Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Fineman, Irving, 1893-1976
Title:	Irving Fineman Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1919-1976
Quantity:	40.0 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the Jewish American novelist, author. Correspondence (1919-1976), including a significant number of letters from Julia Peterkin (1926-1943); typescript drafts and revisions of novels, plays, poems, stories; diaries (1922-1949); notebooks; galley proofs; and memorabilia, including calendars, clippings, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Irving Fineman (1893-1976) was a Jewish-American novelist and author.

Born in New York City, he earned degrees in civil engineering from both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard in 1917. Following a term in the U.S. Navy as an engineer officer (1918-1922), he returned to civil engineering, working in the field designing and constructing bridges, subways, etc and also teaching theoretical and applied mechanics at the University of Illinois. In 1928, taken with the idea of writing a novel, he began work on This Pure Young Man, which won a $7500 prize in 1930. By 1932 he was at work on his second novel and had taken a teaching position at Bennington University in Bennington, Vermont. "It was only when I undertook to teach the subject that with my students I made a thoroughgoing and conscious study of literature and the techniques of writing; but by then I had written two books."

In the late 1930s Fineman spent a year or two in Hollywood writing for several studios, but he found that "while motion picture producers were intrigued by the idea of getting something fresh from a serious writer, they almost invariably got cold feet when it came to putting something unusual or controversial before the cameras." By 1950 he had retired from teaching and other occupations to devote his full attention to writing, though he still took time out for projects that interested him. He served as editorial consultant for the RAND Corporation in 1957 and spent a year as scholar in residence at Duke University (1965-1966).

In addition to seven novels and a biography of Henrietta Szold, the founder of Hadassah, Fineman published short stories, poems, and literary criticism in literary and general interest magazines such as Nation, Harper's, Yale Review, New Yorker, New York Times, Saturday Review, and the Los Angeles Times.

Return to top

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Irving Fineman Papers have been arranged into ten series: Clippings, Correspondence, Files, Memorabilia, Miscellaneous printed material, Notes, Writings, Writings – others, Published material, and Writings (unknown)

The collection begins with two boxes of assorted Clippings. Correspondence spans more than sixty years and contains both personal and professional correspondence; correspondents include Anne Walters, Brandeis University, Random House, Frances Frost, and Julia Peterkin.

Files includes medical, legal, and financial material as well as material relating to assorted personal and professional subjects. Memorabilia contains, among other things, calendars and diaries, photographs and scrapbooks, and example of artwork. Miscellaneous printed material consists of books, journals, pamphlets, and magazines, followed by five boxes of miscellaneous Notes.

Writings consists of drafts, galleys, notes, synopses, book covers, and typescripts of novels, plays, poetry, screenplays, and short stories, written by Fineman or by Fineman in collaboration with others. Writings — others and Writings (unknown) is comprised of writings by authors other than Fineman, or writings whose authorship is unknown. Published material contains items by and about Fineman.

Return to top

Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is subdivided by type. Files and Memorabilia are arranged alphabetically. Miscellaneous printed material is subdivided by type. The two boxes of Clippings and five boxes of Notes are in no particular order. Fineman's Writings are subdivided by type and then arranged, where appropriate, alphabetically by title; Writings by others and by unknown authors are in no particular order. Published material is subdivided into material by Fineman and material about Fineman.

Return to top

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection. Additional permission may be required for use of Peterkin letters.

Return to top

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has made a concerted effort over the years to ensure that its manuscript and rare books holdings complement each other. As a result, many of our manuscript collections are supported by books, pamphlets, serials and other items which are cataloged in the Rare Books Collection. Please be sure to search the Classic Catalog for these related materials.

Return to top

Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

Return to top

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Irving Fineman Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Bulk of collection, gift of Irving Fineman, 1972-1984.

Germundsson letters, gift of Rev. William F. Schulz, 2022.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MPK
Date: Feb 1979
Revision history: 1 May 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC); 8 Jun 2023 - Germundsson correspondence added (MRC)

Return to top

Inventory

	Clippings
Box 1		Miscellaneous
Box 2		Miscellaneous

	Correspondence
Box 3		Fragments
Box 3		Postcards (2 folders)
Box 3		Fourth Class Mail
Box 3		No Dates (13 folders)
		With
Box 3			Brandeis University
Box 3A			Frost, Frances
Box 3			Germundsson, Dory and Thor [1964]-1975
				Gift of Rev. William F. Schulz, 2022
Box 3			Moll, Elick
Box 3			Random House
Box 3			Walters, Anne
Box 4		Personal (4 folders)
Box 4		1919-1939 (24 folders)
Box 5		1940-1959 (23 folders)
Box 6		1960-1976 (18 folders)
		Julia Peterkin
Box 6			undated
Box 6			1926-1930 (5 folders)
Box 7			1930-1940, 1943 (12 folders)

