Literature

Dates: 1933-1999. Size: 8 linear feet; 6 photographs. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Authors and Publishing Collection. This collection includes copies, often multiple editions/printings, of Algren’s works, from his first short story entitled “So Help Me,” published in Story in 1933 to The Devil’s Stocking, published posthumously in 1983. The collection contains an array of newspaper articles, interviews, bookdealer catalogs, reviews and photographs. The NAC also includes articles and reviews of Algren’s work by other writers and critics.  [Finding aid]

Dates: 1918-2010. Size: 336 linear feet. Accession #2003/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Professor emeritus at City Colleges of Chicago, Timuel Black is a prominent historian, author, human rights activist and expert on Chicago’s African American history. During the 1960s, he was president of the Negro American Labor Council, Chicago Chapter  and organizer of Chicago participation in the 1963 March on Washington. Black was active in more than 100 organizations over seven decades. The collection includes extensive organizational files, correspondence, manuscripts, subject files, oral histories, audiovisual materials, photographs and memorabilia. Additional papers relating to the life and work of his children, Timuel Kerrigan Black (1963-1993) and Ermetra Black-Thomas, were accessioned in 2007. Selected items from the collection are available online in the Timuel D. Black Jr. Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1942-1985. Size: 7 linear feet. Accession #2000/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Alice Browning was a writer, editor, educator, publisher and co-founder of the International Black Writers Conference. With Fern Gayden, she published Negro Story magazine and later launched the Browning Letter. Her papers include correspondence, manuscripts, serials, newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and memorabilia. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1939-1999. Size: 177 linear feet. Accession #1981/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. At Johnson Publishing Company, Ben Burns was executive editor of Ebony and Negro Digest magazines. He was later the editor of Sepia magazine. The papers center on Burns’ career in journalism and his authorship of a memoir, Nitty Gritty. The collection consists of correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, clippings, memorabilia and Burns’ personal library. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1890-1995. Size: 10 linear feet. Accession #1995/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Cyrus Colter was a distinguished African American novelist, short story writer, lawyer and professor. The papers include manuscripts for his novels, correspondence, photographs, clippings and memorabilia documenting Colter’s career as an author. A smaller group of materials pertains to Colter’s legal and political career and his personal life. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1878-1974. Size: 2.5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Norman Forgue was a bookmaker, typographer and founder of several private presses including At the Sign of the Gargoyle, The Black Cat Press, The Norman Press and Normandie House. The collection includes keepsakes, books and booklets, printed advertising and promotional material, greeting cards from his presses, a small selection of correspondence with Lloyd Emerson Siberell and a carbon typescript of an unpublished memoir about his youth called, Suddenly I Remember. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1883-1985. Size: 4 linear feet. Accession #2007/05. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. A founding member of the South Side Writers Group in the 1930s, Fern Gayden’s long and diverse career included leadership roles in the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the South Side Community Art Center. She co-published Negro Story magazine with Alice Browning. Her papers include family history records, correspondence, flyers and programs, photographs and audiovisual materials. Also included is information on Gayden’s hometown of Dunlap, Kansas, files from her service as a social worker and original copies of Negro Story. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1996-2006. Size: 18 linear feet. Accession #1998/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Go On Girl!, an African American book club, was the vision of three girlfriends in 1991 and has developed into a national book club with more than 25 chapters. Its mission is to expand the African American reading experience, concentrating on authors from the African diaspora. Collection includes correspondence, organizational records, uncorrected galleys and proofs, annual conferences and awards, data sheets for books read, surveys, questionnaires, newsletters and photographs. [Partially processed]

Dates: circa 1940s-2008. Size: 41 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Kenan Heise came to Chicago in 1963 to join columnist Jack Mabley at the Chicago American. His work covering the poor led to his signature “Action Line” column that began in 1965 in the Chicago American and later moved to Chicago Today and eventually to the Chicago Tribune. Kenan Heise authored over 35 books, primarily on Chicago topics, and owned Chicago Historical Bookworks in Evanston. The papers in this collection include research files and manuscript drafts for his columns and publications. [Partially Processed

