Irving Rosenthal papers, ca. 1950-1996

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Rosenthal, Irving, 1930-
Abstract:
The papers document Irving Rosenthal's life from his childhood onwards, containing outgoing correspondence, doctoral dissertation materials, manuscript materials, and detailed documentation of his own novel, Sheeper. There are materials relating to his editorship of The Chicago Review and Big Table, his trip to Cuba in 1961, and his life in Tangier from 1962-1964. Also included are manuscripts by, and correspondence with, William Burroughs, Edward Dahlberg, Herbert Huncke, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Smith. Other significant figures featured in the collection include Paul Bowles, Paul Carroll, Gregory Corso, Elsa Dorfman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, George Harris III, Jack Kerouac, Eila Kokkinen, Robert LaVigne, Phillip Lamantia, Edward Marshall, Michael McClure, Peter Orlovsky, Ed Sanders, Philip Whalen, and John Wieners.
Extent:
ca. 23 linear ft. (32 manuscript boxes, 1 half box, 7 flat boxes, 1 tube)
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

Irving Rosenthal papers, M1550. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, typescripts, photographs, artwork, periodicals, and ephemera. Folder numbers consist of the "box number.folder number," e.g. "1.12."

Biographical / historical:

Irving Rosenthal was born in San Francisco on October 9, 1930. He attended Pomona College and then the University of Chicago, where he did graduate work in human development.

In the late 1950s, Rosenthal became editor of The Chicago Review and succeeded in publishing poetry by Jack Kerouac, prose by Edward Dahlberg, and the first parts of William Burroughs's Naked Lunch before the University of Chicago censored his editorial practice. After resigning from The Chicago Review, he moved to New York and started Big Table magazine with the help of a colleague. Its first issue included the entire contents of the suppressed 1959 winter edition of The Chicago Review. Although Big Table survived only briefly, its few issues strengthened Rosenthal's connection to both the Dahlberg circle and the Beats.

Living in New York, Rosenthal developed particularly close relationships with Allen Ginsberg, Hubert Huncke, and other figures in the Beat movement. He subsequently visited Burroughs and Paul Bowles in Tangier and lived there from 1962 to1964. During this period he also began work on a novel, Sheeper, which was later published by Grove Press in 1967. Returning to New York, Rosenthal was drawn into the orbit of the experimental film maker, Jack Smith, and appeared in Flaming Creatures and No President.

In 1967 Rosenthal moved back to San Francisco with George Harris, founder of the Cockettes, to start the Kaliflower commune, which continues to exist and where he still lives.

Acquisition information:
This collection was purchased by Stanford University, Special Collections in December 2006. Accession 2005-126
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in FOUR series:

Series I. Personal

Series II. Correspondence

Series III. Miscellaneous correspondence

Series IV. Professional

Physical location:
Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research, except half box 40, which is closed until 01/01/2014; materials must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.

Preferred citation:

Irving Rosenthal papers, M1550. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Website