Guide to the Richard Rodriguez Papers M2409
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
2019
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Richard Rodriguez papers
Creator:
Rodriguez, Richard, 1944-
Identifier/Call Number: M2409
Physical Description:
17 Linear Feet
(34 boxes)
Physical Description:
.008 gigabyte(s)
Date (inclusive): 1930s-2018
Date (bulk): 1980s-1990s
Abstract: Richard Rodriguez is an American writer known for his autobiographical books, essays and journalism. His papers contain material
related to his writing, including notes, drafts, early essays, galleys, and reviews. The collection also includes interviews,
speech transcripts, news clippings, correspondence, photographs, and personal ephemera.
Preferred Citation
Richard Rodriguez papers (M2409). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, California.
Conditions Governing Use
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual & digital
materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased, 2018. Accession 2018-432.
Scope and Contents
Richard Rodriguez is an American writer known for his autobiographical books, essays and journalism. Rodriguez was born on
July 31, 1944 into a Mexican immigrant family and grew up in Sacramento, California. He received a B.A.in English from Stanford
University in 1967, an M.A. from Columbia University in 1969, and also studied at at the University of California, Berkeley,
and the Warburg Institute in London. Rodriguez's books include Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez (1982),
a collection of autobiographical essays; Mexico's Children (1990); Days of Obligation: An Argument With My Mexican Father
(1992), which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; Brown: The Last Discovery of America (2002); and Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography
(2013). In addition he has been a writer and contributing editor to newspapers, journals and magazines, including Harpers
and the Los Angeles Times, appeared frequently on PBS NewsHour, and has also been a teacher and educational consultant.
The Rodriguez papers largely consists of material related to his writing, including notes, drafts, early essays, galleys,
and reviews. The collection also includes interviews, speech transcripts, news clippings, correspondence, photographs, and
personal ephemera. Series 13 contains material related to San Francisco booksellers Tillman Place Bookshop. Rodriguez has
written detailed remarks about his collection; hard copies are filed in the collection at the start of each series, and a
digital version is also available (note that box and folder numbers have changed, however).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Journalism -- United States.
Mexican American literature
Authors, American -- 20th century
Series 1. Hunger of Memory (1982)
Box 1, folder 6
"Going Home Again" essay, American Scholar
Winter 1974
Box 2, folder 1
Review by Paul Zweig in New York Times
1982-02-28
Box 2, folder 3
Fragment incorporated into "Profession" chapter
Box 2, folder 4
"The Achievement of Desire" essay in College English v.40 n.3
1978-11
Box 2, folder 5
"Beyond the Minority Myth" essay from Change magazine [photocopy]
1978-09
Box 2, folder 6
"Aria" essay from American Scholar v.50 n.1
Winter 1980-1981
Box 2, folder 8
Funk & Wagnall's 1983 yearbook entry
Box 2, folder 11
Drafts - annotated typescripts & photocopies
Box 3, folder 1-4
Drafts - annotated typescripts & photocopies
Box 3, Folder 5
Presentation copy by David Godine
Box 4, folder 1
Audio version (Tantor 5 CD set, sealed)
2018
Box 4, folder 2
Review by Martha Bayles, The Public Interest no.68
Summer 1982
Box 4, folder 3
Dissertation by Awaz Dehkani at the Université de Versailles
2002
Box 4, folder 4
Photograph by Matthew Black, suggested for paperback cover
Box 4, folder 5
"Aria" French translation, Extrait de Communications no.43
1986
Box 4, folder 6
Student interview [email print-out]
2018
Series 2. Days of Obligation: An Argument with my Mexican Father (1993)
Box 5, folder 3
Miscellaneous
Scope and Contents
Black Oak Bookstore reprint of excerpts for reading ; mock-up of cover ; press release ; photo of launch event at NYPL
Box 5, folder 5
"Late Victorians" essay & related
Scope and Contents
Includes catalog of SFMOMA "Visionary San Francisco" show with piece inspired by essay, along with audiocassette of NPR program
and New York Times review of exhibition.
Box 5, folder 6
"Proofs" essay
Scope and Contents
Also includes essay as published in
To the Promised Land.
