The Papers of Joseph Langland, 1930-2004 | Luther College Archives

Collection Overview

Title: The Papers of Joseph Langland, 1930-2004Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: LCA/RG15/Langland, J

Primary Creator: Langland, Joseph (1917-2007)

Extent: 20.9 Linear Feet. More info below.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into twelve series:

Series I, Correspondence;

Series II, Publications;

Series III, Writings About Joseph Langland;

Series IV, Personal Papers;

Series V, Appearances;

Series VI, Poetry Not by Joseph Langland;

Series VII, Photography;

Series VIII, Art;

Series IX, Education; Class/School;

Series X, Albums;

Series XI, Indexes on Notecards;

Series XII, Realia; and

Series XIII, Audio Visual.

Languages: English

Abstract

A collection of personal and professional materials dating 1930-2004 relating to the life and career of poet Joseph Langland.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Documentation consists of books of poetry written by Joseph Langland; misc papers. This collection contains information relating to Joseph Langland's personal and professional life as a nationally-known Norwegian-American poet.  Materials include correspondence, compositions, biographical information, personal papers, appearances, related poetry, photograph, educator materials, scrapbook albums, indices, realia, and audiovisual items.  A very small portion of this collection contains slides of art by Judith Langland, Joseph's wife.  The entire collection covers the dates 1930-2004.

Biographical Note

Joseph Thomas Langland, a nationally known Norwegian-American poet, was born in Spring Grove, Minnesota on February 16, 1917. Langland’s parents, Charles M. Langland and Clara Elizabeth (Hille), raised him and his eight siblings in northeastern Iowa on the family’s general farm which had been homesteaded by his grandfather in 1877. Langland attended rural schools, Santa Ana College of California and the University of Iowa. In 1940, Langland was awarded his BA from the University of Iowa; a year later the same institute presented him with his MA.

Joseph Langland married Judith Gail Wood on June 26, 1943. The couple had three children: Joseph Thomas Jr., 1946; Elizabeth, 1948; and Paul, 1951.

Joseph Langland served in the U.S. Infantry for four years from 1942-1946. Two of these years were spent in Europe during WWII. He was near the Elbe River when Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death was announced, and in Weimar on V.E. Day. After the combat had ended Langland spent several months with the Military Government in Bavaria. Langland was with a detail who liberated the Concentration Camp at Buchenwald. It was during the war years that Langland published his first collections of poems; For Harold (1945) for his younger brother who was killed in action in the Philippines. While in the Army, Langland worked his way up from the rank of Private to Captain.

Joseph Langland spent 1941-1942 as an instructor of English at Dana College, Nebraska. From 1946-1948 he was a part-time instructor at the University of Iowa. Working as an assistant professor and later associate professor, Langland spent 1948-1959 at the University of Wyoming. He then moved to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he served as a faculty member from 1959-1979, Professor of English, 1964-1979 and Professor Emeritus 1979-present. While at U. Mass. Langland also served as the Director of the Masters of Fine Arts program in writing from 1964-1970, 1978-1979. Besides his normal teaching duties Langland traveled as a guest lecturer to the University of British Columbia, University of Washington, and San Francisco State University. He received an honorary doctorate from Luther College in 1974.

Joseph Langland was a distinguished, published poet and author. Published works include: Poems For Harold (1945), The Green Town (1956), The Wheel of Summer (1963) 2 nd edition (1966), An Interview and Fourteen Poems (1973), The Sacrifice Poems (1975), Any Body’s Song (National Poetry Series) (1980), A Dream of Love (A poem with etchings) (1986), Twelve Preludes and Postludes (1988), Selected Poems (1991) 2 nd edition (1992). Langland co-edited Poet’s Choice with Paul Engel(1962), The Short Story (1956); and co-translated Poetry From the Russian Underground (1973). Joseph Langland was awarded the 1953-1954 Ford Fellowship in Humanities, Harvard-Columbia Universities; the Amy Lowell Poetry Fellowship in Poetry 1966-1967; the Melville Cane Prize-Poetry, Poetry Society of America 1964; and was named a Living Art Treasure in Literature for the New England Arts Biennial 1985.

He died April 9, 2007 at his home in New Rochelle, NY at the age of 90.

Administrative Information

Repository: Luther College Archives

Alternate Extent Statement: 38 boxes

Acquisition Method: The collection was collected and maintained by Joseph Langland.  Materials were donated to the Luther College Archives by Joseph Langland.

Preferred Citation: Cite unpublished materials: Joseph Langland Papers, RG15 Manuscripts, Luther College Archives, Decorah, Iowa

Finding Aid Revision History:

Original finding aid written during the 1990s. Formatted for Archon July 2012.

11/20/19: EC updated the preferred citation.


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Correspondence, 1930-1959],
[Series 2: Publications by Joseph Langland],
[Series 3: Writings about Joseph Langland],
[Series 4: Personal Papers],
[Series 5: Appearances],
[Series 6: Poetry, not written by Joseph Langland],
[Series 7: Photography],
[Series 8: Art],
[Series 9: Education - Classes/School],
[Series 10: Albums],
[Series 11: Indexes on notecards],
[Series 12: Realia],
[Series 13: Oversized Materials],
[All]

Series 12: RealiaAdd to your cart.
Series XII contains Realia or memorabilia relating to the Langland family.  Diplomas of Joseph and Judith Langland can be found here, as well as an Alumni Achievement Award plaque presented to Joseph Langland in 1971.  Langland’s WWII pocket New Testament is also here.  Three U.S. passports belonging to Langland are here as well.  A collection of homemade birch paper is present.  Two reindeer antlers are found, as is a large chalk portrait and oversized score to “Haruspicating on Valley View Farm.”  Audio Visual items can also be found.  These include records, reel-to-reel, cassette tapes, and CDs  of Langland’s poetry readings.  VHS tapes are also present documenting poetry readings, and TV specials of areas of interest to Joseph Langland.
Box 25Add to your cart.
Item 1: Diploma: State University of Iowa; B.A. Joseph LanglandAdd to your cart.
Item 2: Diploma: State University of Iowa; M.A. Joseph LanglandAdd to your cart.
Item 3: Diploma: University of Massachusetts; M.A. Judith LanglandAdd to your cart.
Item 4: Alumni Achievement Award Plaque: Santa Ana College; Joseph Langland, 1971Add to your cart.
Item 5: New Testament; WWII, Joseph LanglandAdd to your cart.
Item 6: U.S. Passport issued to Joseph Langland, 1955Add to your cart.
Item 7: U.S. Passport issued to Joseph Langland, 1966Add to your cart.
Item 8: U.S. Passport issued to Joseph Langland, 1968Add to your cart.
Item 9: Homemade Birch "paper"Add to your cart.
Item 10: Chalk PortraitAdd to your cart.
Item 11: Score Haruspicating on Valley View FarmAdd to your cart.
Box 26Add to your cart.
Item 1: Reindeer AntlersAdd to your cart.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Correspondence, 1930-1959],
[Series 2: Publications by Joseph Langland],
[Series 3: Writings about Joseph Langland],
[Series 4: Personal Papers],
[Series 5: Appearances],
[Series 6: Poetry, not written by Joseph Langland],
[Series 7: Photography],
[Series 8: Art],
[Series 9: Education - Classes/School],
[Series 10: Albums],
[Series 11: Indexes on notecards],
[Series 12: Realia],
[Series 13: Oversized Materials],
[All]