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Collection

J. Louis Engdahl Papers, 1885-1981 (majority within 1912-1932)

6.5 linear feet — (14 boxes and one portfolio)

J. Louis Engdahl (1884-1932), editor and journalist, was an advocate for labor, socialist, and communist causes. The collection includes letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, trial transcripts, photographs; Engdahl's original writings; and published works in various formats. Also included are memorabilia, clippings, pamphlets, and other printed material, and artwork.

The J. Louis Engdahl Papers (6.5 linear feet) are divided into seven series: Correspondence, Writings, Chicago Socialist Trial, Scottsboro Trial, Photographs and Artwork, Personal and Memorabilia, and Printed Material.

Highlights of the collection include the letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, in which loving epithets and stories of day-to-day life mingle with accounts of his work and that of other prominent labor, socialist, and communist figures. The collection contains several pieces of Engdahl's original writings, along with numerous published works in various formats. Causes for which Engdahl fought, both on his own behalf and that of others, are documented through letters, clippings, trial transcripts, and images. Over sixty photographs, as well as various pieces of personal memorabilia, depict both family life and professional associations. Also of note is a portrait of Engdahl by the artist Mitchell Siporin.

A note on names: Throughout the collection, certain individuals are referred to by various alternate names and nicknames. Engdahl himself went by "J. Louis" or more informally, "Louis," rather than his given name of "John." Sophia Levitin Rodriguez is addressed variously as "Sophia," "Sophie," "Sonia," and even by her middle name, "Vera." As mentioned in the biographical portion of this finding aid, Pauline and Louis Engdahl's daughter is also named Pauline. To avoid confusion, within this finding aid, Engdahl's wife is referred to as "Pauline Levitin Engdahl" and their daughter as "Pauline Engdahl." Pauline Engdahl had the family nickname of "Chootch," with variants "Chootchie," "Chuche," etc.

Collection

Judith Guest Papers, 1975-1986

5.5 linear ft.

Novelist, University of Michigan graduate; includes correspondence, typescripts, notes, screenplays, interviews, and print material, such as reviews, interviews, and announcements, mostly relating to her works Ordinary People and title Second Heaven.

The Judith Guest collection consists of correspondence, typescripts, notes, screenplays, interviews, and print material, such as reviews, interviews, and announcements. The papers are divided into five series: Correspondence; Promotional material, reviews, interviews; Serials; Speeches; and Works, which contains the Ordinary People and Second Heaven subseries. Guest's initial correspondence with Viking regarding the manuscript for Ordinary People, which may be found in the Correspondence series, is particularly evocative of the excitement surrounding its publication.

The Promotional material, review, interviews; Serials; and Speeches series consist of ephemera relating to Guest's career as a writer including numerous clippings of biographical profiles and book reviews. These series also document some of the author's professional and promotional activities, such as publication tour interviews and speeches.

The emphasis of the collection is on Guest's creative process in writing Ordinary People and Second Heaven, which comprises the Works series. Many drafts of both novels are included, with editorial and authorial marginalia and corrections. The metamorphosis of the bestselling Ordinary People into a screenplay is well documented in Guest's attempt, followed by screenwriter Alvin Sargent's final shooting script.

Collection

Naomi Long Madgett and the Lotus Press Papers, 1937-2004 (majority within 1970-2003)

14 Linear Feet — 14 record boxes — genreform: Photographs in box 14 and scattered throughout the collection (see contents list). — genreform: Visual material in box 13. — genreform: Audio material in box 13. — genreform: Books by Naomi Long Magdett and Lotus Press, and books from Madgett's personal library, have been catalogued separately. Some chapbooks appear in the General Correspondence series, where such material were enclosed with a letter to Madgett. See the Writings and Author Files series for materials from the production of some Lotus Press books.

