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An Inventory and Description of the Carolyn Zonailo Papers: 1955-2005
Inventory Prepared by Stephen Morrissey

1. Description of Carolyn Zonailo Papers
2. Biography
3. Poetics
4. Publications
5. Caitlin Press
6. The Poem Factory/Usine de Poeme
7. Table of Contents of Carolyn Zonailo Papers
8. Inventory of Carolyn Zonailo Papers

*Cover art: Artstamp: "Carolyn Zonailo, Canadian Poet", drawing and artstamp by Ed Varney, 1996

1. DESCRIPTION OF CAROLYN ZONAILO PAPERS

Introduction:

The Carolyn Zonailo Papers holds, as nearly as possible, a currently complete collection of Zonailo's extant literary papers. Spanning the years 1955 to 2005, the papers presently include Zonailo's extensive literary correspondence; her personal and family correspondence; her manuscripts to date; journals containing handwritten first drafts, writing notebooks and diaries; literary periodicals and anthologies where Carolyn Zonailo's poetry is published; the archives for Caitlin Press and The Poem Factory press; papers from when CZ served on the executive of The Writers? Union of Canada (TWUC), The League of Canadian Poets, The Federation of B.C. Writers, The B.C. Book prizes, and The Quebec Society for the Promotion of English Language Literature (QSPELL). The Carolyn Zonailo Papers also include Zonailo's academic work at the University of Rochester, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University; some photographs of the poet; a collection of juvenilia, memorabilia, and ephemera; miscellaneous files. A second accrual of papers will include manuscripts currently in progress; further literary correspondence; archival photographs; as well as material relating to her Doukhobor heritage.

From her earliest years, the direction of Carolyn Zonailo's life was towards a literary career. She began writing a diary at age eleven. She published her first poems in high school in Vancouver, where she was born. She studied literature, mythology, archetypal and Jungian psychology with eminent scholars, among them Norman O. Brown and Ralph Maud, with whom she formed a long-term personal friendship and who introduced her to James Hillman over several of his visits to Vancouver. She published poems while at university and she attended writing workshops. She founded a literary small press in British Columbia, Caitlin Press, and worked diligently as an editor and publisher. Later, she and Ed Varney founded The Poem Factory/ Usine de Poeme. She communicated with and knew many of the most important Canadian poets of the second half of the twentieth century. She also served, over a twenty-year period, on the executives of provincial and national writers? organizations, helping to found the Federation of B.C. Writers and the B.C. Book Prizes. During all of these years she continued to write her own work, which she has published so far in eleven collections of poetry, including The Taste of Giving: New & Selected Poems (1990) and The Goddess in the Garden (2002); plus several poetry chapbooks and two prose books.

Carolyn Zonailo, like many of her literary predecessors, has lived in different parts of Canada. The main body of the current CZ Papers are from Carolyn Zonailo's birthplace in Vancouver, British Columbia. However, during the early 1980s she lived briefly in Toronto, and she has lived in Quebec from 1992 to 2008. She now divides her time between Vancouver, Montreal, and New York City. It is in Montreal that Zonailo's aesthetic sensibility has moved from a west coast to a national perspective. The Montreal years are well represented in the CZ Papers; she has published six collections of poetry while living in Quebec, and written her childhood memoir, The Land of Motionless Childhood, in which she explores her Doukhobor heritage and growing up in Vancouver.

The Carolyn Zonailo Papers is an important and comprehensive documentary for any student of Canadian literature; British Columbia literature and history, including that of the Doukhobors; small press publishing in British Columbia and Canada; as well as woman?s poetry and feminist writing. The papers are also important in their breadth and completeness. It is the record of a significant Canadian poet, and also the voice of a woman poet at a time of great change for women in Canadian society. In addition to Carolyn Zonailo's literary work, she has carried the full responsibility of domestic life, raising her two children and participating in extended family relationships.

Organization of the Papers:

On a global level, the CZ Papers are arranged chronologically from 1955 to 2005. The first of several boxes of papers follow Zonailo's life in a linear order. These boxes include her earliest writings and some personal memorabilia and ephemera. Academic work at various universities is included. Manuscripts are also presented chronologically. As well, significant contributions outside of her own creative writing, but still central to her career, are found. This includes, notably, her contribution to provincial and national writers? organizations and her work founding and running Caitlin Press; and co-founding and managing The Poem Factory/ Usine de Poeme. The Carolyn Zonailo Papers will be added to at a later date, when her current manuscripts, her archival photographs, and Doukhobor material will be edited and compiled.

7. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF CAROLYN ZONAILO PAPERS

EARLIEST PAPERS, 1955 - 1975:
Box One: 1955-1965, Earliest Papers
Box Two: 1965-1975, Academic Papers

CAROLYN ZONAILO MANUSCRIPTS:
Box Three: 1975-1980, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Four: 1981-1983, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Five: 1980-1990, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Six: 1990-2000, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Seven: 1990-2000, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Eight: 1995-2005, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Nine: 1990-2005, Carolyn Zonailo Manuscripts
Box Ten: 1977-2004, Inventory of Carolyn Zonailo Published Works

CAROLYN ZONAILO LITERARY CORRESPONDENCE:
Box Eleven: Literary Correspondence, A-G
Box Twelve: Literary Correspondence, H-M
Box Thirteen: Literary Correspondence,N-Z

CAROLYN ZONAILO JOURNALS:
Box Fourteen: Contains eleven journals from the 1960s.
Box Fifteen: Contains twenty-eight journals from the 1970s.
Box Sixteen: Contains sixteen journals from the 1980s.
Box Seventeen: Contains nineteen journals from the 1980s.
Box Eighteen: Contains sixteen journals from the 1990s.
Box Nineteen: Contains seventeen journals from the 1990s.
Box Twenty: Contains ten journals from 2000-2005.

OTHER LITERARY PAPERS:
Box Twenty-One: Professional Writers' Organizations
Box Twenty-Two: Professional Writers' Organizations
Box Twenty-Three: Manuscripts, editorial work, other literary papers
Box Twenty-Four: Creative Writing Workshops
Box Twenty-Five: Conferences, Documents, Other Papers
Box Twenty-Six: Miscellaneous Literary Papers
Box Twenty-Seven: Day Books, 1990-1999
Box Twenty-Eight: Telephone Call Records, 2000-2005
Box Twenty-Nine: Carolyn Zonailo Papers and Website
Box Thirty: CZ's Poetry Set to Music, Performed: Audio-Visuals
Box Thirty-One: Literary Periodicals Containing Published CZ Poems and Articles
Box Thirty-Two: Literary Periodicals Containing Published CZ Poems and Articles
Box Thirty-Three: Selection of Limited Edition Chapbooks, Periodicals, and Signed Association Poetry Books
Oversized Item Three: Colour Photocopy Art Boards, exhibit and poetry reading by Carolyn Zonailo, Community Centre, circa 1987

CAITLIN PRESS ARCHIVES:
Box Thirty-Four: Caitlin Press, 1977-1991
Box Thirty-Five: Final Inventory of Books by Caitlin Press 1977-1990
Box Thirty-Six: Final Inventory of Books by Caitlin Press 1977-1990
Box Thirty-Seven: Caitlin Press, Production Work
Box Thirty-Eight: Caitlin Press, Production Work
Box Thirty-Nine: Caitlin Press, 1980-1991
Box Forty: Caitlin Press Financial Statements and Files
Oversized Item One: Caitlin Press, Production Work
Oversized Item Two: Caitlin Press, Production Work

THE POEM FACTORY ARCHIVES:
Box Forty-One: The Poem Factory/ Usine de Poeme, 1991-1999
Box Forty-Two: Final Montreal Inventory for The Poem Factory/ Usine de Poeme

OTHER RELATED FILES:
Box Forty-Three: The C.G. Jung Society of Montreal, Spiritual Science Fellowship
Box Forty-Four: The C.G. Jung Society of Montreal: Personal Correspondence
Box Forty-Five: Astrology, Correspondence, other related files
Box Forty-Six: Astrology: "Aquarian Symbols"

CAROLYN ZONAILO FAMILY FILES:
Box Forty-Seven: Personal Correspondence With Family Members and Friends
Box Forty-Eight: Calendars, Diaries, Address Books
Box Forty-Nine: Note Cards, Greeting Cards
Box Fifty: Note Cards, Greeting Cards

The above are selected from the Carolyn Zonailo Papers: An Inventory and Description of the Carolyn Zonailo Papers 1955-2005, prepared by Stephen Morrissey. These papers are archived in Special Collections and Rare Books at the W.A.C. Bennett Library at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The full contents of Carolyn Zonailo fonds can be viewed at Simon Fraser University. Included with the Carolyn Zonailo Papers is an 83-page description of the full contents of the fonds to date. (PDF)