Dates: 1944-2002. Size: 9 linear feet. Accession #1988/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Heritage Press, founded by Paul Breman and operated out of London from 1962 to 1975, was one of the most important publishers of black poetry of its time. Best known for virtually launching the careers of Robert Hayden, Audre Lorde and Dolores Kendrick, the press also published major works of poetry by Arna Bontemps, Waring Cuney, Fenton Johnson, Ishmael Reed and prominent members of the Black Arts Movement, including Chicagoans Conrad Kent Rivers and Ronald Fair. The archives include correspondence, manuscripts, booklets, publicity, clippings and photographs. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1940-1990. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #1999/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Deborah Holton, professor of literature at DePaul University, wrote her doctoral dissertation on “The Plays of Lorraine Hansberry: Studies in Dramatic Form.” The papers include her research notes, photocopied and original manuscript materials, photographs and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Dates: 1940-1942. Size: 5 linear feet. Accession #1942/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. The papers consist of three successive typescript drafts of Hughes’ autobiographical memoir, The Big Sea, as well as galley proofs for this book. Each of the drafts contains extensive revisions and marginalia by Hughes. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Dates: 1966-1995. Size: 3 linear feet. Accession #2001/04. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Venona Johnson’s papers include materials on the Chicago Chapter of the Girlfriends, a social and philanthropic club. Included are administrative records, chapter bylaws, financial records, clippings, conference proceedings and newsletters. The papers also contain materials from St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church, including newsletters, anniversary souvenir books and funeral programs. [Partially processed]

Dates: circa 1990-circa 2015. Size: 14 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. Files from a small publishing company that focused on Chicago and Chicagoland topics and authors. Includes correspondence, books, graphic proofs, press kits, memorabilia, posters, reviews, photographs, VHS tapes, promotional items, zip drives, thumb drives and other digital formats. Many books published by Lake Claremont Press are available in the Chicago Public Library circulating collection. [Partially processed]

Dates: 1931-2011, bulk 1984-2011. Size: 21 linear feet in 44 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Authors and Publishing Collection. Adam Langer is a novelist, journalist and playwright. His books include the novels Crossing California, The Washington Story, Ellington Boulevard and The Thieves of Manhattan, as well as the memoir My Father’s Bonus March. The collection documents Langer’s career. It contains drafts of his published and unpublished books, scripts, research notes, promotional materials, articles he wrote for the Chicago Reader and nearly a full run of Chicago-based Subnation. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1887-1999. Size: 17.5 linear feet. Accession #2004/11. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Arthur Logan, a graphic artist, singer and choirmaster, was graphic designer for the 1927-1929 “Wonder Books,” edited by Frederic H. Robb. Logan was later active in Chicago churches as a choirmaster through the 1980s. His papers include early Wendell Phillips High School yearbooks, gospel music programs, photographs, clippings, sheet music and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Dates: 1971-2001. Size: 3.5 linear feet. Accession #2001/03. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Poet, literary critic and essayist Maria Mootry was a professor at the University of Illinois-Springfield and the author of literary criticism on Gwendolyn Brooks. Her papers include original manuscripts, correspondence, conference programs and memorabilia. [Finding Aid, opens a new window]

