Fil Lewitt (Philip Jay Lewitt) was born to Albert (Brown 1933) and Rita Lewitt in Boston in 1941 and grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire. He received his B.A. in English Literature from Brown University in 1963. He went on to get his MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University in 1968 and his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1985. In 1964, he bought an old farm in Mendocino City, California, renamed it Big River Farm and learned how to design, build, and keep animals, fruit, and vegetables. In 1970, he turned the farm into a Zen Buddhist commune called “Big River Farm Sangha.” In 1976, he moved to Japan and began a new career as a professor of English and American literature and writing at Tottori National University. He taught there for 12 years. In 1990, he became a Professor of English at Kyoto Seika University, where he also directed the writing program until he retired in 2009. He has also worked as a jazz musician, dishwasher, cook, small bookstore owner, logger, mill worker, farmer, designer, builder, and gardener. He has written 22 books as of 2017, which include poetry, satirical novels, mystery novels, essays, and a handbook on writing for Japanese university students. He and his wife, Tomomi Maeda, currently live in Bangkok, Thailand.
This collection contains the products of Fil Lewitt's literary career as a poet, novelist and professor of literature and creative writing.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Fil Lewitt (Brown 1963) literary papers, Ms.2015.021, Brown University Library.
This collection is organized in 10 series.
Gift of Fil Lewitt in 2015 and 2016.
Printed from the Journal of Kyoto Seika University, No. 3.
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This diary includes entries for three events. 1) 25 October 1991 - Gary Snyder. 2) 7 November 1992 - Dr. John C. Lilly 3) 11 October 1994 - Ram Dass. Also includes a letter from Gary Snyder dated 1994 August 11 regarding his visit to Kyoto.
Folder includes: 3-ring binder which is a combination of a poetry notebook and a diary titled "Talking in Two Worlds" (1965-1966); a letter from Gabriel A. Najera (1980); a postcard and letter from Paul Reps (1980).
A copy of Lewitt's Ph.D. dissertation for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1984.
Review by Lewitt of
An essay on a talk by Ram Dass that Lewitt attended in 1994.
Essay written for the Shakespeare Seminar taught by Dr. Ford Swigart at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
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Manuscript draft of novel.
Manuscript draft of novel.
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Many of these compilations of poetry also include original drawings. See also
Small bound volume from which all but the first 18 pages have been ripped out. It arrived in that condition at Brown University in 2015.
Medium-size bound volume from which 4 1/2 signatures of the volume have been ripped out. The volume arrived in that condition at Brown University in 2015.
Folder includes: 3-ring binder which is a combination of a poetry notebook and a diary titled "Talking in Two Worlds" (1965-1966); a letter from Gabriel A. Najera (1980); a postcard and letter from Paul Reps (1980).
Handwritten poems from a small 3-ring binder arranged chronologically like a diary.
Poems arranged chronologically in a spiral bound school notebook of lined pages with 11 loose pages torn from a similar type of spiral bound notebook. On the cover of the notebook is written: "P.J. Lewitt, 25 Keene St., Providence, English 101-102. One loose page of un-lined paper has poems dated 1981.
Small spiral bound sketch pad from France. Five (5) poems or parts of poems and 16 sketches drawn by Lewitt with a blue ball-point pen of scenes in Paris (April 1966), Copenhagen (May 1966), and Mendocino , California (1965, August 1966; June 1967; September 1967).
Poems and drawings written by Fil Lewitt during 1972 on the pages of a published book of poetry called
Japanese notebook of unlined paper with handwritten poems by Fil Lewitt and a few memoranda and shopping lists.
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A group of poems on loose pages of various types that did not have a title and do not appear to be in a particular order.
DVD disk containing his literary works and photographs of his life and family (2 copies). The items listed in this series are the titles of the folders on the disk as Lewitt organized them. The disk contains drafts and final versions of his books and poetry; the computer applications he was using to create and publish his books; photographs and designs for the buildings he has lived in and built in California, Japan, and Thailand; photographs of him throughout his life and travels, his family, and his wife Tomomi Maeda; and poetry and prose by other writers that he admires. Access to these materials is available upon request through the Special Collections department at the John Hay Library, Brown University.