Jeff Mann Papers
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 4524
Papers of Jeff Mann, a West Virginia University alumnus, author, and Virginia Tech (VT) English professor. The collection chronicles Mann's prolific writing of predominantly poetry beginning with early poems from his time at WVU in Morgantown in the 1980s. In addition to over 300 poems, the collection includes working manuscripts of unpublished works, serial publications containing his poetry and other published works including novels, short stories, and essays. Publicity materials are represented by newspaper articles, posters and flyers, book catalogs, and writers' blurbs for his books. Other materials include correspondence and contracts with publishers, some personal correspondence, some Virginia Tech Department of English publications and faculty evaluations of Mann.
Mann’s writing is represented by working manuscripts, topic ideas and background research, rough outlines, publishers’ proofs, edited drafts of all genres of his writing, and final published versions. In addition to a large number of poems, it also includes essays, novels, short stories, and a few speeches, all related to Mann's experience as a gay man in Appalachia.
Most of the poems (boxes 3-4) are typed, but the earlier ones, 1982-1986, are handwritten manuscripts. The typed poems are sorted by Mann alphabetically. Some have handwritten edits by Mann, some with comments by others from when the poems were workshopped, and some with edits from friends and family. Some poems also come with rough early ideas; words; and research on the topic, such as the Civil War. The poems often reflect major Appalachian themes such as love of place and the beauty and culture of the mountains. Some are set in West Virginia locales and towns including Morgantown, Beckley, and Hinton. Poems by authors other than Mann include ones written about him and poems by Robin Mullen.
Being a gay man in Appalachia is a major theme in Mann’s essays, short stories, and novels; many are homoerotic. Working manuscripts sometime with handwritten notes include Edge, A History of Barbed Wire, Loving Mountains, Loving Men, Bones Washed in Wine, and others. Mann was also interested in Norse mythology and neopaganism which is reflected in some of his stories and essays.
Scattered throughout the collection are promotional materials for Mann’s verse and prose which include posters for appearances and readings; newspaper and magazine articles about Mann; interviews; book reviews; blurbs in praise of specific books; and catalogs for gay books, such as the insightoutbooks catalog which includes Mann’s books.
The majority of the correspondence in the collection is with publishers and includes contracts and agreements, galley proofs of manuscripts and corrections, author’s blurbs, cover art, and royalty check stubs. Publishers include Gival Press, Haworth Press, L.B. Taurus, Harrington Park Press, Alyson Books, Lethe Press, various university presses including West Virginia University and Ohio University, and more. Other business matters include acceptance and rejection letters for faculty positions at various universities, acceptance and rejection letters for submitted poems, invitations to submit poems, and poetry contest wins and losses. Additional correspondence deals with other business matters including a consulting contract with Edvantia, and requests for other authors’ permissions to use their materials in books.
There is scant personal correspondence which includes letters from his father, Perry; his mother; and his sister, Amy, who provided feedback on poems. There is a significant amount of personal correspondence with Cynthia Burack.
Other materials from Virginia Tech include comments and formal evaluations on Mann’s performance as an English Department faculty member, his promotion to tenure, and letters of praise for Mann’s teaching. The collection also includes other VT publications such as the VT English Department newsletter and others.
Folder 6 in box 8 is restricted due to the presence of faculty reviews. This folder may become available to researchers in 2032.
The donor has retained the literary rights to the published and unpublished literary content in this collection; permission to publish or reproduce the literary materials in this collection is required from the copyright holder. The donor of this collection has transferred rights to the intellectual property of the non-literary content to the Center. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Jeffrey A. Mann was born in Clifton Forge, Virginia, in 1959 to Perry and Clara Mann, and spent most of his early life growing up in Hinton, West Virginia.
In 1977, Mann began attending West Virginia University (WVU) from which he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in English and Bachelor of Sciences in Recreation in 1981. He graduated from the same institution with his Master of Arts in English with a creative writing focus in 1984.
Mann’s first poem to be included in a referred journal was “Camp Creek Road” in Off the Rocks in 1982. This was followed by features in The West Virginia University Literary Review, The Green Fuse, The James White Review, Calliope, and Appalachian Heritage.
His first book of poems, Bliss was published by BrickHouse Books in 1998.
Beginning in the early 2000s with works such as “Everett’s Boy” featuring in the anthology Kink: Tales of the Sexual Adventurer (2003), Mann found success in writing short-fiction gay erotica, primarily centered around sadomasochism. His first erotic fiction novel, Fog was published in 2011 by Bear Bones Books/Lethe Press.
Through his writing Mann explores the themes of gay sexuality, Appalachia, and the rites of manhood. Mann’s poems and novels have received wide acclaim and numerous awards including two Lambda Awards and four National Leather Association-International literary awards.
Mann worked as an instructor in the English departments of several universities before settling at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1989, including West Virginia University (1984-1985, 1987-1989), George Washington University (1985), Waynesburg College (1986-1987), and Fairmont State College (1986-1987). In 1989 he was asked to teach Introduction to Appalachian Studies at Virginia Tech where he eventually became a full-time tenured faculty member in the Department of English.
[Extracted from various sources including Mann's autobiographical work Loving Mountains, Loving Men].
8.79 Linear Feet (5 record cartons, 15 in. each; 5 document cases, 5 in. each; 1 document case, 2.5 in.; 1 flat storage box, 3 in. )
English
Jeff Mann is a poet, author, and retired professor who taught at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This collection contains writings and publications by Mann as well as collected material pertaining to his career.
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: West Virginia & Regional History Center
Gifts of Jeff Mann, 2021 December 19 and 2022 September 02
Gift of Cynthia Burack, 2022 October 11
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository