Mark O'Brien Papers, 1968-1999, n.d.
Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- O'Brien, Mark, 1949-1999
- Abstract:
- Consists of the body of O'Brien's professional work as a poet and journalist. The papers include unpublished and published poems, books, articles, short stories, and speeches, as well as O'Brien's undergraduate and graduate school assignments.
- Extent:
- Number of containers: 6 boxes, 1 oversize folder Linear feet: 2.5 2 digital objects
- Language:
- English
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Mark O'Brien Papers, 1968-1999, consist of the body of O'Brien's professional work as a poet and journalist. The papers include unpublished and published poems, books, articles, short stories, and speeches, as well as O'Brien's undergraduate and graduate school assignments.
O'Brien contracted poliomyelitis when he was six years old and relied on an iron lung to help him breathe for much of the rest of his life. He strove to live life on his own terms, attending the University of California, Berkeley and earning a bachelor's degree in English. O'Brien attended U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism for a year but did not complete a degree. After leaving the School of Journalism, O'Brien worked as a journalist and poet. Because O'Brien could not use his hands, his drafts are typescripts (he could type using a mouth stick). Some of his work was dictated; some of his school assignments were transcribed by note takers and attendants.
O'Brien's poetry demonstrates a wide range of subject matter, tone, and form. His poems range from explorations of the most personal issues of his own life, to musings about baseball and spoofs of his favorite television shows. He also experimented with a variety of poetic forms: sonnets, haiku, free verse, and limericks are represented in his work.
O'Brien's prose also covers a broad range of subject matter, tone, and form. Early in his career he experimented with writing a political novel, The Contender; in 1997, he finished his autobiography, How I Became a Human Being. O'Brien's articles include some of his journalistic work, including his interview with Stephen Hawking and his ground breaking account drawn from his own experience, "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate." His short stories range from fictionalized autobiography to science fiction. O'Brien's speeches include the eulogy he wrote for his mother, the speech he gave for the English Department commencement at U.C. Berkeley in 1997, and a speech he gave to the employees at the law firm of Littler, Mendelson (where his brother Kenneth is an attorney) after "Breathing Lessons," the short documentary film about his life, won the Academy Award in 1997. O'Brien also wrote reviews of books, journals, and products.
O'Brien's early beginnings as a writer can be traced through his work at California State University, Hayward and U.C. Berkeley. Some of the themes he explored in his school assignments he continued to develop as a professional writer. O'Brien's life and the meaning he held for others is amply demonstrated by the eulogies written by his brother, Kenneth, and film maker Jessica Yu, director of "Breathing Lessons."
O'Brien's papers do not include records from his personal life, such as correspondence or records from his childhood and family, although the autobiographical nature of some of his writings does give much information about his personal life. O'Brien is remembered not only as a writer of great talent but also as an inspiration to disabled people seeking to lead independent lives.
- Biographical / historical:
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Date Event 1949 Born to Helen Agnes Kelly and Walter O'Brien, Boston, Mass. 1951 Brother Kenneth born. 1953 Sister Karen born. 1955 Contracts poliomyelitis and is comatose for thirty days. Spends the next two years in Children's Hospital and Wellesley Convalescent Hospital. 1961 Karen dies of pneumonia. 1963 Has spinal fusion surgery. Sister Rachel born. 1966 O'Brien family moves to Sacramento, Calif. 1968 Receives high school diploma. 1976 Moves to Kaiser Hospital, Vallejo, Calif., for physical therapy in preparation for attending the University of California at Berkeley as part of the Disabled Students Program. Transfers to Fairmont Hospital in San Leandro, Calif. 1977 Begins course work at California State University, Hayward in January. 1978 Accepted to U.C. Berkeley in June. Moves into Davidson Hall, a campus dormitory. 1979 Moves to an apartment off-campus. 1980 Acquires first electric wheelchair. 1982 Graduates from U.C. Berkeley with a B.A. in English literature in June. Begins graduate studies at U.C. Berkeley's School of Journalism. Publishes first article, "How I Became A Human Being," in CoEvolution Quarterly. 1983 Leaves graduate school. Begins professional career as a journalist and poet. O'Brien writes for the Pacific News Service and contributes to CoEvolution Quarterly (which later becomes Whole Earth Review), The Disability Rag,The Fessenden Review,Frisko,Margin,Mouth: the voice of disability,San Francisco Chronicle,San Francisco Examiner, and The Sun, among others. 1988-1993 Receives grants from the Ingram Merrill Foundation; concentrates on writing poetry. 1990 Publishes first edition of Breathing: Poems by Mark O'Brien. 1994 Cover story of the July 31 Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine is devoted to O'Brien. Helen O'Brien dies in September. 1995 Works with documentary film maker Jessica Yu. The film, "Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien," premieres in December. 1996 Berkeley City Council declares Mark O'Brien Day on August 3. 1997 "Breathing Lessons" wins an Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Best Documentary Short Subject in March. O'Brien delivers commencement speech for U.C. Berkeley's Department of English in May. 1999 Dies in his home in Berkeley on July 4, from complications of bronchitis. - Acquisition information:
- The Mark O'Brien Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Mark O'Brien in increments over the period of April 1998 through March 1999. Additional materials were received in March 2000.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
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University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481