Naomi Long Madgett was a prominent poet, educator, and editor, recognized for her significant contribution to African-American letters. Since 1972 she organized and operated, single-handedly, Lotus Press, which publishes poetry by African-Americans and others. The collection documents Madgett's career and the operations of Lotus Press, through correspondence, manuscripts (both by Madgett and by authors published by Lotus Press), ephemera, audiovisual material, and photographs. Lotus Press merged with Broadside Press to form Broadside Lotus Press in 2015.

The Naomi Long Madgett Papers document the prominent career of Ms. Madgett as a poet and a teacher, and her operation of Lotus Press, which Madgett ran single-handedly for more than 30 years. Thus, the collection makes a good source of insight both into Madgett's own writing and aesthetic sensibility, and into the cultures of lyric poetry and African-American letters in the latter decades of the 20th Century. The bulk of the material covers the 1980s, the 1990s, and the first few years of the 21st century, with Madgett's activities in the 1970s being represented as well. From the correspondence collected here a vivid picture emerges of Madgett's relationships with some of the authors whose work she published--such as James Emanuel and Gayl Jones--as well as with other authors, such as Gwendolyn Brooks. In addition, correspondence and ephemera evidence the growth of Madgett's own reputation, documenting her many professional activities, awards, and honors over the years. While manuscripts by Madgett herself do not comprise a large part of the collection, the fortunes of one of her most famous poems, "Midway," are documented in detail, and an autobiography (Pilgrim Journey) provides an extensive synthesis by the author of her own influences and career (a section of which has been published by Gale's Contemporary Authors' Autobiography Series). Finally, the collection provides a close look at the daily operation, from its inception, of a small literary press.

The Naomi Long Madgett papers have been arranged into nine series: Personal, Writings, General Correspondence, Workshops and Events, Author Files, Business Records, Ephemera, Photographs, and Audiovisual. Books published by Lotus Press, as well as other books and periodicals from Madgett's library, have been catalogued individually and are shelved by call number in the Special Collections Library. Within the collection, however, much material is available from the production of certain Lotus Press books; see below Writings and Author Files.

Collection

Robert Frost Family Collection, 1923-1988

4 boxes (ca. 1.5 linear ft.) — Photographs are located in Box 2. — Printed items are located in Box 3. — Works of art are located in Box 4.

The papers contain extensive correspondence and numerous photographs of noted American poet, Robert Frost and members of his family. Also included is a collection of privately printed chapbooks and Christmas cards which contain poems by Frost.

The research value of this collection resides in the correspondence and the photographs. It appears that the letters at some point may have been consulted by various Frost biographers, but their depths may not have been fully plumbed. The photographs offer a candid glimpse into several generations of Frosts, but also include a number of posed studio portraits. The collection as a whole complements the Robert Frost papers already housed in the Special Collections Library, as well as those at the Bentley Historical Library.

Collection

The Alternative Press Records, 1949-2018 (majority within 1970-1999)

78.5 Linear Feet (157 manuscript boxes and 7 oversize boxes) — The printed products of the press are located in the Printed Materials series in boxes 42-43, 95, and oversize 157 and 162. — Ephemera is located throughout the collection, but is concentrated in the Ephemera series (box 38) and the Artists and Poets series (boxes 1-36 and 50-88).

The Alternative Press was a literary and artistic small press started in Detroit in 1969 by Ken and Ann Mikolowski. The press initially focused on publishing the work of Detroit artists and later became international in scope. The collection documents the press's management and publication processes, including those for its acclaimed subscription mailings, which contained poetry, bookmarks, bumper stickers, drawings, paintings, collages, and postcards.

The Alternative Press Records held by the University of Michigan Special Collections Library is the founders' full set of press records up until 1996. It contains items such as correspondence from poets, artists, and friends, manuscripts of poems and other writings, sketches, Christmas cards, event announcements, the press' printed products, subscription renewal requests and more. Records from all three operating locations of the press are included, although the records from business done from Grindstone City predominate.

