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Finding Aids

Donald Yates collection on Jorge Luis Borges

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 678

Scope and Contents

The Donald Yates collection on Jorge Luis Borges consists of correspondence, publicity, clippings, photographs, and other ephemera relating to Borges' life and work. Of note are announcements, invitations, and poetry relating to Borges' visits to Michigan State University for his honorary doctorate in 1972 and other occasions. Other topics reflected in this collection are annotated manuscripts and correspondence with other Argentinian mystery authors, documentation on the detective genre in South America and Europe, and correspondence, drafts, and notes relating to Yates' transcriptions of their work.

Dates

  • Creation: 1881 - 2012
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1950 - 1990

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

The material is stored off site. Please request 3 working days in advance if you wish to use it.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the authors of the items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. For photocopy and duplication requests, please contact the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections, Michigan State University Libraries.

Biographical / Historical

Donald A. Yates (1930-2017) was Professor Emeritus of Latin American Literature at Michigan State University, where he taught for more than twenty-five years. As documented in this collection, while a student at the University of Michigan, Yates took a Spanish class which had a Borges text as required reading. Piqued by his interest in the detective genre and his love of Spanish-language literature, Yates embarked on a career of translating Latin American texts into English. He is the author of some two dozen texts and complications including his own fiction, poetry, book reviews and articles, in addition to translations. He was the General Editor of the Macmillan Modern Spanish American Literature Series and President of the International Institute of Latin American Literature, hosting the Institute's 16th Congress at Michigan State University.

Extent

19 Linear Feet (19 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was purchased from Joanne Yates in 2018.

Related Materials

Several original Borges manuscripts have been separated from this collection for individual housing and cataloging, which are available under the call number of MSS 678: http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/search~S39/?searchtype=e&searcharg=mss+678&searchscope=39&sortdropdown=-&SORT=D&extended=0&SUBMIT=Search&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=emss+78

MSU Libraries has been a fortunate recipient of several collections from Donald Yates, including

MSS 622 Donald A. Yates papers

MSS 595 Donald Yates collection of Rodolfo Walsh correspondence, writings, and other materials

MSS 319 H.C. Branson papers

and the following other manuscripts by Jorge Luis Borges:

MSS 268 La muralla y los libros

and MSS 383 Lecture notes and literary essays

Processing Information

Lydia Tang and Taylor Peterson processed this collection in 2019.

Related Names

Subject

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Finding Aid for the Donald Yates collection on Jorge Luis Borges
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
Finding aid written by Taylor Peterson and Lydia Tang, with edits by Leslie Van Veen McRoberts, 2021.
Date
2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Stephen O. Murray and Keelung Hong Special Collections Repository

http://specialcollections.lib.msu.edu
Contact:
MSU Libraries
366 W. Circle Drive
East Lansing MI 48823 USA