Marxist Perspectives Records, 1965-1992
Collection context
- Creator:
- Cliomar Corp. Marxist Perspectives
- Abstract:
- Marxist Perspectives was an academic journal that analyzed society and history using a Marxist intellectual framework and featured the work of prominent left-wing academics and thinkers. The collection includes a full run of the journal (1978-1980), correspondence, annotated articles, documentation regarding fundraising, the journal's internal newsletter, and media coverage from other publications. The correspondence documents debates about articles, editorial decisions, submissions, funding, and organizational structure. The collection also contains materials documenting the earlier activism of collaborators, including documentation of the Committee on Free Speech which defended Rutgers University professor Eugene Genovese (later the editor of Marxist Perspectives) after he made controversial statements about the Viet Nam War.
- Extent:
- 2 linear feet (2 record cartons)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
The collection documents the prehistory, establishment, activities, and dissolution of the short-lived academic journal Marxist Perspectives. The collection includes a full run of the journal (1978-1980), correspondence, annotated articles, documentation regarding fundraising, the journal's internal newsletter, and media coverage from other publications. The correspondence documents political and practical debates, editorial decisions, submissions, funding, and organizational structure.
The portions of the collection that had been held by Eric Foner (History Editor), Alice Kessler-Harris (Contributing Editor), and Eugene Lieber (Manuscripts Coordinator/Managing Editor) document the activities of the journal itself from its inception to demise. The donation by Jacques Marchand (Publisher) documents the relationships of the magazine contributors before the establishment of the magazine. These materials include correspondence, media coverage, and administrative documentation from Marchand's involvement with the Committee on Free Speech at Rutgers University, which defended Professor Eugene Genovese (later the editor of Marxist Perspectives) for controversial remarks he made about the Vietnam War in 1965. The collection also contains correspondence and documentation supporting the organization of the Socialist Scholars Conference in 1969.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Marxist Perspectives was an academic journal that analyzed society and history using a Marxist intellectual framework, and featured the work of many prominent left-wing academics and thinkers. The quarterly, edited by Eugene Genovese, ran from 1978 to 1980, before succumbing to internal conflicts. During the run, the magazine strove to create an intellectual forum free of the factionalism that divided the left, and it also included a section called "From the Other Shore" that featured the work of non-Marxists.
Many of the later contributors to Marxist Perspectives had previously been involved in other radical left activities within the scholarly community. At an April 1965 teach-in, Eugene Genovese, then a professor at Rutgers University, made a comment that he would welcome a Viet Cong victory in the Viet Nam War. The statement and the subsequent accusations of a dangerous Marxist presence at Rutgers became a major issue in the 1965 New Jersey gubernatorial election. Jacques Marchand (Marxist Perspectives publisher and later a publisher of Mother Jones) was a Rutgers graduate student at the time and became the chairman of the Committee for Free Speech, which sprang up in the wake of the controversy to argue for academic freedom at Rutgers. Marchand and other contributors were also involved in organizing the Socialist Scholars Conference held at Hofstra University in 1969.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
- Terms of access:
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
- Preferred citation:
-
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Marxist Perspectives records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu