KARLA KUSKIN PAPERS

de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi

	Creator:	Karla Kuskin
	Title:	Karla Kuskin Papers
	Dates:	1965-1966
	Quantity:	0.30 cubic feet (1 box)
	Identification:	DG0574

Biographical Note

Karla Kuskin (née Seidman) was born in New York City on July 17, 1932. She was the only child of Sidney T. Seidman, an advertising agent, and his wife, Mitzi (Salzman) Seidman. As a child and teenager, Kuskin's parents and teachers encouraged her interest in poetry by reading poems to her, listening to her read aloud, and encouraging her to write her own poems and short stories. Kuskin attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, from 1950 until 1953 where, through a work-study program, she tried out a number of disappointing jobs in an effort to find one suitable for her artistic interests. A position of writing promotional material for a Chicago department store cultivated an interest in the field of graphic arts, so she transferred to Yale University's School of Fine Arts in 1953.

Kuskin wrote, illustrated, and printed Roar and More, a children's book about animals and their sounds, as a student project at Yale University. Published in 1956, the work fared well with both children and critics and earned Kuskin her first notoriety as an author. She produced James and the Rain, the story of a young boy investigating the rainy-day habits of animals, the following year. In all, Kuskin has both written and illustrated at least twenty-seven books for children and collaborated on at least eighteen others as either author or illustrator. Her love of poetry and her understanding of its appeal to children have influenced her rhythmic style of writing. Hopeful that her books might influence children to try writing for themselves, Kuskin both has encouraged her readers to experiment with poetry and has personally instructed schoolchildren in writing their own verse.

Kuskin collaborated with illustrator Marc Simont on The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (1982). Describing the pre-performance primping of 105 orchestra members, the book was honored by the New York Times and the American Library Association, as well as receiving a National Book Award nomination. Simont illustrated two other well-received books with Kuskin: A Space Story (1978) and The Dallas Titans Get Ready for Bed (1986). Karla Kuskin also has written two works, How Do You Get from Here to There? (1962) and Jane Anne June Spoon and Her Very Adventurous Search for the Moon (1966), under the pseudonym Nicholas J. Charles. In 1979, she received the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in honor of the body of her work.

Karla Kuskin married Charles M. Kuskin, an oboist, in December 1955. They had two children, Nicholas (b. 1960) and Julia (b. 1964), before divorcing in August 1987. Kuskin married William L. Bell in July 1989. She was living in Brooklyn, New York, in 1992.

Sources:
Something About the Author Autobiography Series, Adele Sarkissian, ed. (Detriot: Gale Research Co., 1987), 3:115-130.
Something About the Author, Donna Olendorf, ed. (Detriot: Gale Research Co., 1992), 68:114-118.

Scope and Content Note

The Karla Kuskin Papers contain a letter sent, an illustration, and folded and gathered sheets created by Karla Kuskin in 1965 and 1966 in the production of two books for children. The material is organized into two series: letter sent and books.

Kuskin's letter sent to Lena Young de Grummond on July 6, 1966, discusses her donation of material to the nascent children's literature collection at the University of Southern Mississippi. Kuskin created the illustration for Sand and Snow (1965) for use in a catalog. It may not have appeared in the published book. The folded and gathered sheets for Jane Anne June Spoon and Her Very Adventurous Search for the Moon (1966) are unnumbered.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Use

Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright Restrictions

The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Karla Kuskin Papers, de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, University of Southern Mississippi Libraries.

Provenance

These papers were donated to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection of the University of Southern Mississippi by Karla Kuskin on July 6, 1966.

Processing Information

Processed by Hans Rasmussen, October 2001. Encoded into EAD Version 1.0 by Danielle L. Bishop. This finding aid is the product of a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Container Listing

Contact:
The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive, #5148
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-4349
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