until late in 1968. Late in 1972, Coffield's mother became very ill; Coffield took care of her and her house, which left him little time for his poetry projects. His mother died on Aug. 1, 1973.

Shortly after her death Coffield experienced further health complications which totally disabled him for another year and a half. It was June 1975 before Coffield was able to work on his publications. For the rest of his life he needed crutches. Coffield died at the age of 64 at Missouri State Chest Hospital on June 17, 1981, shortly after his admission there.

Coffield's lifelong activities were mainly writing poetry, publishing poetry periodicals, providing submitted poetry with comments, suggestions, and critiques, and the promotion of poetry in general. He also painted (especially during his period in San Francisco); however, none of his paintings are included in this collection. He painted and sold over a thousand pieces, including one titled 500 Views of San Francisco. His paintings have been shown in art exhibits, including the Civic Center Art Show in San Francisco. Coffield also wrote a few plays, wrote the words for two musical comedies, composed music for an opera (The Sleeping Beauty), and composed sixty jazz symphonies.

Some people called Glen Coffield the first hippie. A photo of him presents the startling image of a white Rastafarian with long tangled locks, full beard and intense eyes. He is represented in the poetry section of We, the People (the yearbook of public opinion), Who's Who in Poetry in America, Poetry Digest, and Living Ozark Authors, besides his many books and publications.

Content Description

The Coffield papers contain Coffield's essays, periodicals, plays, poems/poetry-books, prose and miscellaneous work; course materials for instruction that Coffield offered by mail; papers relating to Coffield’s publications; and materials from Coffield’s “Quantification of Quality” system of creative thinking. The collection also contains writings by other people that were compiled into book form by Coffield, along with assorted publications in which Coffield was interested.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into the following two series: General; and Writings.

The General series is organized into the following eight subseries: Accounting Records; Book Orders; Clippings; Contest Materials; Course Materials; Periodicals; Quantification of Quality; and Research Materials. The Course Materials subseries includes materials pertaining to the various courses Coffield provided by mail. The Periodicals subseries contains materials that relate to periodicals published by Coffield and other people, but does not contain actual periodicals (these can be found in the Writings series). The Personal Folder contains a photograph of Coffield taken a year before he died. The Quantification of Quality subseries contains materials that pertain to a system invented by Coffield which he claimed would improve the quality of a person’s thinking, ideas, and administrative skills. Examples of these “creative tools” can be found under the Research Materials subseries.

The Writings series is organized into the following two subseries: Coffield’s Writings; and Writings by Others. The subseries Coffield's Writings contains Coffield's essays, periodicals, plays, poems/poetry-books, prose and miscellaneous work. It also contains writings by other people that were compiled into book form by Coffield. The subseries Writings by Others includes periodicals, poetry books, non-poetry books and miscellaneous publications not directly produced by, but nevertheless of interest to, Coffield.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information 

Gift of Eleanor Coffield in 1981

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

Collection is open to the public.

Collection must be used in Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room.

Restrictions on Use 

Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the Manuscripts Librarian in Special Collections & University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation 

[Identification of item], Glen Stemmons Coffield Papers, Coll. 217, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

 
Coffield, Glen, 1917--Archives (creator)
Civilian Public Service. Camp #56 (Waldport, Or.)
Grundtvig Folk School
American literature--20th century
American poetry--20th century
Poets, American--20th century
World War, 1939-1945--Conscientious objectors--United States
Creative review
Creativity newsletter

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.


 
box
1
folder
1

Inventory

 

 

General

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
   
Accounting Records
 
 
box
1
folder
2

Bk 13-17
 
 
3
Bk 18-21
 
 
4
Correspondence from Coffield to Mishler (printer)
 
   
Book Orders
 
 
5
File cards with book orders
 
   
Clippings
 
 
6
Creativity
 
 
7
Sports
 
 
8
Springfield
 
   
Contest Materials
 
 
9
Contest entries
 
 
May contain winning and losing entries.
 
10
Contest entries
 
 
May contain winning and losing entries.
 
11
Contest entries
 
 
May contain winning and losing entries.
 
12
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
13
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
14
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
15
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
16
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
17
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
18
Contest poems
 
 
Winning poems.
 
19
Contest Losers
  June 22, 1970-July 13, 1977
 
Contains Coffield’s criticisms of the poems; not the actual poems.
 
20
Contest Losers
  June 22, 1970-July 13, 1977
 
Contains Coffield’s criticisms of the poems; not the actual poems.
 
21
Contest Losers
  June 22, 1970-July 13, 1977
 
Contains Coffield’s criticisms of the poems; not the actual poems.
 
22
Contest Losers
  June 22, 1970-July 13, 1977
 
Contains Coffield’s criticisms of the poems; not the actual poems.
 
23
Contest Losers
  June 22, 1970-July 13, 1977
 
Contains Coffield’s criticisms of the poems; not the actual poems.
 
2 1
Correspondence
 
 
2
Points record
 
 
To keep track of who won or lost what, how many times someone won or lost, etc.
   
Course Materials
 
   
General
 
 
folder
3

Course
 
 
4
Correspondence
 
 
5
Drills and exercises
 
 
6
Exercise patterns
 
 
7
Lesson sheets
 
 
8
Art workshop
 
 
Copy of course description.
 
9
Converting to Near-Genius Workshop
 
 
Copy of course description.
 
10
Exercises submitted
 
   
Genius exercise
 
 
11
1: Beginning
 
 
12
2: Creativity
 
 
13
9: Checklists
 
 
14
11: Memory
 
 
15
12: Observation
 
 
16
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
3 1
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
2
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
3
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
4
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
5
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
6
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
7
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
8
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
9
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
10
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
11
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
12
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
13
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
14
Exercises submitted to the poetry workshops
 
 
15
Poetry workshop for beginners
 
 
Copy of the course and supplement.
 
16
Beginning exercises (general)
 
   
Beginning exercises
 
 
17
7: Reminiscence
 
 
18
9: Description
 
 
19
12: Marketing
 
 
20
13: Review
 
 
21
14: Emotion and feeling
 
 
22
15: Theme
 
 
23
16: Allusions
 
 
24
17: Interest
 
 
25
18: Coordination
 
 
26
20: Diction
 
 
27
Poetry workshop for advanced
 
 
Copy of course description
 
28
Advanced (general)
 
 
29
Course controls
 
   
Advanced exercises
 
 
30
36: Placement
 
 
31
39: Beginnings
 
 
32
40: Experience
 
 
33
41: Dramatistics
 
 
34
42: Unity
 
 
35
43: Functions
 
 
36
44: Motivations
 
 
37
45: Development
 
 
38
46: Character sketch; Recalls
 
 
39
47: Dialogue
 
 
40
48: Narrative
 
 
41
49: Middles
 
 
42
50: Significance
 
   
Periodicals
 
 
Information concerning periodicals.
   
Correspondence
 
 
4 folder
1

Re: Coffield's Creative Review and Creativity Newsletter
  Feb. 27, 1968-Aug. 28, 1978
   
Creative Review
 
 
2
General
 
 
3
Poetry submitted for publication
 
 
4
“Ten ideas worth a billion dollars each”
 
 
Published in Creative Review.
 
5
Creativity Newsletter
 
 
Poetry submitted for publication.
   
Other newsletters
 
 
Not published by Coffield.
 
6
Addresses of periodicals and subscribers
 
 
7
Biographical materials on subscribers to Coffield’s periodicals
 
 
8
Misc. newsletters
 
 
9
Supplementary materials
 
 
10
Personal materials
 
   
Quantification of Quality
 
 
11
General
 
 
12
Preparatory work
 
 
13
Tournaments of ideas, examples and notes
 
   
Research materials
 
   
Brainstorming sheets
 
 
folder
14

Bird feeder
 
 
15
Book review
 
 
16
Comments on forms
 
   
Creativity
 
 
17
Examples
 
 
18
Examples
 
 
19
Examples, Inventions BK 1 and Boat
 
 
20
General
 
 
21
How Creativity can Improve Business
 
 
Pamphlet.
   
Criticism
 
 
22
BK 1
 
 
23
BK I, II, and III
 
 
24
Method
 
   
Essences
 
 
5 1
General
 
 
2
Pattern
 
   
Genius
 
 
3
General
 
 
4
Creativity
 
 
5
Hamlet with a chorus
 
 
6
How to ....
 
 
7
Ideas for Jasper County
 
 
Pamphlet.
 
8
Key phrases
 
 
9
Kinds of Brainstorming
 
 
Pamphlet.
 
10
Lilith
 
 
11
Paragraphs
 
 
12
People
 
 
13
Philosophy
 
   
Pilot
 
 
14
Backlog, BK 1-5
 
 
15
Circles
 
 
16
General
 
 
17
Mailing, BK 1-5
 
 
18
Mailing, BK 8-11
 
 
Pamphlet.
 
19
Papers
 
 
20
Sheets