CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
7103
Partner Institution:
Simon Fraser University
Source Collection Title:
Warren Tallman Fonds
Source Collection ID:
MsC 26
Source Collection Description:
Warren Tallman (7 November 1921 - 1 July 1994) was an American-born poetry professor who inspired the Canadian Tish movement and influenced the mid-20th century poetry scene in Canada. Born in Seattle attended the University of California, Berkeley on the G.I. Bill. There he met Ellen King; they married in 1951. In 1956, the Tallmans accepted teaching jobs in the English department at the University of British Columbia, where they helped Earle Birney and Roy Daniells to organize the creative writing department. In 1963, they hosted a poetry conference attended by Denise Levertov, Charles Olson, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Duncan, Margaret Avison, and Philip Whalen. The Tallman home itself also served as a poetry enclave of sorts. It was there that Jack Spicer gave some of his now legendary lectures. Two years later, they held another poetry conference in Berkeley, California. Sometimes criticized by Canadian literary nationalists for turning the Vancouver poetry circle into a California branch plant, Tallman embraced the Black Mountain school approach to poetry, and also was influenced from the Beats and other New American Poets. The fonds consists of correspondence, manuscripts, teaching papers, personal and financial records, material pertaining to the Vancouver Poetry Centre, photographs, audiotapes, ephemera, etc.
Source Collection Contributing Unit:
SFU Library
Source Collection URI:
Source Collection Image URL:
Sub Series Title:
Warren Tallman Fonds
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
Tootsie, Warren Tallman's mother, interviewed by her son on September 11, 1982 and Daphne Marlatt talking and reading poems from "Steveston" in Tallman's poetry class at UBC on March 19, 1980
Title Source:
Recording and J-card
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
Rights:
Copyright Not Evaluated (CNE)
CREATORS
Name:
Marlatt, Daphne
Dates:
1942-
Name:
Tallman, Warren
Dates:
1921-1994
Name:
Minden, Robert
Notes:
He is the photographer whom Daphne Marlatt had a collaboration for her book called "Steveston". She talks about this collaboration on the second side
Name:
Shepard, Dorothy
Dates:
1896-19?
Notes:
Warren Tallman's mother Tootsie
CONTRIBUTORS
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Image:
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Cassette
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/8 inch
Sound Quality:
Poor
Physical Condition:
Good
Other Physical Description:
Black and white clear jewel case with J-card
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T01:03:05
Size:
67.8 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Channel Field:
Stereo
Sample Rate:
44.1 kHz
Duration:
T01:03:16
Size:
67.8 MB
Bitrate:
32 bit
Encoding:
WAV for master files and .MP3 for online files
Dates
Date:
1980-03-19
Type:
Production Date
Source:
J-card
Notes:
This date refers to Warren Tallman poetry class at UBC
Date:
11-09-1982
Type:
Production Date
LOCATION
Address:
6398 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Venue:
University of British Columbia
Latitude:
49.2586
Longitude:
-123.2452
Notes:
Warren Tallman poetry class at UBC
Address:
[Olympia, WA, USA?]
CONTENT
NOTES
Type:
General
Note:
The quality improves on the second side. On Side A, the recording is clearer after the first two minutes.
Type:
General
Note:
On the first side, Warren Tallman interviews his mother, who goes by Tootsie. Tootsie's birth name was Dorothy Shepard and she was born in St. Joseph, MI (37:55). Tallman notes on tape that Tootsie was born in 1896 (5:29), her father was Arthur Shepard (1:00), her mother's last name was Jocelyn (1:19), and both parents "died so young" (1:47). Tootsie was raised by an Aunt Alice who was born in Fredonia, NY (4:21). Their conversation implies that Tootsie grew up in Niles, MI (37:51).
The interview's location is not given but it is likely taking place at Tootsie's home in Olympia (her dog, Jenny, is present). She may have been living with Tallman's sister Jean and Jean's husband David at the time. Though Warren is eager for Tootsie to talk about her family she repeatedly refuses (and initially cites an earlier recording by Warren where "we went through all this already on your tape recorder." They briefly discuss other U.S. cities, David Copperfield, Voltaire, a 1978 Disraeli TV mini series, history and politics from Reagan and Jefferson as well as pets, kitchens, and earrings. The interview finishes at 55:50 and abruptly cuts into a few minutes of a recorded class or group conversation led by Robin Blaser, discussing the relation of language to reality and how this is managed by unnamed English department colleagues and other literary scholars.
On the second side, Daphne Marlatt talks about her book Steveston and her collaboration with Robert Minden.
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