Turnstone Press fonds: MSS 118, PC 120, TC 80 (A.90-49, A.91-42)

Turnstone Press:

An Inventory of Its Records at the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections

Inventory prepared by John E. L. Richthammer
University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(August 1996)

Finding aid encoded by Julianna Trivers (November 2002)
Finding aid written in English. 

Revision History

• July 26, 2005 - MSS 118, PC 120, TC 80 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).

Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Administrative History of Turnstone Press

Scope and Contents of the Records

Organization of the Records

Restrictions on Use

Custodial History

Detailed Description of the Records

I. BUSINESS RECORDS 1976-1986

II. LITERARY RECORDS 1976-1981, [19-?]

Photograph Collection (PC 120)

Tape Collection (TC 80)

Collection Summary

Repository:
University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections
Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2

Creator:
Turnstone Press

Title:
Turnstone Press fonds

Dates:
1976-1983

Quantity:
7.5 m of textual records

Identification:
MSS 118, PC 120, TC 80

Language
English

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Administrative History of Turnstone Press

The origins of Turnstone Press can be traced to an informal meeting at the Montcalm pub close to the University of Manitoba on a 1976 afternoon. A group of English professors and their friends began discussing their desire to establish a non-profit cultural partnership.

First located in a small but rent-free office in St. John's College at the University of Manitoba (though separate from it), the publishing house was administered by an editorial board initially consisting of professors/writers. Turnstone, named after the sturdily-built turnstone bird generally known as a great survivor, was established to publish the works of Manitoba poets and writers.

The founders of Turnstone Press, all of whom were young academics with impressive scholastic records and promisingly-creative minds, are as follows:

Gimli-born David Arnason, the son of a fisherman, studied at the Universities of Manitoba and New Brunswick (BA/1961, Cert. Ed/1963, MA/1969, all from Manitoba and a Ph.D. from University of New Brunswick in 1980). He was a high school English teacher before joining the English department of the University of Manitoba in 1972 as Canadian literature professor. Besides his writing talents, he became a recognized specialist in Canadian, contemporary American and commonwealth literature. He served as Dean of Studies at St. John's College, chairman of the Literary Press Group, was a co-founder of the Journal of Canadian Fiction and is a well-known Manitoba editor, publisher, award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster.

Dr. John Beaver, a native of England, was a French professor at University of Manitoba and was managing editor/business manager of Turnstone Press until a teaching offer from McMaster University in 1979 precipitated his move to Hamilton.

Dr. Dennis O. Cooley, a native of Estevan, Saskatchewan, earned three degrees from the University of Saskatchewan (B.Ed/1966, BA (Hons.)/1967, MA/1968 and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 1971). He was appointed to the University of Manitoba in 1973 and is a Canadian literature professor and assistant chair of English as well as a critically-acclaimed writer and editor.

Robert Enright was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan. He is well-known for his long career as an art/film critic and broadcaster (in both television and radio for the CBC).

Dr. Daniel S. Lenoski was born in Winnipeg, where he earned a BA (Hons.) and MA at the University of Manitoba. He received his Ph.D. from Queen's University. Dr. Lenoski spent many years as assistant and later associate professor of English at St. Paul's College, University of Manitoba. He was editor of the Canadian Journal of Irish Studies and is considered a specialist in Anglo-Irish, late Victorian and early 20th century literature.

A few years after its founding, Paul Hjartarson, who taught English at University of Manitoba, joined Turnstone as did Marilyn Morton (as managing editor of both Turnstone and Contemporary Verse II magazine) and David Michael Carr (associate editor). Carr was born in Chicago and came to Winnipeg in 1966. In 1985 he left Turnstone to work in the civil service.

By 1981 Turnstone had its own typesetters and began to produce much of its work on site as well as typesetting for others on a contract basis. Commissioned sales representatives distributed their books both nationally and internationally. Turnstone Press was incorporated in April 1983 with the following acting as first directors: Dr. David Arnason, David Carr, Dr. Dennis Cooley, Dr. Daniel Lenoski, Patricia Sanders and Dr. Wayne Tefs.

Initially Turnstone was strictly a poetry and prose fiction publisher but before long it began publishing drama, fiction, non-fiction and even plays. Turnstone's primary mandate has always been to facilitate exposure for both lesser-established and well-known writers by providing a quality prairie publishing house. As one of its editors commented in the April 1980 offering of Quill and Quire : "writers (in Manitoba) began as truck drivers, teachers, and farmers doing a little writing on the side. Access to publishing has helped them to take themselves seriously as writers." Among the established (and, in some cases, internationally-known) authors published by Turnstone were Sandra Birdsell, Bertram Brooker (posthumously), Patrick Friesen, Robert Kroetsch, Dorothy Livesay, Andrew Suknaski, Anne Szumigalski and Miriam Waddington. There have been several anthologies to come off Turnstone's presses. Reviews of Turnstone books are written and published worldwide and a number of the books themselves are required reading in many national universities.

