The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: Z is for…

Zodiac!

Today, May 15, is Katherine Anne Porter’s 133rd Birthday, which makes her a Taurus!

Taureans are considered to be tenacious individuals who value honesty and enjoy the finer things in life. They are practical, reliable, affectionate, resentful, stubborn, and persistent. This stereotype rings true for Porter who was opinionated, dedicated to her craft, and didn’t abide hearsay. Her more indulgent side can be seen in her fine tastes in clothing and furnishings she collected, including 16th century benches, stools, and chapel chairs, as well as an 18th century Louis XV fruitwood sofa, which are on display in the Katherine Anne Porter Room in Hornbake Library. The room recreates the ambiance of Porter’s home in the Spring Valley neighborhood of the District of Columbia where Porter lived from 1964 to 1969

Included in Porter’s personal library are copies of The Astrological Cookbook, The Compleat Astrologer, and Taureau (a French edition on her star sign). However, there are no annotations in these books, apart from Porter’s comment that The Astrologer Cookbook is “the worst cookbook I ever saw.”

Porter spent many years researching Cotton Mather, a puritan clergyman involved in the Salem witch trials. During her research, she explored different tools of witchcraft, including astrology, which sparked an interest in her own sign. When she had her star chart mapped out, astrologists were concerned about a lack of water in her chart, leading them to encourage Porter to be more open and aware of her emotions and the emotions of others.

Porter was moved by the stars. After watching a comet one night she mused, “I felt less than a grain of sand, less than an atom, but still no less alive, no less important for that.”

You can explore digitized letters by Katherine Anne Porter’s online in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Browse the finding aid to the Katherine Anne Porter papers to learn more about Porter’s hobbies and manuscripts!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: Y is for…

Yaddo!

Yaddo is an artist retreat in Saratoga Springs, New York that provided artists of all disciplines uninterrupted time and space to create. It first opened in 1926 and is still accepting artists-in-residence today. 

Katherine Anne Porter learned about Yaddo through friends and began inquiring about a spot at the retreat in 1936. Timing and space finally aligned and Yaddo became Porter’s primary residence from June 1940 to May 1942. There were rules in place to meant to limit distractions to the artists, including radios only being allowed in the evening. At this time World War II was going on and the U.S. was preparing to join the fight. There were staff shortages and rationing, but the seclusion of the retreat created somewhat of a bubble from the outside world and gave residents an escape. 

Despite the support and break from financial strain, Porter didn’t find Yaddo as soothing or productive as she had hoped during her first visit. In a follow-up questionnaire she complained about required socializing, the odd dynamics between staff and visitors being asked to report on each other, and being dragged into others’ drama. However, she became close friends with executive director Elizabeth Ames and would end up joining the board and returning to Yaddo a few more times during her life to work. Porter strongly supported their mission to give artists a place where they could exist and create without pressure.

You can explore digitized letters by Katherine Anne Porter’s online in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Digitized photographs of Katherine Anne Porter can be found in our Digital Collections repository.

Browse the finding aid to the Katherine Anne Porter papers and visit us in Hornbake Library to learn more!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: X is for…

eXpatriate!

Katherine Anne Porter lived and worked all over the world. Porter lived ten years of her life outside of the United States. A total of three of those years were spent in Mexico. Between 1920 and 1931, she made four trips to Mexico establishing long residences in Mexico City between November 1920 and September 1921 and between May 1930 and August 1931. There, she became an editor of the English section of El Heraldo de Mexico and made friends with Diego Rivera and other revolutionaries. This proved to be a pivotal time for Porter as it inspired several of Porter’s stories including Flowering Judas.

In 1931, Porter received a Guggenheim fellowship which she used to travel to Europe. She went to Berlin, Paris, and Madrid before moving to Basil, Switzerland. Porter lives in four foreign countries and at least five U.S. states for extended periods during the 1930s. She lives in Mexico from April 1930- August 1931. She then travels to Berlin, Germany, where she lives for four months in 1931-1932. She resides predominantly in Paris, France, between 1932 and 1936 but also lives in Switzerland for six months in 1932. It is in Paris where Porter married her 4th husband Eugene Pressly, who worked for the U.S. foreign service. In early 1936, Porter makes an extended four-month visit to the U.S. after which she and Pressly repatriate in October 1936.