Box 5, folder 7
Antecedent essays - published & unpublished
Box 6, folder 1
Author's copy used for readings
Box 6, folder 2
Manuscript copy with editorial annotations
Box 6, folder 3
"In Athens Once," "Irish Catholic" essays
Box 6, folder 4
"Nothing Lasts a Hundred Years" essay, several versions
Box 6, folder 5
"India" essay, several versions including Harpers November 1991
Box 7, folder 1
"The Missions" early versions of chapter
Box 7, folder 2
Mark Adamo "Late Victorians"
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, sound recordings, etc. from composer who set lines from the essay to music.
Box 7, folder 3
"the Head of Joaquin Murrieta" in California Magazine 1985 ; "Across the Borders of History" in Harpers 1987
Box 7, folder 4
Serialization of "India" & "Irish Catholic"
Box 7, folder 5
"Late Victorians" fragment & photo
Box 7, folder 6
Father Tom Lucas correspondence
Series 3. Brown: The Last Discovery of America (2002)
Box 8, folder 1
"Gone West" early version
Box 8, folder 3
"The Great Brown World" lecture (videocasette)
2003-04-07
Box 9, folder 3
Interviews - 4 audiocassettes
Box 9, folder 4
Photos of Leontyne Price as Cleopatra [photocopies]
Box 9, folder 5
Reference material for "The Prince & I," mostly related to Timm Williams aka Prince Lightfoot
Box 9, folder 6
Proposed book jacket designs
Box 9, folder 7
Author's copies with notes for readings
Box 9, folder 9
"Nixon's Children" early version
Box 34
photo album for book release party
Box 22, folder 6
Color copies of portraits for Brown cover
Series 4. Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography (2013)
Box 10, folder 1
Final galley with editorial annotations
Box 10, folder 6
"Jerusalem & The Desert" early versions
Box 10, folder 7
Jerusalem trip notes, etc.
Box 11, folder 1
Material cut from Harpers Jerusalem article
Box 11, folder 2
"The True Cross" versions & notes
Box 11, folder 3
"Tour de France" version published in Kenyon Review
Box 11, folder 4
"Saint Cesar of Delano" versions
Box 11, folder 5
"Disappointment" version published in California (UC Berkeley Alumni magazine)
Box 11, folder 6
"Final Edition" published & unpublished versions, notes
Box 11, folder 7
"The Three Ecologies of the Holy Desert" notes
Box 11, folder 8
Book jacket & proposed images
Box 12, folder 1
Serializations, interviews & articles
Box 12, folder 3
Photo album - launch party
Box 14, Folder 1
Painting by David Ligare in honor of publication of Darling
Series 5. Journalism: Newspapers and Television
Box 12, folder 4-5
Op-eds, short pieces, reprints
Box 13, folder 5
BBC "Frontiers" series - "Night and Day" episode material & videocassette
Box 14, folder 3
PBS Newshour "No Time At All" videocassette
2006-09-11
Box 14, folder 5
"Los Angeles Now" DVD (RR narration)
2004
Box 14, folder 8
"New Mexican American Middle Class" interviews for LA Times piece
Series 6. Correspondence
Scope and Contents
Much of the correspondence consists of printed-out email.
Box 15, folder 1
Helen Rodriguez (younger sister)
Box 16, folder 3
Victoria Rodriguez (mother) letter & clippings
Box 16, folder 5
Days of Obligation readers
Box 16, folder 8
Josefina Rodriguez Morales (aunt) letters & poems
Box 17, folder 1
Mark Scott ; George Borchardt ; Bill Goodman ; Dave Godine
Box 17, folder 2
Brandt & Brandt ; David Lull ; Alberto Huerta, S. J.
Box 17, folder 3
Gerald Haslam ; Bill Hayes ; Joe Loya
Box 17, folder 6
David Ligare ; Garret Keizer
Series 7. Various Essays and Introductions for Books
Box 18, folder 4
Ritual ; What Did Jesus Ask?
Box 18, folder 6
Juno HD Vision Remote System 180
Box 18, folder 7
Atheism is Wasted on the Nonbeliever (in Why Believe In God?)