The Alternative Press Records is divided into ten series: Artists and Poets: Correspondence, Writings and Ephemera; Business Records; Ephemera; Events and Organizations; Original Postcards; Printed Materials; Printing Process; Small Presses; 1996 accretion; and 2018 accretion. Records sorted by individual or organization (primarily Artists and Poets and Small Presses) are arranged in alphabetical order. Other series and subseries (primarily those containing correspondence, business records, artwork/writings, and event announcements) are arranged in chronological order to preserve evidence of the creative process and organizational decisionmaking.

Collection

University of Michigan Press Pasternak Records, 1958-1988 (majority within 1959-1962)

1.5 linear ft.

In the late 1950s, as a reaction to Cold War era politics, the University of Michigan Press embarked on a program to publish Russian language materials. Their first undertaking was Boris Pasternak's Dr. Zhivago.The material retained by the Press, related to the publication of Dr. Zhivago, as well as Pasternak's Poems, and Collected Works, comprises correspondence between the books’ editors and the directors of the Press. Other items, such as a first edition with marginalia, photographs of letters from Pasternak to Eugene Kayden, and assorted newspaper clippings, help document the history of this unusual endeavor. The 1.5 linear feet of material span the years 1958 to 1988, with the bulk of the papers dating between 1959 and 1962.

The material retained by the University of Michigan Press, related to the publication of Dr. Zhivago , Poems, and Collected Works , comprises correspondence between the books’ editors and the directors of the Press. Other items, such as a first edition with marginalia, photographs of letters from Pasternak to Eugene Kayden, and assorted newspaper clippings, help document the history of this unusual endeavor. The 1.5 linear feet of material span the years 1958 to 1988, with the bulk of the papers dating between 1959 and 1962. The Pasternak records of the University of Michigan Press have been divided into three series: Dr. Zhivago (0.5 linear feet), Eugene Kayden Translation -- Poems (1959) (0.5 linear feet), Sochineniia [Collected Works] (1961) (0.5 linear feet), and Media (3 items).

The Dr. Zhivago series consists of two subseries: Pre-publication and Publication. Pre-publication includes newspaper clippings related to the Nobel Prize awarded to Pasternak in 1958, correspondence pertaining to the copyright negotiations with Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, and promotional materials for the book's release. Most of the correspondence to Feltrinelli is carbon copies. Permissions Granted is correspondence between the Press and other authors regarding use of the novel in other publications. These letters date between 1960 and 1988. Additional material includes a limited amount of University of Michigan Press business records, galleys of the text, and other miscellaneous documents.

In the Eugene Kayden Translation -- Poems (1959) series much of the material is correspondence from Press directors Glenn Gosling, Ed Watkins, and Robert Erwin. Photographs of letters written to Eugene Kayden from Pasternak are included as well. The photographs are quite legible, and the text is in Russian. Related material, particularly the agreement signed between the Press and Eugene Kayden, is also in this series. Some of the folder dates will overlap in an attempt to maintain the original order of the materials.

Sochineniia [Collected Works] (1961), the Russian publication of Pasternak's poetry by scholars Gleb Struve and Boris Filippov, is the final series in the collection. Correspondence in this series, dated between 1959 and 1984, is arranged chronologically. A smaller amount of topical correspondence is arranged alphabetically by topic. As is the case with the previous series, some of the folder dates will overlap in an attempt to maintain the collections' original order.

The Media series contains two microfilms of the Collected Works , and an audiotape copy of the 45rpm vinyl recording of Pasternak Speaks . The tape documents a reading at Pasternak's home in 1958. Included are the poems "Night," "At the Hospital," "Literature Today," "To a French Musician," and an excerpt from "An Essay in Autobiography."

Collection

Women in the Resistance Papers, 1974-1998 (majority within 1974-1985)

8 Linear Feet

Margaret LaFoy Rossiter (1914-1991) was an internationally recognized author. A founder of the Women's Studies Program and a professor of Modern European History at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, she was an alumna of Bryn Mawr College and Douglass College of Rutgers University. She was the author of several articles and the book, Women in the Resistance. The bulk of the collection documents the research that went into writing Women in the Resistance. It contains approximately seven linear feet of interview transcripts and audio recordings, government documents, correspondence, articles, excerpts, photographs, ephemera, questionnaires, personal accounts and drafts of chapters as well as some research for, and reprints and drafts of, other works.

The Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers were deposited with the Special Collections by her estate in 1998. The collection primarily offers insight into the strategies, challenges and day to day workings of French resistance groups, also referred to as the maquis, who were engaged in underground efforts to liberate France from German occupation during World War II and the personal experiences of the people involved. Artifacts document the lives of pilots and resisters (many of whom were women and sometimes referred to as helpers), military plans and the international world of politics during this time, particularly in France. The collection contains the research that was the basis of Rossiter's book and also offers a look at the resistance research she did not include because it may have been beyond the book's scope. The collection also offers a look into Rossiter's research and political interests outside the French resistance.

Consisting of seven linear feet of material, the Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers are divided into ten series: Escape and Evasion; Name Files; Military Action and Intelligence; The Resistance; General History (France- World War II); Ephemera; Drafts; Publication and Distribution; Other Research; and Audiovisual Materials . Researchers should note that most series relate to the subject matter and research involved in Women in the Resistance , whereas the series "Other Research" pertains to research and subject matter Rossiter pursued in addition to work towards the book.

The Escape and Evasion series consists of one and a half linear feet. It contains materials pertaining to the experience of American and British Air Force pilots who became evaders and escapers (those who managed to get out of German-occupied territory or were captured and managed to get out of concentration camps) during World War II. The terms escaper and evader often seem to be used interchangeably throughout the book and collection to refer to the soldiers the resisters aided via escape lines. Escape lines, also known as escape organizations or escape networks, were manned land-routes out of German-occupied territory. The escape lines were organized by resistance groups to aid Allied soldiers. This series primarily contains information about experiences of members of the American Air Force Escape and Evasion Society (AFEES) and information on the workings of specific escape lines. Included are the research questionnaires Rossiter distributed to many AFEES members who served in World War II, and the many detailed, personal accounts she received back from them. Rossiter had substantial correspondence over the years with many of these men. The series also contains National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents and other materials pertaining to AFEES members and their experiences. The Escape Lines subseries contains primarily government documents along with some of Rossiter's notes, articles, excerpts and correspondence which provide general information about escape lines as well as information about specific lines. The list of specifically-named lines is not exhaustive. Information on escape by sea and pertaining particularly to members of the British Royal Air Force is also included.

The Name Files series consists of two linear feet of material organized by name. If listed in the index of Women in the Resistance, which usually employs the name a person used at the time of the French resistance, that name was used here. If the person has since changed his or her name, either first or last, that name is indicated in parentheses. This series contains information mostly about the women resisters on whom the book focuses as well as some materials about other individuals who were involved in, or particularly knowledgeable about, the resistance. It contains a collection of interview transcripts, for some of which the audio recordings can be found in the Audiovisual Materials and Descriptive Information series (Box 7). It also contains government documents, newspaper and magazine articles, excerpts of books and photographs as well as correspondence with and about the subject of the file.

The Military Action and Intelligence series consists of approximately one linear foot. It contains information on American, British and Free French government-proscribed military plans, action and information-seeking during World War II. The Bombings, Planes and Losses subseries consists of government documents, pamphlets, Rossiter's calculations, book excerpts and correspondence pertaining to the number of Allied planes dispatched and lost as well as military personnel casualties. The Sabotage subseries consists primarily of book excerpts and some articles and official documents describing activities of "irregular" military organizations, such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA). These organizations were formed in order to prepare secret armies, instigate revolt, gather intelligence and disrupt and destroy Nazi initiatives and equipment via less traditionally employed military means. The SOE was a British organization that was separate from intelligence organizations MI 6 and MI 9 and worked specifically with the resistance in France. The BCRA was a Free French intelligence agency based out of London. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS-X) was a United States Intelligence organization formed to assist evaders and prisoners of war. The MIS-X subseries primarily contains government documents pertaining to strategies and actions of the organization during World War II. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) subseries trace the history of those organizations and their functioning during World War II. The OSS was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. Over half of the OSS subseries consists of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents, and the other half consists of articles, book excerpts, pamphlets, government documents and other research material, all pertaining to OSS actions during World War II and the transition of the OSS into the CIA. The CIA being the current manifestation of the OSS, the CIA subseries is divided between government documents provided by the CIA pertaining to OSS actions during World War II, articles about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Rossiter's FOIA requests for information from the CIA. The Military Archives Division is part of NARA and this subseries documents Rossiter's correspondence and phone conversations with John Taylor, an archivist there. Taylor assisted Rossiter with locating documents for Women in the Resistance and also put her in contact with government people who were involved in the French resistance. The Women in the Military subseries provides readings, pamphlets and government documents relating to the roles of women in the British and United States military during World War II.