Porter would continue to travel for work, visiting Brussels, Moscow, Rome, London, Nice, and more. Occasionally she would travel to make audio recordings of her stories, but most of her trips happened as part of a culture exchange tours facilitated by the U.S. Department of State. In 1952, she was based in Brittany and Paris before, during, and after her participation in the International Congress for Cultural Freedom in Paris in May 1952. She was also Fulbright recipient in Liege, Belgium. She spent five months of 1963 in Paris during her European sojourn after the April 1962 publication of Ship of Fools.

You can explore digitized letters by Katherine Anne Porter’s online in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Browse the finding aid to the Katherine Anne Porter papers to learn more about Porter’s hobbies and manuscripts!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: U is for…

University of Maryland!

On June 28, 1966 Katherine Anne was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Maryland. Unable to attend the official commencement ceremony, Porter was presented the degree in her home. She wore full graduation regalia and celebrated with champagne! Porter was enamored by the attention and deference shown to her from UMD and by October of the same year she had agreed to donate her papers to the Libraries. 

While Porter lived in nearby Washington, D.C in the 1960s, and later relocated to a College Park suburb, she did not have an strong ties to the University of Maryland. She was born in Texas, and spent much of her life traveling. writing, and teching classes at a variety of colleges and universities. She was, however, a well known and respected Modernist author and literary woman. UMD was not the first university to inquire about Porter’s papers. University of Texas, Howard Payne, Library of Congress and a few others asked, but it never happened for one reason or another.

“Its all pure feeling,” Porter said of the decision in a press conference. “[UMD] is a very beautiful, active, and effective kind of university. It grows and keeps growing.”

As part of the agreement to accept her literary archive, the University of Maryland agreed to set up a room dedicated to Katherine Anne Porter. Porter hand picked what she wished to donate and sent the items to the university a few boxes at a time over a period of years. She was inspired by her time at the University of Virginia where she saw clothing and household items that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson and chose to similarly donate personal items that would be displayed in the Katherine Anne Porter room, along with her expansive literary archive and personal papers that would be housed in the Literary Manuscripts division of the Special Collections Library.

The accessioning process for the new collection was complex and sometimes frustrating for those involved, but through hard work and patience, the Katherine Anne Porter Room was officially opened on May 15, 1968 and her literary archive was opened to researchers. Porter herself would serve as a docent of the Katherine Anne Porter room in its original location in McKeldin so she could be close to her papers and chat with anyone who dropped. She wanted to share her knowledge and for her collection to be used and enjoyed by students.

The Katherine Anne Porter papers continues to be used be researchers and students visiting Special Collections and University Archives in Hornbake Library. The Katherine Anne Porter Room is open by appointment for visitors looking to explore Porter’s book collection and artifacts.

You can view digitized letters from Katherine Anne Porter in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Browse the finding aids to the Katherine Anne Porter papers and visit us in person to learn more about the partnership between University of Maryland and Katherine Anne Porter. Contact us to learn more!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: T is for…

Texas!

Katherine Anne Porter was born Callie Russell Porter in Indian Creek, Texas in 1890 and grew up in Kyle, Texas. She was, at best, ambivalent about her home state. Porter left Texas in 1918 to travel the world as a writer, ultimately earning a spot as one of the acclaimed Modernist women writers of the 20th century, winning the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize in 1965. Porter never lived in Texas again, only traveling back to her home state sparingly for visits.

Many scholars have speculated on the influence of Porter’s roots. Specifically, how the experience of growing up poor in the South transformed into the fictionalized settings of her thoughtfully constructed stories. While Porter was adamant that none of her writing was autobiographical, her ideas came from everyday observations and experiences. The result is numerous parallels between Porter’s life and family, and the lives of her characters. 

Porter was too modern for the traditional, subservient role of a woman and was offput by small-town expectations. However, after visiting University of Texas at Austin in 1958, she wrote:

“that is the country of my beginning in this world, my earliest memories, and it is wonderful to find that the bonds which seemed no stronger than a spider web are tough as steel thread!”

She would later recall more of her childhood memories in Notes on the Texas I Remember, including pleasant visits from Governor Hogg when she was a child. He notably named his daughter Ima, which led to jokes of him naming another rumored (but fictitious) daughter Ura which are still taken as gospel on Texas playgrounds today. 

