John Updike: A Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Materials, 1948‐2007 [accompanying CD‐ROM]

Citation

Baker, W. (2009), "John Updike: A Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Materials, 1948‐2007 [accompanying CD‐ROM]", Library Review, Vol. 58 No. 5, pp. 393-396. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530910961846

John Updike (b. 1932) celebrated his 75th birthday in 2007. The publication of Jack De Bellis and Michael Broomfield's, John Updike: A Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Materials, 1948‐2007 coincided with that auspicious event. In a “Foreword to My Own Bibliography”, Updike, in addition to paying tribute to his bibliographers, reveals that his “initial ambition … was to be a cartoonist”, and that he remains “highly susceptible to the siren call of periodical publication”. He adds “it pays” (vii).

De Bellis and Broomfield's “Acknowledgements” (ix) are followed by their “Introduction”, that is the “General Introduction” to sections A and B of their Bibliography dated “December 2007”, as if to emphasize that the productivity of their subject John Updike is ongoing. Clearly written, the “Introduction” explains the “scope of entries and presentation method”, “Description Conventions”, “Frequently‐used terms”, “Page Count”, “Introduction to Images”, and concludes with a very brief “General Introduction to Sections C‐K” (xi‐xvi).

Several items of interest here include the distinction between the term “Wrappers” and “jacket”. The former “describes both the flexible paper covers used for pamphlets and most small‐press books not in boards and the stiffer covers used for trade and mass‐market paperbacks”. On the other hand, “jacket” is used “to describe a loose paper, glassine, or acetate outer wrapper added by the publisher to protect a book's covers”, In their “Introduction to Images” De Bellis and Broomfield explain that the images reproduced between pages 239 and 309 provide reduced scale as “Grayscale Images” most of the “broadsides, jacket fronts, the front covers of books issued without jackets, and most galleys and proofs, the fronts of some enclosures and occasionally other items”, described in the first two sections of the bibliography. The accompanying CD‐ROM disc provides “color versions of these images and some additional images”. This seems an excellent solution to an otherwise highly expensive reproduction process by providing comprehensive printed images of essential items such as “jacket fronts, and the front covers of books” (xiv‐xv). However, the icing on the cake would be the reproduction of spines. These are absent.

Section A is devoted to “Separate Publications by Updike Books, broadsides, and other printed items with sole or principal text by John Updike” (1‐[171]). These extend from Updike's first separate book publication, The Carpentered Hen and Other Tame Creatures, first published by Harper & Brothers in New York in 1958 – this constitutes item A1 – to Due Considerations, published by Updike's long‐time publishers Alfred A. Knopf of New York in 2007 (A202).

Whilst there is a wealth of detail in the description extending from pagination, to jacket description, contents and price of publication, there tends disappointedly to be a dearth of notes on each item and rarely data on how many copies were printed. This may not of course be the bibliographers' fault: publishers frequently are most reluctant to supply such information. Also reviews and comments on individual books are excluded from the print version but found on the CD‐ROM. Another caveat, A89 describes Rabbit is Rich/Rabbit Redux/Rabbit Run, the “one‐volume photo‐reproduction of the three novels” (69) published in 1981, but excludes an important “A Note On The Type” and other information found on the last two pages of the paperback.

Section B encompasses “Selected Publications With Contributions By Updike” (173‐238). As Updike notes in “Foreword to My Own Bibliography” he “could have delved more deeply” into his own files especially those relating to his “unsigned contributions, mostly to the New Yorker's Talk of the Town section”; however, those not reprinted mainly in his Assorted Prose and the limited but handsome Talk From the Fifties … can be forgotten” (viii). This illustrates a perennial problem for the bibliographer who is frequently dependant upon the author's files and those he has chosen to deposit in archives. Often an author deliberately excludes early work or other writing which he is subsequently ashamed of.

This section is divided into three. The first “Bi. Publications Edited by Updike” consists of only six items (173‐178). The second, “Bii” describes “Books with Original Prefatory or Concluding Material by Updike”. It has 68 items including De Bellis and Broomfield's bibliography (179‐220). The third section “Biii”, “Selected Other Publications with Updike Contributions”, extends to 25 items (221‐238).

Section C “Short Stories and Excerpts from the Novels” runs to 200 and 89 items (311‐341). Inevitably the descriptions are shorter and largely confined to reprints and excerpts. Although the decision to include reprints does involve some lengthy enumeration conveyed in very small type‐face (see for instance C134: 327‐328). Similarly with Section D “Updike Poems and His Translations of Poems” extending to six hundred and three items (343‐389). Disappointingly those who consult De Bellis and Broomfield are referred “for composition dates and notes” to Updike's Collected Poems, 1953‐1993 (343). Further, Updike's poems he wrote at school and published in the Shillington Hill School Magazine, Chatterbox are not itemized.