The Resistance series consists of about half a linear foot. It contains NARA documents, articles, maps, book excerpts and information about books related to the contribution of resistance groups to Allied Forces military initiatives and the women involved. It also contains specific information on the Comité d'Oeuvres Sociales de la Résistance (COSOR) which was created by the Algiers government to provide social services to resistance groups, as well as information on military decorations awarded to members of the resistance and timelines of events.

The General History (France- World War II) series consists of three folders containing government documents, Rossiter's notes, ephemera and book excerpts relating to the religious and governmental environment in France during World War II. The materials relate particularly to Protestantism, Catholicism and deportation and internment.

The Ephemera series consists of twelve folders. It contains artifacts such as brochures, newsletters and articles that pertain to organizations, events and memorials commemorating the French resistance.

The Drafts series is a little over half a linear foot and is made up of drafts of sections of Women in the Resistance and research materials, including articles and book excerpts, related to those sections. The chapter order and contents do not necessarily reflect those of the final version of the book. Because the majority of the collection consists of research materials Rossiter used in writing the book, the research materials in this series do not appear to be the only sources Rossiter used for the drafts with which they are included, but reflect the original order of the materials as they were donated.

The Publication and Distribution series consists of fifteen folders containing writing guidelines, correspondence and articles and excerpts about how to get published as well as correspondence with editors and potential publishers. The materials include some photographs, and related permissions, that were included in the book, reviews of Women in the Resistance and correspondence and documents relating specifically to Rossiter's relationship and negotiations with University of Michigan Press, Yale University Press and finally Praeger Publishers.

The Other Research series consists of roughly half a linear foot. It contains reprints and drafts of Rossiter's works other than Women in the Resistance and research materials on what appear to be additional academic, political and personal topics. Rossiter researched the history of women in Europe and the United States and the History of Women subseries contains related pamphlets, articles, book excerpts and essays as well as a selected bibliography, Rossiter's notes and newsletters from feminist organizations. She also followed the Klaus Barbie trial and the Klaus Barbie subseries contains relevant articles. Her political interests appear to have included U.S. government involvement in Iran, Libya and Nicaragua in the 1980s. The Political subseries contains articles about the government's involvement as well as Rossiter's letters protesting the government's actions in these regions to government officials and members of the media. Rossiter may have done some research towards her personal travel as this series also contains a few articles and pamphlets on travel in France, Michigan, New Zealand and Tahiti contained in the Travel subseries.

The Audiovisual Materials series consists of one linear foot of audio tapes and a folder of note cards. Some tapes are not labeled or are only partially labeled and the contents are yet to be determined. The labeled tapes contain interviews, lectures, conferences and talks primarily about the French resistance but contain some information relevant to Rossiter's other research on women's studies and Libya as described above. The interviews are with evaders, resistance members, professors and other people particularly knowledgeable about the French resistance. These interviews were performed by Rossiter or her assistants or recorded from television. The note cards give descriptions of the audio cassettes' contents but the numbering on the cards does not match the numbering on the cassette labels. The content of the cassettes as indicated on the cards does reflect the content as indicated on the cassette labels but in a different order.