Just as time softened some of Porter’s feelings towards Texas, it has given Texas a chance to recognize her writing talent. Her childhood home in Kyle, Texas has been restored and is now the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center, hosting readings of Porter’s stories and other literary events. In addition to a charter school named after her, there are multiple writing grants in her honor and two historical markers. Porter was cremated and her ashes buried next to her mother in Indian Creek, Texas. 

You can explore digitized letters from Katherine Anne Porter in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Browse the finding aids to the Katherine Anne Porter papers and visit us in person to learn more about the partnership between University of Maryland and Katherine Anne Porter. Contact us to learn more!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: R is for…

Religion!

Author Katherine Anne Porter (1890-1980) had a complicated relationship with religion. She was raised in a strict, Methodist household by her devout grandmother. Then, at 16 years old, she ran away from school to get married and subsequently converted to Catholicism for her new husband. While the marriage would end nine years later, Porter would continue practicing Catholicism on and off throughout her life.

Porter became weary of the Catholic Church after traveling to Mexico and making friends with revolutionaries. Her religion didn’t mesh with the realities and socialist values of her new community. She witnessed many struggling, yet the Church didn’t use their resources to care for local people. Porter’s exposure to political ideas abroad in Europe led her to further question organized religion. Towards the end of her life, Porter reportedly returned to her Catholic faith.

Interestingly, even when she wasn’t actively practicing Catholicism, Porter would date correspondence with days dedicated to saints or other religious feast days. She also maintained friendships with nuns and priests, discussing the daily needs of life, literature, art, and the Church. Unsurprisingly, faith was a common theme in Porter’s writing. She explored her struggles with religion through her characters in Flowering Judas, Virgin Violeta, and other stories as she tried to come to terms with femininity, sexuality, and the role of marriage within life and the Church.

To learn more about Katherine Anne Porter, visit us online or in- person! You can browse the finding aid to the Katherine Anne Porter papers and explore digitized letters by Katherine Anne Porter’s in the exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

Special Collections Spotlight: Katherine Anne Porter papers

Special Collections and University Archives in Hornbake Library is home to the literary archive of Texas-born author Katherine Anne Porter (1890-1980). She is best know for her short stories and bestselling novel Ship of Fools. She was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1966 for The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter.

Porter’s personal papers reflect her interests in writing, travel, politics, and current events and also document her private life. The collection includes correspondence, notes and drafts for her works, publications, legal documents, and financial records. It also includes over 1,500 photographs from her personal collection, dating from the 1890s to 1979. Subjects of both snapshots and professional portraits include Porter, her family, friends, homes, and places she visited. The Porter collection also contains memorabilia, including Mexican pottery, furniture, awards, and diplomas, as well as her personal library. Many of these objects and a portion of her library are housed in the Katherine Anne Porter Room in Hornbake Library.

Shortly after accepting an honorary degree from the University of Maryland in 1966, Porter announced that she would donate her papers, personal library, and other personal effects to the University of Maryland, where the Katherine Anne Porter Room was dedicated in McKeldin Library on May 15, 1968. She moved to College Park in 1969, in part to be closer to the university and her papers. From that time until ill health prevented it, Porter often visited the room to work on her papers. She thought of it as a place where individuals could “view and enjoy her library and furnishings” in an atmosphere that reflected her personal taste and style.

View our online wxhibit “Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives 1912-1977“.

Browse the fining aid to the Katherine Anne Porter papers.

Contact us for more information! 

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What is a finding aid?

A finding aid is a description of the contents of a collection, similar to a table of contents you would find in a book. A collection’s contents are often grouped logically and describe the group of items within each folder. You rarely find descriptions of the individual items within collections. Finding aids also contain information about the size and scope of collections. Additional contextual information may also be included.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: K is for…

Kitchen!

Katherine Anne Porter loved to cook and entertain! She would swap recipes via letters and entice her friends to visit with promises of blueberry pancakes and smoked oysters. Even the simplest of dinners was an occasion for Porter. She would create detailed menus listing the attendees, courses served, and drinks to match. Bigger events like holidays and parties were an excuse for Porter to indulge in Moët champagne and cook favorite recipes from her travels around the world. Over the years, she saved labels from different products and write anecdotes about the meal and who she shared it with. When friends couldn’t make a visit, Porter would mail them her homemade “Hell Broth,” a fermented pepper sauce, to add warmth to soups and sauces. 