	Files
		Household
Box 7			Miscellaneous (2 folders)
Box 7			Bank (6 folders)
Box 8			Legal
			Receipts
Box 8				General (2 folders)
Box 8				Putney School
			Tax
Box 8				General
Box 8				1961-1963
Box 8				1970-1975 (6 folders)
		Medical
Box 9			General (6 folders)
Box 9			X-Rays
		Personal
Box 9			Miscellaneous (5 folders)
Box 10			Bank
Box 10			Bennington College
Box 10			Car
Box 10			Education (2 folders)
Box 10			Family (3 folders)
Box 10			Hollywood
Box 10			Huntington Hartford Foundation
Box 10			Israel
Box 10			Mutual Housing Association
Box 10			Navy
Box 10			Ramah
Box 10			RAND
Box 10			Reprints
Box 10			Social Security
Box 10			United States Auto Association
Box 10			Veterans Administration
Box 10			Women

	Memorabilia
Box 10		Address Books
Oversize 2		Art Work
Box 10		Awards
Box 10		Business Cards
Box 10		Calendars
Box 11		Calendars (3 folders)
Box 11		Diaries
Box 11			1922
Box 11			1930's
Box 11			1940-1941
Box 11			1947
Box 11			1948
Box 11			1949
Box 11			After 1949
Box 11		Family
Box 11		Negatives (2 folders)
Box 11		Notebooks (21 volumes)
Box 12		Painting (oil)
Box 12		Passports
Box 12		Photographs (6 folders)
Oversize 2		Photographs
Box 12		Scrapbooks (3 volumes)
Oversize 1		Scrapbooks (2 volumes)
Box 12		Slide (color)
Box 12		Spike
Box 12		Tape Recordings (4 tapes)
Oversize 1		Textbook
Box 12		Triptiks (2 items)
Oversize 2		Yearbook

	Miscellaneous printed material
Box 12		Books (6 volumes)
Box 13		Pamphlets
Box 14		Magazines and Journals

	Notes
Box 15		Miscellaneous notes (15 folders)
Box 16		Miscellaneous notes (15 folders)
Box 17		Miscellaneous notes (15 folders)
Box 18		Miscellaneous notes (13 folders)
Box 19		Miscellaneous notes (10 folders)

	Writings
Box 20		Notes (10 folders)
Box 20		Photocopied Material (2 folders)
Box 21		Ideas (17 folders)
Box 22		Ideas (16 folders)
Box 23		Ideas (10 folders)
		Novels
			Doctor Addams
Box 23				Synopsis (2 folders)
Box 23				Bookcover
Box 24				Rough Draft (4 folders)
			Helen Herself
Box 24				Notes (4 folders)
Box 24				Rough Draft (2 folders)
Box 24				Typescripts (7 folders)
			Here Ye Sons
Box 25				Miscellaneous
Box 25				Bookcover
Box 25				Galley
Box 25				Typescript (2 folders)
			Jacob
Box 25				Notes (4 folders)
Box 25				Typescripts (4 folders)
			Lovers Must Learn
Box 25				Rough Draft
Box 25				Bookcover
Box 26				Typescripts (5 folders)
			Mystery on Maple Hill
Box 26				Typescripts (2 folders)
			Pieta
Box 26				Rough Drafts (13 folders)
Box 27				Rough Drafts (17 folders)
Box 28				Rough Drafts (3 folders)
Box 28				Typescripts (9 folders)
Box 29				Typescripts (2 folders)
Box 29				Postscript (2 folders)
			Ruth
Box 29				Correspondence (2 folders)
Box 29				Notes (5 folders)
Box 29				Rough Drafts (2 folders)
Box 30				Rough Drafts (2 folders)
Box 30				Typescripts (4 folders)
Box 30				Motion picture adaptation
Box 30				Galley
Box 30				Book
			This Pure Young Man
Box 30				Bookcover
Box 30				Correspondence
Box 30				Clippings
Box 30				Legal
Box 30				Notes (3 folders)
Box 30				Typescripts
Box 31				Typescripts (4 volumes)
			Woman of Valor
Box 31				Bookcover
Box 31				Research Material (2 folders)
Box 31				Notes (5 folders)
Box 32				Rough Draft (2 folders)
Box 32				Typescripts (3 folders)
Box 32				Galleys (2 folders)
Box 32				Book
		Plays
Box 32			A Boy A Girl And A Dog (3 folders)
Box 32			Akiba (2 folders)
Box 33			The Fig Tree Madonna (12 folders)
Box 33			Here Comes Miss Jordan
Box 33			If This Be Known
Box 33			Little Red Riding Hood
Box 33			The Long Road
Box 33			Mr. Jordan Calling
Box 33			The Lives of Patricia
Box 33			Oedipus
Box 33			For Mortals
Box 33			Husbands Ltd.
Box 33			The Widow of Ephesus
Box 33		Poems (2 folders)
Box 34		Poems (9 folders)
Box 34		Screenplays, A-Z (8 folders)
		Short Stories
Box 35			Misc. (5 folders)
Box 35			A-K (14 folders)
Box 36			L-Z (15 folders)
		With Others
Box 37			w/ Jerry Horwin (2 folders)
Box 37			w/ Carl A. Halter
Box 37			w/ Herbert Kline (3 folders)

	Writings – others
Box 37		Miscellaneous (12 folders)
Box 38		Miscellaneous (2 folders)

	Published material
Box 38		By Fineman (3 folders)
Box 38		About Fineman

	Writings (unknown)
Box 38		Miscellaneous
Box 39		Miscellaneous (3 folders)

Return to top