Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Haymes, G. C. (Gregory Charles)
- Abstract:
- Greg Haymes (1951-2019) was a writer, musician and visual artist. Born in Buffalo and raised in Tonawanda, NY, he moved to Albany to attend the State University of New York at Albany, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Theatre, with an English minor, emphasizing poetry, in 1972. He remained in the Albany area and worked as a journalist, music critic, and artist until his death. Between 1974 and 1978, Haymes mailed nearly 500 copies of a letter along with return postcards, asking recipients to "describe the sky." The collection comprises 225 original postcards mailed to Haymes as part of the Skymail project, along with 2 notebooks documenting the project.
- Extent:
- 0.417 Linear Feet and 1 manuscript box
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], PCMS-0120, the G.C. Haymes's Skymail collection, 1974-1978, the Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
Background
- Scope and Content:
The collection contains 225 original postcards mailed to Haymes as part of the Skymail project, along with 2 notebooks documenting the project. Between 1974 and 1978, Haymes mailed nearly 500 copies of a letter along with return postcards, asking recipients to "describe the sky." The text of the letter was as follows:
"You are hereby cordially invited to participate in skymail (first event). skymail is an artistic event in which selected artists of different fields have been invited to describe the sky. i would appreciate it greatly if you could take the time to fill out the enclosed card & drop it in a mailbox (postage has been prepaid).
I am currently seeking a showplace for the event. you will be notified of the date & place of the exhibit."
The following participants returned postcards:
Blair H. Allen, Beth Anderson, Carl Andre, Michael Andre, Bruce Andrews, Roy Arenella, Robert Armstrong, Isaac Asimov, Barbara Astman, Dana Atchley, John Baldessari, Anna Banana, Art Beery, Martin Benjamin, John M. Bennett, Carol Berge, Howard Berland, Cassia Berman, Charles Bernstein, Herbert Blau, Douglas Blazek, Carla Bley, Don Boyd, John Bradley, Oscar Brand, Betty Bressi, Larry Brown, Leif Brush, Dr. Brute AKA Eric Metcalfe, Stewart Buettner, John Cage, Karen Campbell, Carlo, Deb Casey, Monte Cazazza, Don Celender, Carlo Giovanni Cicatelli, Buster Cleveland, Andrei Codrescu, Marvin Cohen, Randy Cohen, David Cole, Allan D. Coleman, Geoffrey Cook, Fletcher Copp, Chick Corea, Jean-Jacques Cory, Michael Cotter, Mike Crane, Robert Creeley, Tony D'Arpino, Delux, Wally Depew, Irene Dogmatic, C.F. Dolgin, Uncle Don, Roger Downey, Barbara Drake, Mark Drefs, Jerry Dreva, Veronica Drew AKA Roni Hoffman, Helen Duberstein, Jerry Dubinsky, Steven Durland, Mike Dyar, Bolon Dzacab, Russell Edson, Pat Elliot, W. Neil Elliot, John W. English, Loris Essary, Welch D. Everman, Howard Faerstein, L. S. Fallis, Jules Feiffer, Julia Fenton, Sir Q Frank Ferguson, Albert M. Fine, Peter Fiore, Phil Flott, Jr., Gene Fowler, Ken Friedman, Lynette Fromme, R. Buckminster Fuller, Bill Gaglione, R. E. Gasowski, Dave Geary, Michael Gehrke, D. Georgakas, Jon Gibson, Daniela Giosoffi, Jesse Glass, Jr., Robert Gould, Peter Granick, Richard Grayson, Ronald Gross, Ira Joel Haber, Eerie Billie Haddock, Sub Waxin Haddock, Phil Harmonic, Richard Harper, John Hartford, Lyn Hejinian, Scott Helmes, Bob Heman, Steve Hitchcock, Peter Hjersman, Judith A. Hoffberg, Davi Det Hompson, Tom Hosier, James Hugunin, Scott Hyde, Leavenworth Jackson, David James, Ray Johnson, T.J. Kallsen, Edward Kaplan, S.M. Katcher, Mona Keaton, Jascha Kessler, Alison Knowles, Henry J. Korn, Jerzy Kosinski, Richard Kostelanetz, Ruth Krauss, Elizabeth Kulas, Susan Bee Laufer, Carol Law, Todd S.J. Lawson, Lawrence Levy, Sol Lewitt, Roy Lichtenstein, Lyn Lifshin, Lucy Lippard, Norman Lock, P. Loubert, Charles Lynch, M.S., Thomas Macaulay, Ian Maclennan, Yori Malayna, Judith Malina, Gai Maloney, ManWoman, Tim Marron, Bruce McAllister, Richard Meltzer, E. Mihopoulos, Michael Mollett, Moondogg, Gary Moore, Robert C. Morgan, Madison Morrison, Auggie Mortif, George Myers, Jr., N.E. Thing Co. Ltd., Opal Louis Nations, F.A. Nettlebeck, B. P. Nichol, Rochelle Owens, Seiji Ozawa, Joyce Ozier, Avram Patt, Philip Pearlstein, Sam Peckinpah, Tom Person, Michael Joseph Phillips, Z. Pitts Pie, Howardina Pindell, E. M. Plunkett, Proctor and Bergman, Art Rat, Rochelle Ratner, David Ray, Boyd Rice, Bob Rizzo, Biff Rose, Jerome Rothenberg, Ed Ruscha, Tom Russell, Aram Saroyan, Pokybate Shooshine, Ron Shuebrook, Ron Silliman, Jody Silver, Merle Silverman, Patti Smith, Gary Snyder, Mary Ellen Solt, Chuck Stake, Al Szousa, Patricia Tavenner, Mike Taylor, Tinkerbelle, James Turcotte, Jean-Claude Van Itallie, Edwin Varney, Linda Vista, Diane Wakoski, Ashley Walker, Robert Walker, Daniel Walter, Jeff Way, Lillian Way, Larry Wendt, Michael White, Whitson, Peter Wild, Jonathan Williams, Robin Williamson, May Wilson, Jamie Yeager, David Young, Karl Young, Larry Zirlin
- Biographical / Historical:
Greg Haymes (1951-2019) was a writer, musician and visual artist. Born in Buffalo and raised in Tonawanda, NY, he moved to Albany to attend the State University of New York at Albany, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Theatre, with an English minor, emphasizing poetry, in 1972. He founded the comedic rock band Blotto and was the band's lead singer and a percussionist under the nickname Sergeant Blotto, Sarge for short, and began writing music reviews and articles under that name in the mid-1980s. This launched a second career as an arts journalist. He began freelancing for the Times Union in 1991, was a staff member from 1992 until 2009, and returned to freelancing for the paper until 2016. He was also a music critic for the Daily Gazette and Metroland. He and his wife, Sara Ayers, founded the local-entertainment blog Nippertown, in 2009, which they ran until his death. His artwork was shown throughout the Capital Region, including at Firlefanz Gallery, Albany Center Gallery and Spectrum 8 Theatres.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated by Sara Ayers, September 2021.
- Processing information:
Processed by Marie Elia, 2021.
- Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as found, with most postcards and other responses in binders.
- Accruals:
No further accruals are expected.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
The G.C. Haymes Skymail collection, 1974-1978, is open for research.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Poetry Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], PCMS-0120, the G.C. Haymes's Skymail collection, 1974-1978, the Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
- CONTACT:
-
716-645-2917lpo-poetry@buffalo.edu