Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

The Martin Sostre Collection (1923-2013; bulk 1967-1976) consists of correspondence, flyers, drawings, newspaper clippings, court records, pamphlets, newsletters, photographs, and handwritten notes pertaining to activist Martin Sostre. The collection contains original material created by Sostre, as well as material collected by others while he was incarcerated.

The Martin Sostre Collection (1923-2013; bulk 1967-1976) consists of correspondence, flyers, newsletters, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, articles, photographs, court documents, legal notes, and original drawings. Series 1, the Martin Sostre Papers, contains materials created by Sostre; these include drawings, legal documents with handwritten notes, published letters and articles, photographs, familial certificates, and newsletters Sostre wrote or edited, and documents on behavioral modification in prisons. Series 2, Correspondence, contains newsletters, informational mailings, petitions, and correspondence from various chapters of the Martin Sostre Defense Committee. Series 3, Flyers, contains demonstration and promotional flyers. Series 4, Court Records, contains affidavits, depositions, and court proceedings related to Martin Sostre. Series 5, Articles, contains newspaper clippings and photocopies, and other written material such as case studies, a thesis, and magazine articles.

The Mary Hays Weik Papers include correspondence with anti-nuclear activists world wide, public officials, concerned citizens, and Weik's family; newsletters and articles on nuclear power, civil rights, neighborhood improvement in Cincinnati in the 1950s, and right-wing and anti-communist organizations; other writings by Weik; legal documents on nuclear power plants in New York; research notes; newspaper clippings; and subject files. Also includes the correspondence, 1950-1954, of Caroline Urie, who, like Weik, was a leader of the American branch of the International Registry of World Citizens.

The papers document Weik's involvement in the world government movement after World War II and the antinuclear movement of the 1960's and 1970's. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1950's to the 1970's; there is little material or information on Weik's life and work prior to 1950. The correspondence file is rich in its documentation of a small but dedicated group of individuals who made up an informal network of international antinuclear activists.

This collection is comprised of various administrative materials created or gathered by the Mattachine Society's Regional Council in Detroit. These materials were created and/or gathered between 1957 and 1995, with the bulk of the material coming from 1959-1960.

The collection contains primarily administrative material surrounding the daily business of the Detroit Area Council of the Mattachine Society. The Administrative Series is the largest series in the collection and includes budget information, meeting minutes, membership information, workshop materials, and a copy of the Daughters of Bilitis Policy. The series also includes a file of holograph notes, most of them undated and un-signed, though it is likely that they are in Hal Lawson's hand. The Administrative series also includes a Correspondence sub-series, with a folder of Lawson's incoming and outgoing correspondence that is both personal and professional in nature. There is also a folder of official correspondence from the Detroit Area Council. The Printed Material Series includes a few articles, primarily on homosexuality, and copies of newsletters from numerous councils of the Mattachine Society, across the Country. The series also includes a folder of flyers, magazine subscription forms and advertisements on various programs and topics of pertinence to society members. The Typescripts Series includes a small number of press releases, and several articles. The article from Between the Lines, written in June, 1995, is an interesting historical look at the Society and its actions during the 1950s.

The Mike Gold (Irwin Granich)/Mike Folsom Papers date from about 1901 to 1990, and measure about thirteen linear feet. They are divided into twelve series: Correspondence (1901-1990 and undated); Writings (1904-1989 and undated); Biographical Materials (1954-1969 and undated); Individual Files (1905-1978 and undated); Periodicals (1913-1958 and undated); Newspaper Clippings (1924-1980s and undated); Events and Activities (1935 1972 and undated); Notes and Journals (1906-1962 and undated); Personal (1930s-1967 and undated); Miscellaneous (1935-1970s and undated); and Visual Materials (1923-1960s and undated).

