Catbird Press mss., ca.
1983-2003
Summary Information
Repository:
Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Indiana University
1200 E. Seventh St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-5500
Phone: 812-855-2452
Fax: 812-855-3143
Email: liblilly@indiana.edu
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly
Creator
Catbird Press
TitleCatbird Press mss., ca.
1983-2003
Collection No.
LMC 3003
Extent
ca. 10,500 items
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
The Catbird Press mss., ca. 1983-2003,
consists primarily of the files of small, independent book publisher Catbird
Press.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Historical Note
The Catbird Press was founded in 1987 by Robert Wechsler for the purpose of
publishing Czech literature in translation and sophisticated prose humor in the
classic American tradition. American fiction was added to the line-up in 1991 and
British fiction in 1999. Other titles include two non-fiction works relating to
charitable giving and improving public schools, as well as Rob Wechsler's book about
translating and translation:
Performing Without a Stage: The
Art of Literary Translation.
Catbird Press books are distributed to
bookstores and wholesalers by Independent Publishers Group, some records for which
are present in the collection.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following series: I. Publications; II. Personal;
III. Business/Office.
Scope and Content Note
The Catbird Press mss., ca. 1983-2003, consists primarily of the files of small,
independent book publisher Catbird Press. The Publications series includes
correspondence with authors, translators and illustrators; drafts of books;
promotion, sales and marketing, subsidiary rights and production materials; notes;
reviews; as well as manuscripts of translations submitted to the Press that Catbird
did not publish. The Personal series contains manuscripts and some correspondence
relating to Wechsler's own writings such as book reviews, translations of Czech
poems, and a long unpublished novel titled
In
Succession
. Also present are his "To Do"
sheets, vitae, and notebooks. The Business/Office series contains additional
materials regarding general distribution, warehousing, trade shows, and other
post-publication matters.
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries'
online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by
searching the catalog using these terms.
-
-
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Gift. 2006, 2007
Usage Restrictions
Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly
Library.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Catbird Press mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana.
Series:
Box 1
Publications
Concerns books published by Catbird Press.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by author.
Bander, Edward J., ed.
The Breath of
Unfee'd Lawyer: Shakespeare on Lawyers and Law
(1996), illustrated by Jerry Warshaw
(9 folders)
Čapek, Karel.
Apocryphal Tales
(1997), translated from the Czech by
Norma Comrada, cover designed by Christopher Lione
(10 folders)
Čapek, Karel.
Cross Roads
(2002), translated from the Czech by
Norma Comrada, illustrated by Paul Hoffman, cover designed by
Christopher Lione
(13 folders)
Box 2
Čapek, Karel.
Cross Roads
(cont.)
(3 folders)
Čapek, Karel.
The Makropulos
Secret,
translated by Yveta Synek Graff and Robert T. Jones.
Unpublished
(2 folders)
Čapek, Karel.
Tales from Two
Pockets
(1994), translated from the Czech by
Norma Comrada, illustrated by Karel and Josef Čapek, cover designed by
Christopher Lione
(10 folders)
Čapek, Karel.
Talks with T.G.
Masaryk
(1995), translated from the Czech by
Michael Henry Heim, cover designed by Christopher Lione
(7 folders)
Čapek, Karel.
Three Novels: Hodubal,
Meteor, An Ordinary Life
(1990), introduction by William
Harkins;
Toward the Radical Center: A Karel Čapek
Reader
(1990), edited by Peter Kussi; and
War with the Newts, by Karel Čapek.
Multiple translators, covers designed by Christopher Lione
(10 folders)
Box 3
Čapek, Karel.
Three Novels:...
(cont.)
(8 folders)
Čapek, Karel. Various books: reviews, subsidiary rights,
miscellaneous
(5 folders)
Cook, Joseph. Untitled. Unpublished, unwritten book about
privatization and the new culture of capitalism in post Communist
Czechoslovakia
(6 folders)
Douglas, Lawrence and Alexander George. Unpublished, untitled,
unfinished volume of humorous essays on academic topics
Fischerová, Daniela.
