Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Courtot, Martha
- Abstract:
- Martha Courtot (1941-2000) was a working-class, lesbian feminist poet, essayist, intellectual and activist whose writings were published in over 40 journals and anthologies. Her writings largely centered around explorations of lesbian identity, classism, fatness, motherhood, sexism, and nature. The majority of the collection consists of Courtot’s poetry, as well as other writing, including journals, essays, and novels.
- Extent:
- 10 linear feet (4 cartons, 10 manuscript boxes)
- Language:
- Preferred citation:
-
Martha Courtot papers. GLBT Historical Society
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The majority of the collection consists of Courtot’s poetry, as well as other writing, including journals, essays, and novels. The poetry collection includes poems published in journals, anthologies, newsletters, three published collections of Courtot’s poetry, several binders of both published and unpublished poetry, manuscript drafts, notes, and edits. Other writing in the collection includes essays, critical writing, journalism, novels, and screenplays. The creative writing includes at least two novels and a screenplay. There are several essays written by Courtot during her time at Sonoma State University included in the collection. There are several personal journals that range from 1975 to 2000. The collection also includes a few photographs and personal/professional records. GSSO linked terms: http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_000381; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_008492; http://purl.bioontology.org/ontology/MESH/D008091; http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/GSSO_002229; http://bioportal.bioontology.org/ontologies/MESH/D019497
- Biographical / historical:
-
Martha Courtot was a working-class, lesbian feminist poet, essayist, intellectual and activist whose writings were published in over 40 journals and anthologies. Courtot was born on August 18, 1941 in Cincinnati, OH to a working-class, Catholic family. Her mother operated a beauty shop and her father worked as a taxi cab driver before his passing when Courtot was 10 years old. She spent her childhood as an avid reader and learner, but by her high school years, Courtot realized she would not be able to afford college. Upon graduating, she saved up enough money to move to New York City, seeking to escape the limited work options and deep-seeded racism of her hometown. In the early 1960’s, Courtot met Bob Lawton and the pair began a serious relationship. Between 1964-1971, they welcomed three daughters, married, and purchased a house near Englewood, New Jersey. During this time, Courtout lived as a suburban housewife, caring for her daughters and experiencing middle-class comforts for the first time in her life, but feeling alienated from herself in the process. In attempts to mitigate her depression and feelings of disconnection, she began her associates degree at a local college and published her first poems in two small poetry magazines. The success she experienced in college coupled with her growing discontent in multiple areas of life led to Courtot’s separation from Lawton in 1973. The couple divorced in 1975 and Courtot began life as a full time student and working mother, periodically swapping custody with her ex-husband over the course of their daughters’ childhoods. After graduating with a BA in Sociology from Seton Hall University in 1976, Courtout got involved in “A Woman’s Place,” a mountain retreat collective for women in life transitions located in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Immersed in the women’s community, Courtot came out as a lesbian and began a short-lived relationship with a woman named Nancy. Courtot spent the next few years repeatedly moving throughout the US as she weathered bouts of poverty and depression. By the late 1970’s, she settled in Sonoma County, which became her home for the following decades of her life. From 1978-1988, Courtot worked providing services for seniors through the Council on Aging of Sonoma County. She received her MA in English from Sonoma State University in 1987 with Presidential Scholar Award honors. She wrote a regular column for the Sonoma County Women’s publication Women’s Voices from 1986-2000, was a founder of Lesbian Voters Action Caucus (LVAC), and was a founding member of Fat Chance, a fat women's trapeze performance group. Continuously building upon the work she began in the early 1970’s, Courtot had numerous works of poetry, prose, and essays published in journals, literary magazines, periodicals and anthologies. She additionally authored five of her own self-published and small press poetry collections, participated in multiple lesbian writers groups, and regularly read works at women’s bookstores throughout the Bay Area. As evidenced in her published writings as well as her unpublished correspondence, notes and journal entries, Courtot spent decades of life deeply reflecting on the ways racism, classism, sexism, fat oppression, sexuality, religion, motherhood and colonialism shaped her life and the world around her. In 1988, Courtot met Reverend Cathy Bohrman and the pair began a 12 year relationship that lasted until Courtot’s death. Around this same time, Courtot became disabled due to diabetes and other chronic illnesses that greatly impacted her daily functioning. In January of 2000, Courtot was diagnosed with end-stage NASH (Nonalcoholic Steato-Hepatitis), leading to her death on April 25, 2000. After her passing, friends and family of Courtot published a retrospective collection of her writings titled, The Bird Escapes.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Cynthia McCabe on January 3, 2004. Gift of Jackie Thomason on August 13, 2005.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Preferred citation:
-
Martha Courtot papers. GLBT Historical Society
- Location of this collection:
-
989 Market Street, Lower LevelSan Francisco, CA 94103, US
- Contact:
- (415) 777-5455