The papers of Grover Amen, poet and writer, primarily consist of biographical material and his own poems and fiction. The biographical materials include his résumés and listings gathered and contributed by Elizabeth Albrecht and other writers. Amen’s writings are represented among the papers by copies of his published book of poetry, F Train Ramble, and a fairly comprehensive volume of his collected poems, short fiction, and translations, compiled by Albrecht and John Amen (the son of Grover Amen). In combination with his unpublished manuscript, The Prophet of Bourbon Street, and copies of two poems published posthumously, the papers provide a sampling of the works of Amen’s lifelong career.

The biographical information contains an outline of the chronology of this career, and the writings series provides some insight into Amen’s place among his peers and members of literary society through their articles and reviews of his work.

Despite his strong interest in art and the significant number of gallery showings in which he was a participating artist, Grover Amen’s paintings are only referenced in the papers of this collection; no examples are present. One photograph is included in the collection: a portrait of Amen that appears to have been taken in his late middle age.

The papers are divided into the following series and subseries.

Series 1: Biographical File, 2004, n.d. (1 folder)

The biographical materials consist of a biography compiled by Elizabeth Albrecht following his death, as well as listings of his publications dating from 1957 to 2004 and his gallery showings, dating from 1975 to 1990. In addition, the series includes copies of Amen’s résumé.

Series 2: Writings, 1949, 1981-82, 1997, 2000, 2004, n.d. (4 folders, 3 bound volumes)

This series includes the writings of Grover Amen, which span the formats of poetry, prose, and poetic translation, as well as published articles about Amen that were written by others. Two subseries exist within the series.

           Subseries I: Writings of Grover Amen, 1981, 2000, 2004, n.d. (3 folders, 3 bound volumes)

Among Grover Amen’s writings can be found his self-published book of poetry, F Train Ramble, as well as a manuscript of his novel, The Prophet of Bourbon Street, on which he labored for a number of years, ultimately never publishing the work. In addition, the subseries contains a volume of his collected works, encompassing poems, short fiction, and translations, both published and unpublished, which provides a fairly comprehensive chronological representation of Amen’s primary life work. Also included are copies of two poems published in the magazine Grand Street after Amen’s death.

            Subseries II: Writings about Grover Amen, 1949, 1982, 1997 (1 folder)

Writings about Grover Amen by other writers include a review of his published F Train Ramble, a 1949 published criticism of his high school writing, a posthumous reference to his writing by an editor who published several of Amen’s poems in his poetry magazine, and a tribute to Amen by friend and fellow Oberlin graduate Jon Swan, written for the Oberlin Alumni Magazine after his death in 1997.

Series 3: Photograph, n.d. (1 photo)

The papers of Grover Amen were donated by Elizabeth Albrecht in 2003. Two small additions were made in 2004 and 2005.