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Beowulf Thorne papers
2003-10  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
Beowulf Thorne (Jack Henry Foster) was a political activist on issues affecting PWAs (people with AIDS). He was one of the founders, with Tom Shearer, of the humor magazine, Diseased Pariah News (DPN). He used his skills as a writer, editor, and graphic artist on the magazine. The collection documents the operations, both commercial and artistic of DPN, as well as the work of Oakland's Condom Resource Center.
Background
Beowulf Thorne (born Jack Henry Foster) was born in San Diego on November 6, 1964. He attended the University of California, Santa Cruz. A political activist regarding issues affecting PWAs (People with AIDS), he was one of the founders, along with Tom Shearer, of the PWA humor magazine Diseased Pariah News (DPN). He used both his skills as a writer-editor and as a graphic artist in creating and publishing DPN. A total of eleven issues of Diseased Pariah News were published from 1990 to 1999. Beowulf Thorne passed away from complications relating to AIDS on May 8, 1999, the second co-founder to pass away from AIDS (Tom Shearer passed away after the second issue of DPN was published). Thorne was memorialized in the final issue of DPN in an irreverently titled piece of which he would have approved: "Dang! Our Founder and Guiding Light Died."
Extent
4.0 linear feet (2 manuscript boxes, 2 cartons, 1 oversized box)
Restrictions
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
Availability
Collection is open for research.