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Beth Joselow literary papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS2242

Collection Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence, drafts of poetry, prose, and plays, fliers, journals, magazines, and two audio cassettes. The collection comprises the literary files of author Beth Joselow and reflects her interactions with many poets in the Washington DC area for more than 30 years. The collection includes correspondence and magazines related to Mass Transit and other works related to the Avant Garde poetry movement in Washington, D.C. including the periodicals Mass Transit, Dog City and Everybody's Ex-Lovers. Many local poets are represented in this collection either their published works or in correspondence and other literary files. These poets include among others Doug Lang, Joan Retallack, P. Inman, Doug Lang, Michael Lally, Tina Darragh, Terence Winch, and Phyllis Rosenzweig. In addition to published journals and magazines that include Beth's work, the collection contains numerous folders of drafts of poems, prose, and plays some of which may never have been published at least not in that form.

The books that arrived with this collection including chapbooks published by SOS books and Some of Us Press have been added to the Special Collections' book collection. These materials are accessible through the book catalog. The Special Collections' book collection does not circulate and may only be used in the Special Collections' reading room.

Purchased from Beth Joselow in 2008, (Accession 2007.083 ).

Dates

  • 1968-2001

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Some records may be restricted.

Restrictions on Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Historical or Biographical Note

Poet and writer Beth Baruch Joselow was born in Washington and raised in Baltimore. The city of Baltimore and the people Beth knew while growing up have heavily influenced her poetry, particularly her early work. She began writing poetry seriously in her 20s. Having settled in Washington in 1970-, Beth was part of the Mass Transit Poets in Washington in the early 1970s. This Dupont Circle poetry group held weekly readings, produced five issues of Mass Transit, a poetry magazine, and led to the establishment of Some Of Us Press, which published chapbooks by Michael Lally, Terence Winch, Tim Dlugos, Lynne Dreyer and others. Beth has published poetry, prose and plays, and her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. She often has collaborated with artists and musicians, in this country and in Russia. Beth is the author of six books of poetry,: Ice Fishing (1974), Gypsies (1978), The April Wars (1983) Broad Daylight (1989). Excontemporary (,1993) , and Begin at Once (2007). Her chapbook, : Self Regard, was published by Chax Press in Tucson, AZ in 2000. She is also the author of Writing Without the Muse, a book of creative writing exercises. Beth has been awarded five grants for creative writing from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Her book, Life Lessons: 50 Things I Learned from My Divorce was published by Avon Books in 1994. Beth was an associate professor teaching writing and liberal studies at The Corcoran School of Art [from 1987 to 2004]. In addition to her Masters in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins she also earned a M.S. degree in Clinical Community Counseling. Beth has a psychotherapy practice in Lewes, Delaware.

Extent

10 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains correspondence, drafts, and published poems, plays, and prose written by poet and writer Beth Joselow. The collection dates from 1968-2001. Having settled in Washington in 1970-, Beth was part of the Mass Transit Poets in Washington in the early 1970s. This Dupont Circle poetry group held weekly readings, produced five issues of Mass Transit, a poetry magazine, and led to the establishment of Some Of Us Press, which published chapbooks by Michael Lally, Terence Winch, Tim Dlugos, Lynne Dreyer and others.

Collection Organization

Organized into four series: Correspondence, Literary files, Drafts, and Periodicals.

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Beth Joselow in 2008(Accession 2008.083)

Title
Preliminary Guide to the Beth Joselow literary papers, 1968-2001
Status
Completed
Author
Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University
Date
2007
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Repository

Contact:
2130 H Street NW
Washington 20052 United States of America