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V. B. Price Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-536-BC

Scope and Content

The V.B. Price papers consist of literary manuscripts, working drafts, published and non-published materials, correspondence, articles published in The New Mexico Independent, The Albuquerque Tribune, Artspace, and other publications. The bulk of the collection consists of published versions of Price's work. Examples of working drafts through final publications illustrate the evolution of his writing.

An addition to the collection was processed in January 2005. Materials added are divided into 3 series: Creative Works, Correspondence, and Instructor/Course Evaluations. Creative works include poetry, prose, essays, forwards, introductions, and publications predominantly by V. B. Price, with a smaller amount of material about V. B. Price. News clippings, articles, and book reviews by and about Price and his works are included in this series, as are pamphlets and advertisements about events involving V. B. Price. Correspondence is both to and from Price, and spans the years 1972-2001. Some of the correspondence includes related photographs of Stonehenge. Instructor/Course Evaluations consists of 1 folder containing student evaluations of V. B Price and courses he taught at the University of New Mexico, 1992-1998.

A second addition was processed in January 2011. Materials added are organized into the following series: Personal and Writings. Personal includes memorabilia, correspondence about Price's involvement with finding the letters of William Dean Howell (19th century American Realist author and literary critic), photos of family and friends and e-mail print outs related to publications of Prices_ literary work. Writings include Albuquerque Tribune column drafts and published columns from 1998 to 2005 along with copies of invoices sent for payment of the columns. The bulk of this series consists of many working drafts of "The Wendy," "Myths of Guilt," "Myths of Pleasure" and "Polishing the Mountain" which were the precursors to The Oddity published in 2004 by UNM Press. This series also contains research notes and character studies along with drafts, notes and peer reviews for "The Anasazi Landscape." The last part of this series is primarily a collection of drafts and copies of published and unpublished single poems and collected works by Price.

Dates

  • 1960-2011

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biographical Information

V.B. Price, poet, editor, writer and teacher, was born August 30, 1940 in Los Angeles,California. He received a BA in Anthropology in 1962 from the University of New Mexico, where he also did post graduate work.

Price started working as a newspaper reporter for the Albuquerque Tribune in 1966. He worked as the city editor for the New Mexico Independent from 1971 to l978. He was editor of Century Magazine from l980 to 1983, editor of New Mexico Magazine from 1984 to l985, and worked as a columnist for the Albuquerque Tribune from l985 to its closing in 2008.

Price, as both a poet and journalist, writes with a dynamic, honest, and witty style. His writing also displays a working knowledge of national, state, and local government, contemporary U.S.politics, and foreign policy. Subjects that Price is committed to in his writing include New Mexicohistory and culture, the environment, and urban development and planning.

Books, anthologies, collaborations, contributions, and other publications Price has produced include Pueblo Style and Regional Architecture (1989), Six Albuquerque Photographers (l989), Chaco Body (1991), Anasazi Architecture and American Design (1997), Seven Deadly Sins (1997), Chaco Trilogy (1998), Albuquerque: A City at the End of the World (2003), The Oddity (2004), In Company: An Anthology of New Mexico Poets after 1960 (2004), MythWaking - Homeric Hymns: A Modern Sequal, (2004), Death Self: A Collaboration with Rini Price (2005), Canyon Gardens:The Ancient Pueblo Landscapes of the American Southwest (2006), Broken and Reset: Selected Poems 1966 to 2006 (2007), The University of New Mexico (2009), and The Orphaned Land: New Mexico's Environment Since the Manhattan Project (2011). His service and dedication to the Southwest are represented by his contributions to the community. The significance of Price's writings are reflected in his appointments to various boards of directors, trustees, advisors, councils and panelsin the fields of poetry, orchestra, dance, arts and the humanities.

Note: Biographical information updated in June 2011 by V. B. Price.

Extent

9 boxes (9 cu. ft.), plus 1 oversize folder

Separated Material

The following publications have been transferred to UNM University Libraries for cataloguing:
  1. Anella, Anthony and Mark C. Childs. Never Say Goodbye: The Albuquerque Photographic Survey Project. Albuquerque, NM: Albuquerque Museum, 2000.
  2. ¡Saludos! Poemas de Nuevo Mexico : Poems of New Mexico. Tesuque, NM: Pennywhistle Press, 1995.
  3. Price, V. B. A City at the End of the World. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1992.
  4. New Mexico Poetry Renaissance. Santa Fe, NM: Red Crane Books, 1994.
  5. Blue Mesa Review. (No. 7) Albuquerque, NM : Creative Writing Center, Department of English, University of New Mexico, 1995.
  6. Encanto Magazine, (Volume 4, No.1), Albuquerque, N.M: Encanto Inc., Fall, 1971

Processing Information

Processed: March 2000; Reprocessed with addition: March 2005; Second addition processed: January 2011.
Title
Finding Aid of the V. B. Price Papers, 1960-2004
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by CSWR staff
Date
©2000, ©2005, ©2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Revision Statements

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT(US::NmU::MSS 536 BC::V. B. Price Papers)//EN" "nmu1mss536bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
  • Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451