Box 18, folder 9
Black, White, and Chaotic Color
Box 18, folder 10
The New Geography of North America
Box 18, folder 12
Night and Day (from Frontiers) ; Introduction to Joe Loya Book
Box 18, folder 14
The Invention of Adolescence (in Fast Forward)
Box 19, folder 1
Tintin en Californie ; Cape of Good Hope ; The Promised Land ; The River
Box 19, folder 2
Ralph Lauren's Teepee (in Crossing the Frontier)
Box 19, folder 3
Foreward to American Soul
Box 19, folder 5
Mexicans in America ; Pade Mestizo (in First Things)
Box 19, folder 6
An Hispanic Fourth of July ; What Is An American Education ; Prose Analysis - Children pf a Marriage
Box 19, folder 7
The Eye of the Gull (from Martin Ramirez, The Last Works)
Series 8. Interviews With or Mentions or Appraisals in Books
Box 19, folder 8-9
Interviews - newspapers & magazines
Box 20, folder 5
WorldCat search on theses & dissertations on RR
Box 21
A/V Media
Scope and Contents
VHS videos:
"Markings" interview conducted in Ontario, 1994
"Now" with Bill Moyers, 2/14/2003
"Think Tank" Wisconsin Public Radio, 6/6/2002
Creighton University interview with Alberto Huerta, S.J.
La Plaza 2411, Conversations with Ilan Stavans 4/16/2002
C-Span, RR Original
Other Media:
Paula Gordon interview (audiocassette)
Commentary on THE CALL OF THE WILD for the National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read" (sealed CD)
Saroyan (Valley Public Television (DVD-R)
unidentified audiocassette in Wisconsin Public Radio envelope
Box 29
Books including, about or inscribed to RR
Series 9. Personal / Photographs / Miscellany
Box 22, folder 1
Clay Street floorplan ; Michael Goldberg drawing of RR bedroom 1986 ; DNA test ; Gleeson Library Keepsake
Box 22, folder 2
White House Invitation (Clinton) & Photo (Bush)
Box 22, folder 3
Graduate School Comprehensive Exam grade
1972
Box 22, folder 4
Bishop Armstrong High School "Crest" Yearbook
1962
Box 22, folder 8
Photographs, etc. - Family
Box 22, folder 9-10
Artwork owned by RR (images, correspondence, etc.)
Box 23
Books owned by RR [unfoldered]
Box 33
Cover proofs for Vista magazine
Box 33
Childhood scrapbook
1946-1962
Series 11. Magazines with RR articles
Box 24, folder 1
1980s
Scope and Contents
"Crossing the Borders" page 113, NEW WEST, September 1981.
"Last Chants," page 11, CALIFORNIA LIVING MAGAZINE, February 5, 1984.
"The Mexicans Among Us," page 171, READER'S DIGEST, March, 1986.
"S.I.N. IS IN," page 78, CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE, April, 1986.
"Evangelicos," page 26, IMAGE Magazine, October, 1986.
"San Francisco vs. Los Angeles," page 16, IMAGE Magazine, April, 1987.
"Reflections on the Flatland," page 63, CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE May 1987.
"Threads of Mercy," page 22, IMAGE Magazine, September, 1987.
"What Is An American Education?" page 44, DESIGN FOR ARTS IN EDUCATION, November, 1987.
"Essay," page 84, (with original manuscript), TIME Magazine, July, 1988.
"Oh, Ireland," page 136, WILSON QUARTERLY, January, 1989.
"Essay: A World of Difference," Supplement to the New York TIMES, page 15, April, 1989.
Box 24, folder 2
1990s
Scope and Contents
"La Raza Cosmica," page 47, NEW PERSPECTIVES QUARTERLY, Winter, 1991.
"L.A. Watching the Riots," page 18, TV GUIDE, May 23, 1992.
"The Chinese In All of Us," page 14, FORUM: MAGAZINE OF THE FLORIDA HUMANITIES COUNCIL, Spring, 1992.
"Gangstas," page 46, MOTHER JONES, January, 1994.
"Prophets without Papers," page 23, HARPERS Magazine, April, 1995.
"Illegal Immigrants," page 61, NEW PERSEPCTIVES QUARTERLY, Winter, 1995.
