This collection consists of one folder. With the exception of one manuscript dated 1948, and some undated materials, the contents date from 1979 to 1983. All the items in the collection are letters sent to Goodfriend, or written materials collected by her. None of her own writing is included. There are two postcards and a letter from Molly Steimer to Audrey Goodfriend, and a letter from Proudhon Carbo reporting Steimer's death, all sent from Mexico; the letter from Steimer discusses Goodfriend's separation with David Koven. The 1948 manuscript is a carbon copy of a memorial message for "Comrade Pece" written by Jules Scarceriaux. A photocopy of an unsigned memorial for Dora Stoller Keyser, and some miscellaneous flyers and writings round out the collection.
Audrey Goodfriend (1920 - ) was born to anarchists Morris Goodfriend and Gitl Fishman in the Bronx, New York. Her father supported the Fraye Arbeter Shtime, and other labor and anarchist groups in the Bronx. As a teenager she joined with Sally Genn and others to form Di Yunge Odler (the young eagles), an anarchist youth group that later became the Bronx chapter of the Vanguard Juniors. At the age of 14 Goodfriend met Emma Goldman for the first time, and was deeply impressed. In 1939 she hitchhiked to Toronto with her friend Clara Freedman (Solomon) to visit Goldman and her circle there. Goodfriend studied at Hunter College, and was active in a group that produced a paper called "Why?" (1942-1947), continued as Resistance (1947-1954). The Why? Group was primarily pacifist during the war. In addition to Goodfriend, founding members included Sam Dolgoff, David Wieck and David Koven. In 1946 Goodfriend and her companion, David Koven moved to California. They carried out anarchist organizing efforts as they traveled. Once in California, they settled in Berkeley, where in 1958 they were founding members of the libertarian Walden School and supporters of the radio station KPFA (Pacifica Radio). Biographical information and a brief oral history by Audrey Goodfriend may be found in the book. Anarchist Voices: an oral history of Anarchism in America (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1995) by Paul Avrich. A collection of David Koven's papers may be found at the International Institute of Social History in the Netherlands: http://www.iisg.nl/archives/gias/k/10817973.htm
