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Paul Goodman Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Goodman, Paul, 1911-1972.
Title: Paul Goodman Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1958-1967
Quantity: 1.0 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American author, poet. Includes correspondence; articles, book manuscripts, a galley proof, poems; and published material, including articles and clippings (1963-1964).
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

Paul Goodman (1911-1972) was an American author, poet, social critic and educator.

Goodman was born in New York City on September 9, 1911. After graduating from City College in New York, he received his Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Chicago. Goodman taught at the University of Chicago, New York University, Black Mountain College, and Sarah Lawrence, and lectured widely at various universities throughout the country. He was associated with the New York and Cleveland institutes for Gestalt Therapy and the University Seminar on the Problems of Interpretation at Columbia. He is also a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.

Goodman wrote for Commentary, Politics, Kenyon Review, Resistance, Liberation, Partisan Review, Dissent, The Quarterly Review of Literature, The New Republic, Moviegoer, and the Village Voice. His fiction includes The Facts of Life, The Break-Up of Our Camp, Parent's Day, The Empire City, Making Do, and a volume of verse, The Lordly Hudson. He also wrote two books of criticism, Kafka's Prayer and The Structure of Literature. In the area of social studies, in addition to co-authoring Communitas and Gestalt Therapy, he wrote Art and Social Nature, Growing Up Absurd (the book for which he is best known), Utopian Essays and Practical Purposes, Drawing the Line, Community of Scholars, and Compulsory Mis-Education.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Paul Goodman Papers consist of correspondence/subject files, writings and memorabilia of the American author, poet and activist. Correspondence-subject files contain correspondence primarily from 1962-1965 including a selection of unfriendly letters to Mr. Goodman as well as minutes of a school board meeting. Writings includes manuscripts, typescripts, proofs and published versions of poetry, several articles and books. Memorabilia contains a calendar, newspaper clippings and an undateded test on Growing Up Absurd.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Material is arranged alphabetically for the most part.

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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.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Anthony, Carl, 1932-
Breslin, Jimmy.
Goodman, Paul, 1911-1972.
Hoggart, Richard, 1918-2014.
Holt, John Caldwell, 1923-1985.
Horn, Zoia.
Howe, Irving.
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963.
Konvitz, Milton R. (Milton Ridvas), 1908-2003.
Langness, L. L. (Lewis L.), 1929-
Lindsay, John V. (John Vliet)
Raskin, Marcus G.
Rosenberg, Harold, 1906-1978.
Schreiber, Daniel.
Sheehy Skeffington, Owen, 1909-1970.
Sofejko, Henry A.
Tannenbaum, Frank, 1893-1969.
Van Dresser, Peter, 1909-1983.
Ward, Colin C.
Wasserman, Saul

Subjects

Authors, American.
Poets, American.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Manuscripts for publication.

Occupations

Authors.
Poems.
Poets.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Paul Goodman Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: -
Date: Feb 1967
Revision history: 10 May 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC); 8 Dec 2016 - Rehoused and updated (PRB)

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Inventory

Correspondence-subject files
Anarchy
See Ward, Colin.
Box 1 Anthony, Carl 1962
Baldridge, Letitia
See Kennedy, John F..
Box 1 Bashlow, Robert 1963
Box 1 Board of Education of the City of New York 1963
Box 1 Breslin, Jimmy 1963
Box 1 College of the Virgin Islands 1963
Box 1 Columbia University 1963
Box 1 Federal Communications Commission 1962
Harlem Education Project
See Anthony, Carl.
Box 1 Harvard-Radcliffe Liberal Union 1963
Box 1 Hoggart, Richard 1962
Box 1 Holt, John Caldwell 1964
Box 1 Horn, Zoia Markovna 1962
Box 1 Howe, Irving 1963
Box 1 Kennedy, John F. 1962
Box 1 Konvitz, Milton R. 1963
Box 1 Langness, L.L. 1963
Box 1 Lindsay, John V. 1963
Box 1 The Macmillan Company 1964
Box 1 Morningside-121st Street-Amsterdam Tenants' Committee 1964
Box 1 The New Republic 1963
Box 1 New York City Local School Board Districts 6 and 8 1962
Box 1 The New York Review of Books 1963
Box 1 Newsweek 1962
Box 1 The Northern Student Movement Coordinating Committee for Civil Rights 1963
Project: School Dropouts
See Schreiber, Daniel.
Box 1 Raskin, Marcus G. 1963
Box 1 Rosenberg, Harold 1966
Box 1 Schreiber, Daniel 1963
Box 1 Sheehy-Skeffington, Owen 1958
Box 1 Sofejko, Henry A. 1964
Box 1 Tannenbaum, Frank 1963
Box 1 The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1963,1964
Box 1 Van Dresser, Peter 1964
Box 1 Ward, Colin 1964
Box 1 Wasserman, Saul 1962
Box 1 Miscellaneous unfriendly 1964
Box 1 Miscellaneous 1962-1964, undated
Writings
Articles
Box 1 Manuscripts 1964
Box 1 Published 1963, 1964
Books
Box 1 Like a Conquered Province 1962
Box 1 Author's proofs with corrections
The Lordly Hudson
Box 2 Typescript with corrections
Box 2 People or Personnel
Box 2 Author's proof
Box 2 Proofs with corrections
Box 2 Typescript with corrections
Box 2 Poetry
Box 2 Lectures 1962
Box 2 Letters to editors 1960, undated
Box 2 Notes 1961-1964, undated
Memorabilia
Box 2 Calendar 1964
Box 2 Clippings 1963, 1964
Box 2 Test on Growing Up Absurd undated

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