Joan Jobe Smith Voss and Fred Voss Collection

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2025-016

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Joan Jobe Smith Voss and Fred Voss Collection (1954-2025; undated) contains 4 boxes and 4 linear feet of poetry books, pamphlets, chapbooks, anthologies, literary publications, and manuscripts either authored by Joan Jobe Smith Voss and Fred Voss; or containing poetry written by the Voss'; as well as letters, articles, poetry, and books regarding or authored by poet and novelist, Charles Bukowski. This collection is divided into three series. Series I: Books, Pamphlets, Chapbooks, and Manuscripts contains poetry books, pamphlets, and chapbooks authored by Joan Jobe Smith, and Fred Voss; as well as chapbooks, anthologies, newsletters, and literary publications edited by Joan Jobe Smith or featuring poetry written by Joan Jobe Smith and Fred Voss. This series also contains material authored by Joan Jobe Smith such as poetry (Jehovah Jukebox) and a memoir (Tales of an Ancient Go-Go Girl) written by Joan Jobe Smith about her time as a go-go girl and her experiences in the 1960s-1970s; as well as issues of PEARL a literary magazine founded by Joan Jobe Smith and named after her mother Margaret, and Janis Joplin. Also included in this series are manuscript drafts of books authored by Fred Voss including copies of The Last Night, Wild in the Ruins, The City is Falling, and others. Themes and subject matter discussed in these publications include family life; American society; motherhood; sexual and economic exploitation of women; childhood; experiences as a factory machinist; and other topics. Some of the poetry in this series is written about or by Charles Bukowski. Series II: Charles Bukowski contains letters, magazine and newspaper articles, books, poetry, notes, emails, postcards, and other material regarding poet and novelist Charles Bukowski- a mentor and friend of Joan Jobe Smith. This series includes material created or edited by Joan Jobe Smith including issues of Bukowski Review and Das ist Alles, Charles Bukowski, Charles Bukowski, Epic Glottis: His Art and His Women (& me), Charles Bukowski: Beer Can in the Garden, Essays, Epistles, and Poems 1975-1996 To, From, About and Because of Charles Bukowski, Bukowski Boulevard, and other titles; as well as correspondence between Bukowski and Joan Jobe Smith. This series also contains material sent to Joan Jobe Smith and Fred Voss regarding or inspired by Bukowski, as well as letters to the editor and submissions for Bukowski Review; articles, reviews, and flyers related to Bukowski, his work, and a play and movie about Bukowski; and books written about Bukowski. Lastly, this series contains emails, interviews, books, and other documents regarding some women in Bukowski's life such as Pamela Miller Wood, Linda King, and FrancEyE aka Frances Dean Smith. Series III: Personal Papers contains material not related to Joan Jobe Smith or Fred Voss’ authored works; or Charles Bukowski. Included in this series is an audio CD entitled “Fred and Joan! Live! From Doncaster, Yorkshire England!”; poetry reading event flyers; poetry (no author listed); "Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Poets and Poetry" listing for Joan Jobe Smith and Fred Voss; poster artwork by Billy Jones; letters and event flyers for Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel; and other material. Lastly, this series contains a copy of A War of Eyes and Other Stories by Wanda Coleman.

Dates

1954-2025; undated

Creator

Smith, Joan Joan (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Joan Jobe Smith

Joan Jobe Smith was born in Paris, Texas to depression dust bowl survivors who moved to California in the 1940s- Margaret Ray Joe (nee Smith) a 20 year old housewife; and Avner Ray Jobe, a 22 year old orderly at the Lamar County Hospital. She is the founding editor of Pearl literary magazine (1974); and editor of Bukowski Review (2001-2004). She has authored two books about her time as a go-go girl in Los Angeles nightclubs and bars from around 1965-1972 entitled Jehovah Jukebox (1993), and Tales of an Ancient Go-Go Girl (2015). In 1972 she went back to college to obtain an associates of arts degree from Golden West College; and then continued on to a BA from California State University, Long Beach; and an MFA in Fiction Writing from University of California Irvine in 1977. Joan Jobe Smith has created poetry, prose, art, reviews, essays, and other work that have appeared internationally in more than 1000 publications, including a poetry book she wrote called The Pow Wow Cafe which was a finalist for the UK 1999 Forward Prize. Some of her work, including Bukowski Boulevard (1999); and Charles Bukowski, Epic Glottis: His Art and His Women (& me) (2012), has centered around her friendship and mentorship with Charles Bukowski. Other themes in her work include family and childhood; as well as an examination of American society; and the sexual and economic exploitation of women. Joan Jobe Smith lives in Long Beach, California with her husband author, poet, and machinist Fred Voss. She is the mother of three, grandmother of eight; and great-grandmother of four great-grandsons, and two great-granddaughters.

Fred Voss

Fred Voss (1952-) was born in Long Beach, California. He dropped out of the PhD program in English at UCLA to work at a gasket factory and steel mill before becoming a machinist in an aircraft factory. In the 1980s; Voss became active in the Long Beach, California poetry scene. Voss often writes about his experiences as a machinist in the factories of the Los Angeles area, and started writing poems after the death of his father. In 1990, Voss married poet and author Joan Jobe Smith; and they currently reside in Long Beach, CA. In 1996, a collaboration with Joan entitled Love Birds won the Chiron Prize. In 2009, Hammers and Hearts of the Gods was selected as Book of the Year by The Morning Star (U.K.). In 2013, his chapbook, Tooth and Fang and Machine Handle was winner in the Nerve Cowboy Chapbook Contest. In 2015, World Parade Books published his first novel Making America Strong. Voss’ poetry has been featured in the United States on WBAI Pacific Radio New York, and in Great Britain on BBC Radio 4. In 2016 Voss won the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition’s Joe Hill Labor Poetry Award.

Extent

4 boxes

4 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains poetry books, pamphlets, chapbooks, anthologies, literary publications, and manuscripts either authored by Joan Jobe Smith Voss and Fred Voss; or containing poetry written by the Voss'; as well as letters, articles, poetry, and books regarding or authored by poet and novelist, Charles Bukowski.

Arrangement

This collection is divded into three series:

Series I: Books, Pamphlets, Chapbooks, and Manuscripts, 1954, 1957, 1974-2025; undated
Series II: Charles Bukowski, 1959-2012; undated
Series III: Personal Papers, 1988, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006

Related Materials

For more material related to Charles Bukowski please consult the Charles Bukowski Papers at the Huntington Library; Charles Bukowski Papers at University of Arizona; and Charles Bukowski papers at University of Southern California.