Manuscript Variations: “Winter Stars” Commentary by Mary Flinn, Founding Editor
photo by Jay Paul
These handwritten early notes for “Winter Stars” show that the eventual first lines for the poem are buried about two thirds into this draft and follow what is, in the final version, the conclusion.
In these typewritten drafts, the central incident of the poem has moved to the beginning, and in the third draft, the final shape of the poem has emerged.
This version of the poem includes handwritten comments by Levis’s friend and teacher Philip Levine.
This manuscript page shows Levis testing titles for the book Winter Stars.
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These images show pages from Levis’s copy of Levine’s What Work Is. The book is dedicated to Levis, and here we find Levine’s handwritten inscription to Levis, pointing to that dedication.
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