Irving Rosenthal papers, ca. 1950-1996

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Summary

Creators:
Rosenthal, Irving, 1930-
Abstract:
The collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, typescripts, photographs, artwork, periodicals, and ephemera relating to the life and publishing career of Irving Rosenthal (1930-2022).
Extent:
23 Linear Feet ca. 23 linear ft. (32 manuscript boxes, 1 half box, 7 flat boxes, 1 tube)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], Irving Rosenthal papers (M1550). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

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 to 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. The bulk of the materials in this collection are from Rosenthal's life prior to his return to San Francisco in 1967.

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, where he lived until his death on April 22, 2022.

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:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged at least three business days in advance.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 3 business days in advance of intended use.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], Irving Rosenthal papers (M1550). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, 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
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