Fingers Pointing
Somewhere Else
(2000), translated by Neil
Bermel
(6 folders)
Box 4
Fischerová, Daniela.
Fingers
Pointing...
(cont.)
(4 folders)
Gibian, George, ed.
The Poetry of Jaroslav
Seifert
(1998), translated by Ewald Osers,
with an introduction by George Gibian
(16 folders)
Hansen, Barbara J. and Philip English Mackey
Your Public Schools: What You Can Do to Help
Them
(1993), cover designed by Janet
Parker
(11 folders)
Kanter, Arnold B.
Advanced Law Firm
Mismanagement
(1993), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(3 folders)
Box 5
Kanter, Arnold B.
Advanced Law
Firm...
(cont.)
(5 folders)
Kanter, Arnold B.
The Handbook of Law Firm
Mismanagement
(1990), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(8 folders)
Kanter, Arnold B.
The Handbook of Law Firm
Mismanagement for the 21st Century
(2003), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(7 folders)
Kanter, Arnold B.
The Ins & Outs
of Law Firm Mismanagement
(1994), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(6 folders)
Kanter, Arnold B.
Was That a Tax Lawyer
Who Just Flew Over?
(1996), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(7 folders)
Kemske, Floyd.
Human Resources: A
Corporate Nightmare
(1995)
(5 folders)
Box 6
Kemske, Floyd.
Human Resources:...
(cont.)
(4 folders)
Kemske, Floyd.
Labor Day
(2000)
(7 folders)
Kemske, Floyd.
Lifetime Employment
(1992), cover designed by Christopher
Lione, with photograph by John Paul Kowal
(9 folders)
Kemske, Floyd.
The Third Lion: A Novel
About Talleyrand
(1997)
(5 folders)
Kemske, Floyd.
The Virtual Boss
(1993), cover designed by Christopher
Lione, with photograph by Adam Chinitz
(7 folders)
Box 7
Klima, Ivan.
Karel Čapek — Life and
Work
(2002), translated from the Czech by
Norma Comrada
(14 folders)
Kliment, Alexandr.
Living Parallel
(2002), translated from the Czech by
Robert Wechsler, preface by Ivan Klima
(16 folders)
Kovtun, George.
The Masaryk Reader
Unpublished
Kundera, Milan.
Immortality,
translated by Peter Kussi. Unpublished
(1 folder)
Box 8
Kundera, Milan.
Immortality...
(cont.)
(3 folders)
Lappin, Elena, ed.
Daylight in Nightclub
Inferno: Czech Fiction from the Post-Kundera Generation
(1997), multiple translators, cover
design by Adrian Taylor, with photograph by Maxim Biller
(29 folders)
Titles include:
-
View All (19)
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Animals, by Pavel Řeznček,
translated by Jason Pontius and Malynne Sternstein. Excerpt
-
"The Bottle,"
by Vaŝek Koubek,
translated by Caleb Crain
-
The Chinese Dragon, by Pavel Grym,
translated by David Powelstock. Excerpt
-
"Dance on the Square,"
by Pavel
Brycz, translated by Julie Hansen
-
"How Did Max...,"
by Michal
Viewegh, translated by Alex Zucker. Excerpt from
Sightseers
-
"I Had a Dream,"
y Jáchym Topol,
translated by Alex Zucker. Excerpt from
City
Sister Silver
-
"A Letter for President
Eisenhower,"
by Daniela Fischerová, translated by Neil
Bermel. Story from
Fingers Pointing Somewhere
Else
-
"Lord of the Slab,"
by Jáchym
Topol, translated by Alex Zucker. Excerpt from
Angel Station
-
"The Mask,"
by Ewald Murrer,
translated by Julie Hansen
-
"Max's Personality Is Tragically
Split!"
by Michal Viewegh, translated by Alex Zucker.
Excerpt from
Sightseers
-
"Miss John,"
by Daniela Hodrová,
translated by Tatiana Firkun and Veronique Firkušný-Callegari.