"Identity Crisis," page 31, US/MEXICO QUARTERLY, November 1996.
"A Community of Dreams," page 9, THE JOURNAL FOR THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, Winter, 1996.
"Growing Up Old," page 60. U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT April 1997.
Box 24, folder 3
2000s
Scope and Contents
"The New Geography of North America," page 19, WOODROW WILSON/LETRES LIBRES, Mexico Institute, 2005.
"Brown is the New Black," page 8, TABLET, January 2009.
"Our Daily Bread," page 89, SAVEUR Magazine, October, 2010.
"St. Cesar of Delano," page 16, WILSON QUARTERLY, Winter, 2010.
"Because" (transcription of a talk given at Boston College), page 26, Boston College Magazine, Spring 2013.
"Sign of the Times," (originally titled "Glittering Angel"), page 55, T Magazine, October 2014. (Including editorial correspondence
with Emily Stokes and an earlier version of the piece.)
Box 25, folder 1
Clippings & submissions
Scope and Contents
AARP (paid essay) for advertising supplement on aging.
"Jogging the Mind," page 3, U.C. Alumni MAGAZINE, 1975.
"English Spoken Here," ADVERTISING AGE, Feb. 1993.
"The Flatterer," page 81, BUZZ MAGAZINE, 1993.
"Inside the Mexican-American Middle Class," L.A. TIMES MAGAZINE, Nov. 1988.
"Mexicans in America," CATO UNBOUND online magazine, August 14, 2006.
"The Writing Life," Washington POST BOOK REVIEW, March 24, 2002.
"The Gringo Pays and Mexico Gets Into Bed," The OBSERVER, Feb. 5, 1995.
"Padre Mestizo" (submitted to FIRST THINGS), October 16, 2017
"Mexico, Mexico," submitted to the NYTimes Magazine. Rejected. 7/19/88
Series 13. Tillman Place Bookshop
Scope and Contents
Rodriguez's partner Jim Armistead worked at San Francisco bookstore Tillman Place Bookshop and inherited the store upon the
death of owner Charlotte Newbegin in 1989. Charlotte opened Tillman Place in 1956 following the death of her husband John
J. Newbegin, Jr., who had run his father's Newbegin's Book Shop. The store closed in 1999.
This series contains ephemera and photographs from the store (and also the Newbegin), as well as personal material from the
Newbegins.
Box 26, folder 4
William Erik Voss correspondence & designs
Box 26, folder 5
Clippings mostly re: closing
Box 26, folder 6
Correspondence, etc.
Scope and Contents
Includes postcards and notes from Edward Dickey, Ernest Gann, M.F.K. Fisher, James Marshall, John McCormick, as well as essays
by Jan Morris, a French restaurant menu, and several bookplates signed by Julia Child.
Box 26, folder 10
Tillman Place/Newbegin Book Store ephemera
Scope and Contents
Includes stamp, small decal, photocopy of bookstore map circa 1930s, bookmark, employee resignation letter 1953, Newbegin's
Book Shop advertisement & Catalog of Important Books Pertaining to California & The West, list of maps in stock 1951, list
of Bancroft's Works volumes ("please don't lose this list"), correspondence re: Society of California Pioneers Quarterlies
(addressed to J.J. Newbegin 1945), etc.
Box 27, folder 1
Tillman Place photographs
Box 27, folder 2
Felix (store daschund) photos & clippings
Box 27, folder 3
Clippings & advertisements
Box 27, folder 4
Miscellaneous printed items & clippings
Box 27, folder 5
Caroline Guild "Rainbow in Tahiti" (signed copy with enclosed note) & photograph
Related Materials
There is also a photograph & clipping of Guild with the Newbegins in folder 8, "Photographs - Newbegins"
Box 27, folder 6
Stella Patri photographs, etc.
Box 28
Address books - bookstore & Charlotte Newbegin
Box 28
"Short book" (inventory binder)
Box 28
Sample book from publishers' representative
Box 28
Charlotte Newbegin diaries
1968, 1969, 1970, 1979-1983
Box 33
Large photographs by Rick Rocamora and others
Box 33
Framed artwork by Leo Von Heygendorff