Section E is devoted to “Articles, Essays, and Published Speeches” (391‐436) listing 600 and 93 items. Section F covers Updike's “Reviews” enumerating 400 and 82 of them (437‐473). Thirty‐three “Published Letters” are found in G (475‐478). Section H is devoted to “Speeches, Readings and Tributes” of which 53 are listed (479‐485). Section I describes “Dramatic Work” (487‐488). There are only 15 in this genre, a reflection of Updike's lack of interest in the form. Section J is devoted to “Manuscripts and Typescripts, Repositories and Promotional Writing” (489‐492). It is divided into three: “Manuscripts and Typescripts”, “Selected Repositories”, “Promotional Writing For His Books”.

The penultimate section, K, is devoted to interviews (493‐515). There are 300 and 99 of these. The first section of K covers “Print Interviews” (493‐509). The second contains information on the “Texts of Interviews on Radio, Video and Audio Tape” (509‐510). The third is devoted to “Radio and Television Interviews” and the forth “Audio Tape Interviews” (510‐515).

The final section L is devoted to “Blurbs” (517‐561), extends to 200 and 62 items, and most helpfully quotes from them. Updike's blurb for the April 1985 Berkley Books, New York edition of James McFarlane's translation from the Norwegian of Knut Hamsun's Wayfarers is cited at the end of the section and out of chronological sequence (561). This section is most impressive. The bibliographers don't cite the sources for the listing and description of Updike's blurbs. These – and the present reviewer speaks from experience – can be extremely difficult to track down especially if access is not given to an author's records and if blurbs are written for more than one publisher.

The first volume, the printed volume, contains two Appendices. The first is devoted to the “Frequency of Updike's Fiction, Poetry, Article and Review Appearances in Periodicals” (563‐568). De Bellis and Broomfield note that “there are 1,642 appearances in 211 different periodicals as of 6 December 2007. Periodicals in which Updike appeared ten or more times account for 1,308 items about 80 percent of the total” (563). The second appendix lists “Updike's Small Press Appearances” (569‐570) and usefully cross‐references appearances to sections in the main body of the bibliography.

The work concludes with a listing of “Works Consulted” (571‐572) and a very extensive title‐orientated “Index” (573‐608). Noticeably absent from the index are entries for publishers. And there are other omissions – for instance one will look in vain for Knut Hamsun.

The CD‐ROM, constituting the second volume, loads easily. It contains “Work About Updike, Appendices III‐VI, & Color Images”. The CD‐ROM is divided into three. The first “Works About Updike”, has an introduction “Section M‐N” [vii]‐the pagination then continues from the book version. Section M is devoted to “Reviews and Comments on Individual Books” (609‐787), listing 4713 items arranged by the title of the work discussed: the sheer number explains why these are excluded from the first volume. N “General Commentary and Information” (789‐832) is devoted to general commentary and information on Updike and his work, extending from 1950 to 2007, listed by year. O is devoted to “Reviews or Books Edited by Updike” (833‐834) listed by year and section P “Thesis” (835‐855) listed by year divided into 139 “Doctoral Thesis” and then 122 “Master's Thesis” – these conclude at 2003. This section is confined to the USA and material listed in dissertation abstracts.

There are four Appendices continuing from the previous ones found in book format. Appendix three lists “Media Presentations and Appearances” (857‐860) and is divided into “Video and Audio Presentations”, “Appearances on Non‐Interview Television and Radio Programs” and “Updike's New Yorker Contributions Digitized” (860). This is confined to two descriptions although it is unclear whether Updike's individual contributions are indicated. The fourth Appendix consists of listings of “Updike Works and Works About Him Read by Others” (861‐863). This is divided into section A “Individual Works” and “Updike Translations” and section B, “General”. This consists of one item: Donald J. Greiner reading on videocassette from his Understanding John Updike 1990.

The fifth Appendix is concerned with “Translations of Updike's Work” (865‐884) and is arranged chronologically by book and short works “grouped by language not nation” (865). The final Appendix lists “Exhibits and Catalogs” (885‐886). The second PDF file on the CD‐Rom presents73 screen pages of wonderful colour images. As noted, the book form only has these in “grayscale”.

Updike, De Bellis and Broomfield have been splendidly served by the Oak Knoll Press who have produced a volume worthy of its compilers and subject. The printing is clear, the spacing largely appropriate, as is the use of boldfaces and italics. The binding is sturdy in this 8.5 × 11 inch production. The jacket design with its cover photograph of Updike and back cover citation from Updike's “Foreword to My Own Bibliography” surrounded by colour illustrations of title pages unfortunately will be discarded when the volume reaches libraries. It is however an integral part of a very important definitive production that should be part of all libraries collecting the major late 20th century American authors.