Excerpt from
Perun's Day
-
"Ode to Joy,"
by Marta
Kadlečková, translated by Dana Loewy
-
The Other City, by Michal Ajvaz,
translated by Tatiana Firkušá and Veronique Firkušný-Callegari.
Excerpt
-
"Portrait of a Landscape,"
by
Alexandr Kliment, translated by Andree Collier.
-
"Quail,"
by Tereza Boučková,
translated by Caleb Crain
-
"The Sorrows of a Devoted
Scoundrel,"
by Alexandra Berková, translated by Jonathan
Bolton. Excerpt
-
"The Story of King Candaules,"
by Jiří Kratochvil, translated by Jonathan Bolton
-
"Thank You for Each New
Morning,"
by Halina Pawlowská, translated by Lisa Ryoko
Wakamiya. Excerpt
-
"What Made My Heart...,"
by
Jáchym Topol, translated by Alex Zucker. Excerpt from
City Sister Silver
Lappin, Elena, ed.
Jewish Voices, German
Words: Growing Up Jewish in Postwar Germany and Austria
(1994), translated from the German by
Krishna Winston, cover design by Christopher Lione
(4 folders)
Lappin, Elena, ed.
Jewish
Voices,...
(cont.)
(13 folders)
Longstreet, Stephen.
Jazz from A to Z: A
Graphic Dictionary
(1990), cover designed by Susan
Riley
(6 folders)
Mackey, Philip English.
The Giver's Guide:
Making Your Charity Dollars Count
(1990), cover designed by Janet
Parker
(4 folders)
Box 10
Mackey, Philip English.
The Giver's
Guide:...
(cont.)
(9 folders)
Páral, Vladimír.
Catapult
(1989), translated by William Harkins,
cover design by Stacy Wszola
(9 folders)
Páral, Vladimír.
Fair of Dreams
Fulfilled
(aka
A Trade-Fair Named
Desire),
translated by Kača Polčková. Rejected
submission
Páral, Vladimír.
The Four Sonyas
(1993), translated by William Harkins,
cover designed by Janet Parker
(7 folders)
Páral, Vladimír.
Generální Zázrak,
translated by Vladimir Halawa (sp?). Rejected submission.
Box 11
Páral, Vladimír.
Lovers &
Murderers
(2002), translated from the Czech by
Craig Cravens
(6 folders)
Páral, Vladimír.
A Trade-Fair Named
Desire,
(aka
Fair of Dreams
Fulfilled),
translated by David Short (first chapter).
Rejected submission
Páral, Vladimír. Photographs
Platt, Randall Beth.
The 1898 Base-Ball
Fe-As-Ko
(2000)
(5 folders)
Platt, Randall Beth.
The
Cornerstone
(1998)
(5 folders)
Platt, Randall Beth.
The Four Arrows
Fe-As-Ko
(1991), cover illustration by Tom
Bloom, cover designed by Christopher Lione
(7 folders)
Platt, Randall Beth.
The Royalscope
Fe-As-Ko
(1997)
(4 folders)
Box 12
Platt, Randall Beth. Miscellaneous correspondence
(2 folders)
Poláček, Karel.
What Ownership's All
About
(1993), translated by Peter Kussi,
cover designed by Poul Lange and Ivy Kwan
(11 folders)
Raphael, Frederic.
All His Sons
(2001), cover illustration by his
daughter Sarah Raphael
(4 folders)
Raphael, Frederic.
Coast to Coast
(1999), cover illustration by his
daughter, Sarah Raphael
(6 folders)
Raphael, Frederic.
A Double Life
(2000), cover illustration by his
daughter, Sarah Raphael
(8 folders)
Shaffer, Jeffrey.
I'm Right Here,
Fish-Cake
(1995), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(9 folders)
Shaffer, Jeffrey.
It Came With the
House
(1997), illustrated by Paul
Hoffman
(folders)
Shaffer, Jeffrey. General correspondence; materials concerning
humor columns and cartoons to be published in book form, as a premium,
by the Christian Science Monitor, where the columns and cartoons
originally appeared; clippings
(3 folders)
Slavitt, David R.
Aspects of the Novel: A
Novel
(2003)
(7 folders)
Slavitt, David R.
