Larry Eigner Papers

Laurence (Larry) Eigner was a prominent American writer who authored more than 75 books and broadsides over the span of 58 years. He was born with cerebral palsy on August 7, 1927 to parents Israel and Bessie. Eigner lived most of his life—that is, his first 50 years—in his parents’ Swampscott, Massachusetts home. Though he was wheelchair-bound from birth, this did not hinder him from becoming a prolific writer. Indeed, he is known for having shared and lived a social “life in letters” through his regular correspondence with friends, his publishers, other contemporary writers, and his fans.

Eigner’s career was greatly encouraged by the 1940 Royal manual typewriter he received for his 13th birthday. He would often sit on the glass-enclosed front porch of his home, typewriter at the ready, using his thumb and right index finger to record his observations, experiences, and thoughts about the outside world. This porch was his makeshift office, where he committed himself to writing something—an essay, a review, a letter, or a poem—on a daily basis. His mother played a prominent role in his life, as she insisted that he receive a proper education by first tutoring him at home. Eigner was later homeschooled by his Swampscott High School teachers and also completed seven correspondence courses through the University of Chicago.

Though he did not attend North Carolina’s Black Mountain College himself, Eigner is known for his affiliation with the Black Mountain poets. Esteemed alumnus Robert Creeley published Eigner’s first book, From the Sustaining Air in 1953. Throughout the years his work also appeared in the Black Mountain Review as well as other publications including Poetry, The Paris Review, Chicago Review, Charles Bernstein and Bruce Andrews’ L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, and Origin.

Eigner’s work relies on images, usually established with a minimal number of words, much like the style of William Carlos Williams. Though his poems are often abuzz with enthusiasm about everyday activities, they are also laden with a bittersweet pining about life’s transitory nature. In contrast to his earlier work, Eigner’s later pieces are shorter and attest to the progression and increasing mastery of his poetic style.

ON MY EYES (Jargon Press, 1960) was Eigner’s first major collection of poems. His books following another time in fragments (Fulcrum Press, 1967) were mostly published by John Martin’s Black Sparrow Press and James Weil’s The Elizabeth Press. His non-poetic publications include the short story / prose collections Clouding (1968), Farther North (1969), and Country/Harbor/Quiet/Act/Around (1978). Eigner’s work has also been included in anthologies such as The New American Poetry: 1945-1960 (1960), America: A Prophecy (1973), and A Gist of Origins (1975) among others.

He was one of the winners of the San Francisco State Poetry Center Award in 1983 for his book, WATERS / PLACES / A TIME (1981). His writing career was also celebrated with readings by fellow poets and friends at the University of California Art Museum in 1993.

Eigner moved to Berkeley, California, in the summer of 1978, after the death of his father. He became a noticeable figure in the area’s poetry scene by providing numerous readings and hosting many visitors in his home. Eigner remained in Berkeley until his own death (due to pneumonia-related complications) on February 3, 1996. In 2010, Stanford University Press published The Collected Poems of Larry Eigner, a four-volume set that includes the more than 3,070 poems written throughout his life.