Turnstone was able to function with the aid of Manitoba Arts Council grants over the years, along with intermittent funding from the Canada Council. Any profits realized from the sales of books went back into the publishing aspect of the press. Turnstone's first two publications were William Dempsey Valgardson's In The Gutting Shed and George Amabile's Open Country . The press fostered a growing group of Prairie or Manitoba writers and readers. When the Manitoba Writers' Guild formed in 1981, many of its founders were first-book authors with Turnstone.

Established during a period of significant growth in creative prairie literature, Turnstone quickly became a significant literary press in Canada and presently enjoys substantial national recognition.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Turnstone Press Collection documents all of the activities of this Winnipeg-based literary publishing house from its inception as a partnership in 1976 until its incorporation in 1983. The business and administrative records consist of minutes of Turnstone meetings (1977-1982), Literary Press Group meetings (1979-1981), minutes of special meetings, incorporation papers, financial and taxation statements, marketing/promotional events and author's tours, sales and distribution records, royalty statements, printer's invoices, grant applications and correspondence with government departments, arts councils, granting institutions, agents and booksellers.

Of the collection's important literary holdings, there are only a small number of original manuscripts; however, the majority of manuscripts published by Turnstone during the year 1976-1983 are present in the form of copies. Less than five published softcover books are included. There is substantial correspondence with authors, poets and other editors. Contained in literary correspondence records are letters from such Canadian writers of prominence as David Arnason, Dennis Cooley, Sandra Birdsell, Earle Birney, Chester Duncan, Patrick Friesen, Robert Kroetsch, Dorothy Livesay, Eli Mandel, Al Purdy, Andrew Suknaski, W.D. Valgardson and Miriam Waddington.

Also included is the complete correspondence by year relating to rejected manuscripts. The files for the late 1970s and early 1980s of Contemporary Verse II , a literary magazine edited by Dr. Dorothy Livesay and Robert Quickenden, are likewise part of the collection. For further archival holdings on CV II , the Dorothy Livesay Collection (MSS 37), also at Archives & Special Collections, may be consulted.

The Turnstone Photograph Collection (PC 120) is a combination of author's photographs and/or photographs used in a particular author's book. The collection is sporadic and limited. What few exist are photographs of authors or photographs printed in their books. One item from PC 120, an original charcoal poster used on the cover of Douglas Smith's Scarecrow , is oversized and was placed in the map cabinet. The Turnstone Tape Collection (TC 80) consists of one reel-to-reel audio tape (uneven sound) of an unidentified woman speaking about seniors.

Two other collections in Archives & Special Collections' holdings complement Turnstone Press--Saskatoon-based Thistledown Press (MSS 116) and the NeWest Press (MSS 117) of Edmonton, Alberta.

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Organization of the Records

These records are organized into 4 series

• I. BUSINESS RECORDS 1976-1986
• II. LITERARY RECORDS 1976-1981, [19-?]
• Photograph Collection (PC 120)
• Tape Collection (TC 80)

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Restrictions on Use

The Collection is available to all who abide by copyright law as passed by the Parliament of Canada from time to time. Patrons must also exercise proper care in using the collection. Fair use excerpts should give proper acknowledgment and source attribution.

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Custodial History

The Turnstone Press Collection was donated to Archives & Special Collections in 1992 by two of Turnstone's original founders/editors, Drs. Dennis Cooley and Wayne Tefs, professors of English at the University of Manitoba. The papers were appraised by the National Archival Appraisal Board and later declared "Cultural Property" (a gift to Canada) by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board in March 1993.

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Detailed Description of the Records

I. BUSINESS RECORDS 1976-1986

     History

     Minutes

     Business Correspondence
 

     Legal Records
 

     Grant Applications
 

     Payroll/Sales/Distribution Records
 

     Taxation Records
 

Marketing Records

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II. LITERARY RECORDS 1976-1981, [19-?]
     Correspondence

Correspondence Related To Rejected Manuscripts
 

Literary Magazine Publishing
Essays on Canadian Writing:

Miscellaneous
 

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     Photograph Collection (PC 120)

The Turnstone Press Photograph Collection consists of authors' photographs and any artwork or photographs used in their books.

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Tape Collection (TC 8)

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