Get Thee to a Nunnery: A
Pair of Shakespearean Divertimentos
(1999)
(11 folders)
Topol, Jáchym.
City Sister Silver
(2000), translated from the Czech by
Alex Zucker, cover design by Clare Manias
(11 folders)
Box 14
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
All in the Same
Boat: The Humorists' Guide to the Ocean Cruise
(1988), cover illustration by Mircea
Vasiliu, cover design by Leonard Ringel
(8 folders)
Wechsler, Robert.
Columbus á la Mode:
Parodies of Contemporary American Writers
(1992), cover illustration by Gerry
Gersten, cover designed by Christopher Lione
(11 folders)
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
Here We Are: The
Humorists' Guide to the United States
(1991), cover illustration by Mircea
Vasiliu, cover design by Leonard Ringel
(7 folders)
Box 15
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
Here We
Are:...
(cont.)
(2 folders)
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
In a Fog: The
Humorists' Guide to England
(1989), cover illustration by Mircea
Vasiliu, cover design by Leonard Ringel
(7 folders)
Wechsler, Robert.
Performing Without a
Stage: The Art of Literary Translation
(1998), cover drawings by Josef
Čapek
(14 folders)
Box 16
Wechsler, Robert.
Performing Without a
Stage:...
(cont.)
(11 folders)
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
Savoir Rire: The
Humorists' Guide to France
(1988), cover illustration by Mircea
Vasiliu, cover design by Leonard Ringel
(8 folders)
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
When in Rome: The
Humorists Guide to Italy
(1989), cover illustration by Mircea
Vasiliu, cover design by Leonard Ringel
(5 folders)
Box 17
Wechsler, Robert, ed.
When in
Rome:...
(cont.)
(2 folders)
Wechsler, Robert. Reviews of humorists' guides
Westphalen, Joseph von.
Diplomatic
Pursuits
(1995), translated by Melanie
Richter-Bernburg
(10 folders)
White, Daniel R., ed.
Trials and
Tribulations: Appealing Law Humor
(1990), cover photo by Andrew Eccles,
cover designed by Christopher Lione
(9 folders)
Box 18
White, Daniel R.
Trials and
Tribulations:...
(cont.)
(5 folders)
Yurkievich, Saúl.
Background Noise=Ruido
de fondo
(2003), and
In
the Image and Likeness,
translations by Cola Franzen
(2003)
(9 folders)
Series:
Personal Papers
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Box 18
ALTA (American Literary Translators Association), 1994-1999. Chiefly
relating to Wechsler's chaired panel at 1999 conference
Čapek, Karel. Reading notes concerning works of Čapek, 1987
Correspondence. Miscellaneous
Gass, William.
Reading Rilke.
Wechsler's review, published in
The Washington
Post
, 1999
Harden, Vern. Humor manuscript. Correspondence, 1994-1995 , concerning
attempt to get published, Wechler acting as literary agent.
Humor award proposal (unrealized), 1991-1992
Job and distribution hunting correspondence, 1990-1995
Kafka, Franz.
Das Schloss. Draft
translation by Robert Wechsler, 1983
Kemske, Floyd.
"Coolidge
College."
Notes concerning possible publication
Rilke, Theodore. Translations, Dec.
1, 1993. Notes
Slavitt, David. Essay on Frederic Raphael
"To Do" sheets, Sept. 1988 - Dec.
1994
(4 folders)
Box 19
Translations from Czech: Story by Michal Ajvas; two stories by
Karel Čapek for
Toward the Radical Center: A
Karel Čapek Reader
and essay
"Karel Čapek in America"
; two poems by Milan Kundera and
correspondence with Peter Kussi; an excerpt from a travel book by Josef
Ŝkvorecký for Wechsler's
Here We Are: The
Humorists' Guide to the United States
.
(4 folders)
Translation Seminar proposal (to teach in Yale Universitys
Residential College Seminar program), 1983.