The first series, Correspondence, contains items dating from 1901-1990, and measures 1.5 linear feet. It includes correspondence materials from both Mike Gold and Mike Folsom, as well as some materials written between two other outside parties which it seems that Folsom used in his research and writing. It also includes letters to and from Gold and his wife, Elizabeth, as well as their sons, Carl and Nick. There are a variety of prominent figures included in the correspondence, including such persons as Theodore Dreiser, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Joseph Freeman, Ernest Hemmingway, Walter Lowenfels, Lewis Mumford, and Upton Sinclair, along with a host of others. Of particular interest is the early correspondence between Sinclair and Gold, the H.L Mencken correspondence (on microfilm), Folsom's correspondence with Gold and other literary figures and writers in the 1960s and 1970s, and the topical folders on Gold's application for a Guggenheim fellowship in 1928-1929 and 1935-1936, and on the Estate and Papers of Mike Gold, which provides some insight into the history of the papers themselves. It should be noted that in particular during the 1960s it is often difficult to distinguish between the correspondences of Gold and of Folsom because many letters are simply addressed, "Dear Mike".

The second series, Writings (1904-1989 and undated) is the largest series at about 7 linear feet. It primarily contains manuscript and published materials by Mike Gold, including books (no manuscripts), fiction (including many manuscripts), drama (including manuscripts), poetry (including many manuscripts), song lyrics (mostly published), columns and articles (mostly published, also including some manuscripts), and other writings (some manuscripts and some published materials). Also included in the series are the writings of Mike Folsom (including manuscripts and published materials), and the writings of other people (including his wife), such as dissertations, published articles, and a number of manuscripts.

The third series, Biographical Materials (1954-1969 and undated) includes about 0.75 linear feet of materials. There are some of Gold's manuscripts for the autobiography/memoir book he was working on towards the end of his life, as well as transcripts from interviews with Mike Folsom and some notes, and a few published items relating to Gold's life. Most of the items in this series seem to have been produced by Gold and Folsom during the time they were working together on Gold's autobiography/memoir, although a few items dated earlier suggest that Gold had been working on and off on the project himself for some time before collaborating with Folsom.

The fourth series, Individual Files (1905-1978 and undated) measures about 0.25 linear feet. This series is composed of folders relating to a specific individual, including a number of prominent people as well as some lesser-known figures. The materials included in the series are mostly notes and articles, although in some cases there are other items such as pamphlets and images included in the folders. Most of the people included in the series figured prominently into Gold's life (either personally, professionally, or both), or into Folsom's own research on Gold or other proletarian writers.

The fifth series, Periodicals (1913-1958 and undated) also measures about 0.25 linear feet. It includes mostly small collections of such titles as The Flame, The Liberator, The Masses, The New Masses, The Oakland Post Enquirer, and The Scarsdale Inquirer, for which Gold wrote over a period of years or months. These contain published versions of Gold's writings (some under the name Irwin Granich) and give an idea of how his writings appeared to readers at the time of their original publication.

The sixth series, News Clippings (1924-1980s and undated) includes 0.5 linear feet of folders containing dated and undated news clippings. These appear to be items clipped by Gold (to 1967) and Folsom, sometimes used for research or to write an article, or for personal interest. A few of the folders are somewhat topical within a time frame, such as pertaining to the H-bomb and McCarthyism, but most contain articles on a variety of subjects.

The seventh series, Events and Activities (1935-1972 and undated) is about 0.25 linear feet in size. It includes materials from events Mike Gold attended as well as a number of events held in his honor, and materials from his national speaking tour in 1954 in honor of his sixtieth birthday, including manuscripts.

The eighth series, Notes and Journals (1906-1962 and undated) contains both 0.75 linear feet of foldered materials and two boxes of card files. There are a large number of Gold's notebooks and notes, a diary, as well as some address books and address and business cards, and a childhood autograph book. Also included are Folsom's loose and topical notes (although Folsom's notes, where possible, have been kept with the materials with which they were found in the papers) and a notecard file housed in two small shoebox-sized boxes. Most notebooks and notes are not labeled or dated, making it difficult to distinguish what they are about and when they were written.

The ninth series, Personal (1930s-1967 and undated) is the smallest series at about 0.1 linear feet. It contains folders on such subjects as Gold's family, medical and financial information (mostly social security), and his death, including articles and obituaries.

The tenth series, Miscellaneous (1935-1970s and undated) measures about 0.65 linear feet. It includes some topical files on subjects, a variety of items on various social, political, and scholarly interests, and some folders relating to Folsom's own interests and activities, particularly after Gold's death, and general materials which did not fit in elsewhere in the papers.

