Riley, James Whitcomb. Letters to James Newton Matthews, 1890 | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Title: Riley, James Whitcomb. Letters to James Newton Matthews, 1890

ID: 01/02/02/POST-1650 MS 0032

Primary Creator: Matthews, James Newton (1852-1910)

Other Creators: Riley, James Whitcomb (1849-1916)

Extent: 2.0 Items

Date Acquired: 11/30/1936

Subjects: Authors and publishers - United States - History - 19th century, Poets, American - 19th century

Languages: English

This collection consists of two personal letters that James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) wrote to James Newton Matthews (1852-1910) on June 10, 1890, and November 12, 1890.

In the first letter (1 page), Riley describes his frustration with his U.S. publishers after learning that one of his books may go out of print, and requests advice on the matter from Matthews. In the second letter (5 pages), Riley expresses relief after finishing several months' worth of poetry, discusses other poets' work at length, and describes his frustration with the recent actions of "Mr. Dawson."

See Administrative/Biographical History and Administrative Information for more information.

James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916), a native of Greenfield, Indiana, was a newspaper editor before concentrating on his poetry. He began publishing poems in local newspapers during the mid-1870s and increased his fame by reciting his work on a traveling circuit in the 1880s. Riley, then based in Indianapolis, was one of the most famous writers in the United States by the 1890s. He is known for his use of local dialects and his depictions of life in Indiana.

James Newton Matthews (1852-1910) grew up in Greencastle, Indiana, and Mason, Illinois. In 1868, he became the first student to enroll at the Illinois Industrial University (now the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign); following his graduation in 1872, he earned medical degrees from Missouri Medical College (1878) and the renamed University of Illinois (1894). Matthews had a private practice in Mason, Illinois, and published two collections of poetry.

Sources

Manlove, Donald C. "Riley, James Whitcomb." American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, 2000. doi: 16-01384

Weaver, George H. "Matthews, James Newton." American Medical Biographies, ed. Howard A. Kelly and Walter L. Burrage. Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Company, 1920. 768-769.

Authors and publishers - United States - History - 19th century
Poets, American - 19th century

Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions:

This collection is the physical property of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, may reside with the materials' creator(s) or their heirs.

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Acquisition Source: Donated by John Needels Chester

Related Materials: The letters arrived at the library with a copy of Afterwhiles (811 R45A 1888); this copy contains a manuscript inscription from James Whitcomb Riley to James Newton Matthews.

Finding Aid Revision History: Revised by Meg Hixon (September 2016) and Dana Miller (December 2023).

Other Note: Former shelfmark: 811 R45a 1888 sup

URL: https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CARLI_UIU/1o5ltg9/alma99197226512205899