Vitae
Writings:
In Succession
(unpublished novel). Partial drafts; complete draft; miscellaneous
notes; notes on characters; Last Version; typed pages
(15 folders)
Box 20
Writings:
On Deaf Ears: A Novel
(unpublished). 2003. Includes notes by
Catbird author Floyd Kemske in margins and a few pages of his notes
inserted in the front corrected by Wechsler
Notebook. Notes for first four travel humor anthologies, The
Humorists Guides, to France, the Ocean Cruise, England, and Italy
(1987)
Notebook. Notes for travel humor anthologies,
The Humorists Guide to England and
The Humorists' Guide to Italy, as well as
for Daniel R. Whites legal humor anthology,
Trials and Tribulations: Appealing Legal Humor
(1987-1988)
Notebook. Notes for Daniel R. Whites legal humor anthology,
Trials and Tribulations: Appealing Legal
Humor
(1988)
Notebook. Notes for
Here We Are: The
Humorists' Guide to the United States
(1990)
Notebooks (2). Research notes for Humorists' Guides
Microcassettes: interviews for the book
Performing Without a Stage: The Art of Literary
Translation
Interviews with Richard Pevear, Richard Wilbur, Richard Sieburth, Peter
Glassgold, Harry Zohn, Eliot Weinberger, Anthony Rudolf, Breon Mitchell
and Willis Barnstone, Arthur Goldhammer, Barbara and Benjamin Harshav,
Gregory Rabassa, Krishna Winston, David Ball, William Weaver, Katherine
Washburn, Karen Brazell, Barbara Wright, Ronnie Apter, Gordon Fielder,
Frank Günther, Jilly Paver, Klaus Reichert, Martin Hilsky, Jean-Michel
Déprats.
Speeches and panels at American Literary Translators Association
conferences in 1994 and 1995: Carol Maier, Breon Mitchell, Michael Heim,
Magda Bogan, Susan Harris, David Kornacker, John Felstiner, Burton
Watson, Marian Schwartz, John Biguenet.
PEN translation panel, May 1997: Everett Fox, Kenneth Yasuda, Bronislava
Volkov, Edith Grossman, William Weaver, Umberto Eco, Glayfra Ennis, Heda
Kovaly, Guido Waldman.
Series:
Business/Office
Files arranged alphabetically as Wechsler identified them
Box 20
Advertising
Agents
Articles and features concerning Catbird Press
Associations
American Book Association Show
Book Clubs
Čapek. Correspondence, notes, and other materials relating
primarily to Karel Čapek works in translation. Includes talks on Čapek
as a writer, translation of Čapek works and research materials about
him
(3 folders)
Catalogs - Catbird
Box 21
Catalogs - miscellaneous
(2 folders)
Copyright, foreign and other rights, and wholesaler books
filings
(6 folders)
Czech literature. Correspondence, notes, and other materials
relating to: Czech bookstores; Czech Center and Embassy; Czech
translators; Czech Writers Conference, 1990; SVU (Czech Society of Arts
and Sciences in the U.S.
(7 folders)
Czech Trade show
Distribution
E-books
Frankfurt Book Show
Grants
Independent Publishers Group (distributor), Correspondence,
Mar. 1997 - Jan.
2000
International Humor. Unpublished anthology
Internet Promo
Lists (relating to Humorists' Guide research)
News Series. Unpublished series
Organizations
Order forms
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)
Paperback Rights
P.E.N
Boc 22
Periodicals
Press releases and blurbs: general; Čapek; Fischerová; Kanter;
Kemske; Kliment; Lappin; Páral; Platt; Raphael; Shaffer; Slavitt; Topol;
Wechsler; Westphalen
(15 folders)
Promotion: correspondence
(2 folders)
Promotion: notes & miscellaneous
(3 folders)
Publishers Weekly ads
Recycling
Remaindering
Sales & Marketing notes
Serial Rights
Shoe String Press
Small Press ads
Submissions, ca. 1988-2003. Book submissions and related
correspondence
(2 folders)
Tikkun Magazine. Relating to
unsuccessful 1992 talks for a book
imprint
Trade Shows (mostly regional)
Unpublished. Information and correspondence concerning books not
published
(4 folders)