Dates: 1939-1951. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2002/08. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. This small group of Willard Motley’s papers includes newspaper clippings, manuscripts and journal articles by Motley. Also included is significant correspondence between Motley and William P. Shenk, co-founder of Hull House literary magazine. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1922-1972. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #2010/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Chandler Owen was a writer, editor and labor activist who co-founded the radical socialist journal The Messenger with A. Philip Randolph. He later worked as managing editor of the Chicago Bee newspaper. This small group of papers includes original typescripts of several of Owen’s speeches and essays. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1961-1996. Size: 41 linear feet. Accession #1997/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. One of the first black-owned publishing companies in the United States, Path Press was founded in Chicago in 1969 by novelist Herman C. Gilbert and civil rights veteran Bennett Johnson. The company was active until 2001 and had considerable success with Gilbert’s novel, The Negotiations. The archives include published and unpublished manuscripts, correspondence, administrative records, publicity, distribution/sales files and photographs. Additional materials were accessioned relating to unpublished authors at Path Press. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1960-2014. Size 12 linear feet. Accession #2014/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Useni (Eugene) Perkins is an accomplished poet, essayist and social worker who was a leader in the Black Arts Movement. His father is artist Marion Perkins. The papers include plays, poetry and interviews by Useni Perkins as well as correspondence and photographs. [Finding Aid]

Dates: 1906-1994. Size: 56 linear feet. Accession #1980/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Charlemae Rollins served as children’s librarian at the Hall Branch of the Chicago Public Library from 1932 to 1963 and was a nationally recognized pioneer in the development of multicultural children’s literature. Her papers include correspondence, scrapbooks, clipping files, memorabilia, photographs and published and unpublished essays, as well as Rollins’ personal library. An item from this collection is available in the Library's Chicago Renaissance Digital Collection. [Finding aid]

Size: 5 linear feet. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Authors and Publishing Collection. The Carl Sandburg Collection includes published poems and writings by the famed poet in addition to clippings, photographs and other ephemera. [Unprocessed]

Dates: circa 1965-1996. Size: 1.75 linear feet, 98 videos, 44 audio albums. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections. This collection focuses on poetry activity in and around Chicago. The collection comprises manuscript material, videotapes and LP records. Hugh Schwartzberg, a poet and enthusiast, collected manuscripts of primarily local but also nationally known poets. He videotaped poets reading their work at public programs and collected LPs of internationally renowned poets and writers reading their work, or readings by well-known actors. In addition to the archival collection, there is a book collection of first edition, signed poetry volumes. [Processed]

Dates: 1961 Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1961/02. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Born in St. Louis in 1931, Herbert Simmons was one of the earliest Black crime genre writers. His protagonists fought the restrictive nature of white society toward Black men. His papers include galleys of Simmons’ novel Man Walking on Eggshells with author’s marginalia. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1957-1964. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1994/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Homer Smith’s memoir, Black Man in Red Russia, was published and promoted by Johnson Publishing Company in 1964. The collection includes an unpublished manuscript by Smith highlighting his life in Ethiopia in the mid-twentieth century. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1977-1993. Size: 1 linear foot in 2 boxes. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, Chicago Authors and Publishing Collection. Story Press publishing company operated in Chicago in the 1980s, publishing short stories. This collection documents its history through correspondence, business files, review files and copies of published books. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1953. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1958/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Thomas Calhoun Walker was born at the end of slavery in Gloucester, Virginia, and educated at Hampton Institute. He later became a lawyer and community activist. His papers consist of the typescript of his autobiography, The Honey-Pod Tree. [Finding aid]

Dates: 1996-2003. Size: 2 linear feet. Accession #2002/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Rita Coburn Whack, a novelist, television and radio producer, and on-air radio contributor, won an Emmy for writing in her documentary film, Curators of Culture: Chicago’s South Side Community Art Center, in 2005. Her papers include 41 oral history interviews and other audiovisual materials from her public radio work and from documentaries she created for public television. [Finding Aid]

Dates: 1966-2004. Size: 12 linear feet. Accession #2006/06. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Poet, librarian and cultural projects activist Alfred Woods is best known as the author of Mannish. His papers include poetry and other manuscripts, correspondence, programs, grant materials, official reports, clipping files and memorabilia. [Unprocessed]

Dates: 1935-1936. Size: 1 linear foot. Accession #1942/01. Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Collection consists of a  48-page proofed typescript draft of Wright's short story, Big Boy Leaves Home. [Processed]