When the rubber spatula came out in 1920’s, it was a big deal for Porter who claimed it to be an astounding utensil! Porter’s interest in cooking lead to experiments with different ingredients. Sometimes her experimental cooking would go so far as to transform a recipe into a completely different dish from a totally different culture. She only measured by eye, calling the ability to cook a “gift” that required “your eye, your hand, and your sense of smell and taste to be present and all good friends.” Outside of dinner parties and recipe adventures, Porter took great joy in simple food too, like the perfect piece of toast. Of course, the bread was always homemade and it would be served alongside her kitchen staples of a cheap beefsteak and Old Forester whisky.

You can see some of Porter’s recipes and cookbook collection on display now in the Maryland Room! Browse the finding aid for the Katherine Anne Porter papers to explore her collection at UMD. Contact us to learn more!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: H is for…

Husbands!

Trysts, affairs, partners, paramours… there was no shortage of lovers in Katherine Anne Porter’s life, five of whom she married. Her first husband was John Koontz, whom she married in 1906 when Porter was only 16 years old. The marriage was far from happy and Porter left her husband to pursue an acting career before formally divorcing Koontz in June 1915. In quick succession, Porter married and divorced her second husband T. Otto Tasket. Her third marriage in 1916 to Carl Von Pless was also short lived, lasting less than a year. 

Porter would be married twice more during her lifetime. In 1930, Porter met Eugene Pressly in Mexico. He was 14 years younger and worked for the U.S. Foreign Service; Porter moved with him to various posts throughout their relationship. In 1933, the pair was married in Paris, but were often away from each other due to conflicting schedules. They eventually separated in 1937. Her final marriage was to Albert Erskine Jr. in 1938 and only lasted two years. He was 21 years younger than Porter and also involved in the literary world. 

There is not a lot of information available about Porter’s early marriages. Official records, letters, and pictures have either been lost or destroyed. Porter’s romantic relationships were often tumultuous affairs that burned out quick. When things ended, she was prone to slicing up correspondence or setting it on fire in a dramatic effort to rid herself of the past. However, there are still many letters between Porter and her last two husbands throughout the respective courtships as well as letters between Porter and various lovers, offering an intimate look into the side of Porter that was always looking for love.

You can explore digitized letters from Katherine Anne Porter in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Browse the finding aids to the Katherine Anne Porter papers and visit us in person to learn more about the partnership between University of Maryland and Katherine Anne Porter. Contact us to learn more!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.

The ABCs of Katherine Anne Porter: G is for…

Gertrude Stein!

Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) was an American Modernist author well known for her Paris salon where she would bring together artists and writers in conversation during the 1930s . Katherine Anne Porter, a fellow Modernist writer, was also living in Paris at this time, but never attended the salon. In fact, the two women only met once during a rather uneventful evening.

Nevertheless, Porter has an striking connection to Gertrude Stein, primarily through three reviews Porter wrote on Stein’s work. Most notable of the three was a piece she wrote for Harper’s Magazine entitled Gertrude Stein, A Self Portrait, more commonly referenced under the title The Wooden Umbrella. 

The article started as a review of Stein’s Everybody’s Autobiography in 1937, but was never published. 10 years later, after Stein’s death, Harper’s requested an updated article with the intention of publishing a timely literary piece. As was her style, Porter did not hold back her opinions. In the article, Porter criticized Stein’s writing style as simplistic and unfinished. She drew attention to Stein’s self-centeredness and the cult-like following of the expatriates who found their social/creative center in Stein’s Paris salon. 

The response to The Wooden Umbrella was polarized. Letters came pouring in calling Porter all manner of nasty names and warning her career would be destroyed in retaliation. Porter receive death threats as some people took to yelling harassments at her while she was out running errands. At one point, there was talk of suing Porter for libel. Fortunately for Porter, all of the quotes she used were drawn directly from Stein’s published works. Despite the relentless negative reactions from readers, others wrote letters praising Porter for illuminating the gaps in Stein’s work and personality. Porter herself called the piece a practice in understatement and self-restraint. 

All three pieces are printed in Porter’s The Days Before. Read them for yourself and pick a side!

You can explore digitized letters from Katherine Anne Porter in the online exhibit Katherine Anne Porter: Correspondence from the Archives, 1912-1977.

Browse the finding aids to the Katherine Anne Porter papers and visit us in person to learn more about the partnership between University of Maryland and Katherine Anne Porter. Contact us to learn more!

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Mattie Lewis is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Graduate Assistant with the Katherine Anne Porter Collection at UMD.