Ed Sanders Papers
Scope and Content
Collection materials reflect Sanders' literary and publishing work, affinities with writers from both the Beat and New York Schools of poetry, and political organizing activities and interests, including his pacifism, opposition to the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons, and advocacy for sexual freedom, legalization of marijuana, and freedom of expression. The collection includes manuscripts of poems, books, articles, and lyrics; correspondence; manuscript submissions and page proofs; promotional materials and interviews; and printed ephemera. Major correspondents include Robert Creeley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jackson MacLow, Gerard Malanga, Duncan McNaughton, Charles Olson, and Ron Padgett. The bulk of the collection dates from 1960 to 1976.
Dates
- undated, 1955-1976
Access
The collection is open and available for research.
Restrictions on Use
Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.
Biography
James Edward Sanders was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 17, 1939. In 1958, at the age of 17, he left the University of Missouri, hitchhiked to New York City, and enrolled at New York University. Between 1961 and 1963, Sanders participated in a number of nonviolent demonstrations against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. At a peace vigil in August 1961, Sanders was fined and later jailed for refusing to pay. While in jail, Sanders wrote his first book, Poem from Jail, a poem in nine parts published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Books.
In 1962, Sanders opened Peace Eye Bookstore in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. The bookstore quickly became a gathering place for local activists, poets, artists and musicians. Sanders began publishing a literary journal that same year; Fuck You/A Magazine of the Arts featured poems by Sanders and many important writers of the Beat Generation, including William Burroughs, Grego, Robert Creeley, Diane Di Prima, Allen Ginsberg, Michael McClure, Frank O'Hara, Charles Olson, Joel Oppenheimer, Gary Snyder, and John Wieners. In 1966, after thirteen issues, the journal ended when it was seized, along with a number of publications and personal materials, when Sanders was charged with obscenity by the New York City police.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, in addition to organizing and participating in a number of political actions, Sanders continued to produce poetry, prose, broadsides, underground newsletters, periodicals, and films, some of which were published by his own small press operations (Fuck You Press, and Poetry, Crime & Culture Press). He also gained national notoriety at this time as a rock musician with the band the Fugs, a group he co-founded with friend and poet, Tuli Kupferberg>. Between 1965 and 1970, the band recorded six albums and toured regularly, playing at small theaters, colleges, political rallies, and bookstores.
Extent
12 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection materials reflect Sanders' literary and publishing work, affinities with writers from both the Beat and New York Schools of poetry, and political organizing activities and interests, including his pacifism, opposition to the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons, and advocacy for sexual freedom, legalization of marijuana, and freedom of expression. The collection includes manuscripts of poems, books, articles, and lyrics; correspondence; manuscript submissions and page proofs; promotional materials and interviews; and printed ephemera. Major correspondents include Robert Creeley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jackson MacLow, Gerard Malanga, Duncan McNaughton, Charles Olson, and Ron Padgett. The bulk of the collection dates from 1960 to 1976.
Arrangement
Series I: Poetry (undated, 1955-1976)
Series II: Books and Pamphlets (undated, 1969-1976)
Series III: Correspondence (1957-1976)
Series IV: Personal and Professional Papers (1960-1970)
Series V: Printed Ephemera (1963-1970>)
Acquisition Information
The collection was purchased from Mr. Sanders in 1978.
Separated Material
The following materials have been separated from the collection and cataloged:
New York Action Bulletin, v. I, #3, May 1965. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Committee for Nonviolent Action Bulletin, 3/20/64, 7/24/64, 11/2/64, 1/25/65, 2/27/65, 5/28/65, 8/27/65. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Direct Action for a Nonviolent World, 1964-1966 [incomplete]. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
The Activist, Fall 1961. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Bulletin of the World Council of Peace, 11/61. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Fellowship, 3/61. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
I.F. Stone's Weekly, 3/9/64, 6/22/64, 6/14/65. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Los Angeles Free Press, 5/64. . Dodd Call No. Dodd Per Oversize
Mobilizer, 9/1/67, 9/26/67. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Peace News . Dodd Call No. Dodd Per Oversize
Brownstone. no.16 (1964 Feb.24). Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Braziller, Fall 1975. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Civil Liberties in New York, 3/66. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per Oversize
Verdict against Malay Roy Choudhury. Dodd Call No. XA I.31 no. 57
Marijuana Review, October - December 1968. Dodd Call No. Dodd Per
Fugs/LA Oracle/Liberation News Service October 21, 1967 (reel-to-reel recording) Dodd Call No. 1978-0002.rr1
Processing Information/Conservation
2012-0072 electronic files stabilized, 1 compact disk (3 files, PDF, TIF).
- Actions and defenses Subject Source: Fast
- American literature Subject Source: Fast
- American poetry Subject Source: Fast
- Audio visual materials Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Authors and publishers Subject Source: Fast
- Beat generation Subject Source: Fast
- Civil rights Subject Source: Fast
- Civil rights demonstrations Subject Source: Fast
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Financial records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Fliers (printed matter) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Freedom of speech Subject Source: Fast
- Fuck you (Periodical). Subject Source: Local sources
- Galley proofs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Illustrations (layout features). Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Literature Subject Source: Fast
- New York (State) Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- New York (inhabited place) Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- Newsletters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Newspapers Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Notebooks Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Notes Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Obscenity (Law) Subject Source: Fast
- Periodicals Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photocopies Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Poems Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Poetry Subject Source: Fast
- Poetry -- Editing Subject Source: Fast
- Poets Subject Source: Fast
- Posters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Press releases Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Publications (documents) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Publishers and publishing Subject Source: Fast
- Trials (Obscenity) Subject Source: Fast
- Twentieth century. Subject Source: Fast
- Typescripts Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- United States (nation) Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- manuscripts (document genre) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Ed Sanders Papers
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Archives & Special Collections staff
- Date
- 2005 August
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Archives and Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library Repository
University of Connecticut Library
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs Connecticut 06269-1205 USA US
860-486-2524
archives@uconn.edu