The eleventh, Visual Materials (1923-1960s and undated), measures about 0.5 linear feet and is housed in a separate smaller box. It includes photographs, microfilm, and a few illustrations. Most of the items are undated, except the microfilm. The photographs date from Gold's childhood to the end of his life, but most appear to be from the 1920s through the 1940s. A number of photographs are from Gold's visit to Ernest Hemingway's home in Florida, where Gold vacationed and went fishing in about 1929- 1930. There are also some unlabeled and unidentified photographs, and some photographs which have been removed from other items in the collection (such as correspondence) for preservation purposes.

The twelfth and final series, FBI File, measures about .75 linear ft. In 1978 Mike Folsom requested Mike Gold's FBI file under the Freedom of Information Act. He received photocopies of the documents in Gold's file with some information blacked out by the FBI to protect the privacy of informants and other individuals. In 2002 Nick Granich offered the Labadie copies of his copies of Mike Gold's file. Since the Labadie's copies are at least third generation some information is obscured, but for the most part the documents are legible. The documents were left in the order in which the Labadie received them. The organizational scheme is primarily topical and chronological. If any records did seem out of place, they were left as is to preserve the original order. The FBI reports cover the years 1941 to 1967 with additional correspondence between Mike Folsom and the FBI in 1978.

Materials related to the Marxist-Leninist group Motor City Labor League, active in Detroit in the 1970s. Divided into series based loosely on date and group. The group had an acrimonious split in the early 1970s, with the alliances of the resulting organizations constantly shifting.

Materials related to the Motor City Labor League (MCLL)'s activities in the 1970s. Includes administrative materials from planning meetings and statements regarding the intragroup conflicts that divided the MCLL beginning in 1972. The sub- and splinter- groups that were party to this schism include Changeover and Aliance. These groups' activities with the reading group Conflict, Control, Change is also represented. Also includes materials from the Christian-Marxist Diaglogue and Marxist-Leninist reading materials, which formed part of MCLL members' program of self-education.

The Motor Scooter Collection contains press photos and various forms of ephemera such as cards, stickers, buttons, and other items mostly in the twentieth century within two folders.

Contains press photos and various ephemera depicting motor scooters mostly in the twentieth century within two folders. The press photos contain images of motor scooters and often captions with additional context. Ephemera includes a Vespa 150 history booklet and Scoot! Quarterly motor scooter trading and collector cards, magnets, pins, and event advertisements.

This collection documents Nancy Savoca's filmmaking career from the early 1980s to 2012. The bulk of the material consists of scripts, documents used during film production, and advertisements. The collection also includes a small group of materials related to Savoca's husband, film producer Rich Guay. The materials are arranged chronologically by production, with unproduced projects placed at the end.

This collection documents Nancy Savoca's filmmaking career from the early 1980s to 2012. The earliest items relate to various projects that Savoca directed during and immediately after her time at New York University in the early to mid-1980s, including two short films she produced as a film student. These materials include class notes, scripts, storyboards, and advertisements.

The bulk of the collection concerns Savoca's feature films, television episodes, and unproduced projects. These series include scripts, shooting schedules and storyboards, production information, photographs and advertisements, and artifacts; the series descriptions and subseries lists contain more detailed information about the specific types of items present for each production. The two publicity series consist of film festival catalogs, awards, and articles covering the entirety of Savoca's career.

The final series relates to Rich Guay, Nancy's husband. Documenting his work as a film producer, the series consists of materials related to various films; items include scripts, research material, shooting schedules, financial records, promotional clothing, and other documents directly related to these productions. This series also contains slides, handouts, and other materials from Guay's courses on film production.

The collection's audiovisual material will be digitized and available for research at a future date. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Naomi Long Madgett is a prominent poet, educator, and editor, recognized for her significant contribution to African-American letters. Since 1972 she has run, single-handedly, Lotus Press, which publishes poetry by African-Americans and others. The collection documents Madgett's career and the operation of Lotus Press, through correspondence, manuscripts (both by Madgett and by authors published by Lotus Press), ephemera, audiovisual material, and photographs.

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 has run 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 fairly well 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 unpublished 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.

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.