Rick Shur papers, 1949-2016, bulk 1970-2003

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Series I: Personal, 1949-2016

Series I comprises materials on Shur's childhood, family, friendships, travel experiences, and creative works. Subseries I.1 includes childhood memorabilia, family records, and grade school papers. Subseries I.2 documents his senior year of high school spent studying abroad in Coatepec, Mexico, and consists mainly of letters to and from friends and family, plus ephemera from Coatepec; of particular interest is a detailed typed journal written during his time in Mexico, which Shur later re-examined and curated to document his budding awareness of his sexuality at the time. Subseries I.3 collects his adult correspondence and photographs of family and friends, as well as eight folders of notebooks containing miscellaneous notes from different areas of his life. Subseries I.4 includes his songs, poetry, music theater scripts, and other writings. Subseries I.5 includes materials relating to his friend and fellow Columbia alumnus Stephen Donaldson, founder of the Student Homophile League and prominent LGBTQ and prisoner rights activist, and includes mostly photographs and ephemera with some correspondence. Subseries I.6 consists of stuffed animals, figurines, and other assorted objects Shur collected, some of which served as props on his cable access show.

Subseries I.1: Childhood, 1949-1972

Request Box 1

Box 1 Folder 1 Early childhood papers, 1949-1966

Birth certificate, childhood medical and vaccination records, elementary school class photo, 1949 photo of parents, report cards, two issues of New York Life News (1954-1955), drawings, letter from Red Cross, certificates from summer camp, outer space posters, assorted photos, etc.

Box 1 Folder 2 Junior high and high school papers, 1965-1971

Junior high and high school commencement programs, school newspapers, Spanish Club magazine, report cards, high school diploma

Box 1 Folder 3 High school academic work, circa 1968-1971

Papers written for classes on philosophy, history, international relations, etc.

Box 1 Folder 4 Miscellaneous papers, circa 1965-1971

Correspondence, newspaper clippings, Port Washington News November 10, 1966 and June 11, 1970, photographs, lists of songs and films circa 1967-1969

Box 1 Folder 5 Theater memorabilia, circa 1964-1971

Playbills from productions, theatrical resume, clippings, etc.

Box 1 Folder 6 Activist and anti-war material, circa 1970-1971

Flyer for meeting in response to Kent State shooting, "Show Business Against the War" New York City protest flyer, form letter from Spiro Agnew, letter and "The Effects of Mass Media" essay

Box 1 Folder 7 "The Purpose of Life", circa 1970-1971

45 page typescript

Box 1 Folder 8 College Admission and Scholarship Correspondence, 1971-1972

Box 1 Folder 9-10 Local Newspapers, 1968-1970, 2 folders

Issues of The Port Mail and Port Washington News

Subseries I.2: Coatepec, Mexico, 1970-1971

Box 1 Folder 11 Typewritten Diary, 1970-1971

171 page typed diary/journal written by Shur during his time in Coatepec

Box 1 Folder 12 Correspondence: Letters from Mexico by Rick Shur to Family and Friends, 1970-1971

Box 1 Folder 13 Correspondence: Letters from Mexico by Rick Shur to Family and Friends, 1971

Letters from Rotary Club describing acceptance to program and placement; various letters and cards from family and friends

Request Box 2

Box 2 Folder 1 "An Uncensored Bit of Advice and Information to Rotary Exchange Students Who are Going to Mexico", 1970-1971

11 page typescript by Shur

Box 2 Folder 2 Miscellaneous Papers, 1970-1971

Letter by Shur describing his "philosophy of life," 1970; maps of Mexico; Spanish-language comic books; index to slides from trip; assorted ephemera

Subseries I.3: Correspondence, Photographs, and Ephemera, 1963-2015

Box 2 Folder 3 Personal Correspondence, circa 1971-1984

Box 2 Folder 4 Personal Correspondence, circa 1984-2007

Box 2 Folder 5 Shur Family Correspondence and Papers, circa 1979-2001

Box 2 Folder 6 Bruce Ballard Correspondence, circa 1987-1997

Box 2 Folder 7 Misc Political, Business, and Consumer Correspondence, circa 1982-2007

Letters to and from politicians, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, businesses, and others on various topics

Box 2 Folder 8 Peter Laverne and Ben Gernandt, circa 1998-2002

Papers relating to the care of Albert Laverne, a friend of Shur

Box 2 Folder 9 Contacts, circa 1985-1995 and undated

Handwritten and typed phone and address lists, miscellaneous notes

Box 2 Folder 10 Legal Files, circa 1978-1994

Papers related to worker's compensation claim, small claims court, handwritten contracts, consumer disputes, etc. Includes "Legal Information of Interest to Gays and Lesbians," printed document listing New York State and federal laws governing same-sex sexual activity, etc, with commentary; circa 1987-1993

Box 2 Folder 11 Apartment, circa 1979-2005

Papers relating to Shur's apartment on West 109th Street: leases, correspondence with landlord, block association notices, etc.

Box 2 Folder 12 Other Employment, 1974-1988

Resumes, cover letters; American Bartenders School diploma (1979); papers relating to application for job with Club Med (1984); orientation information for camp counselors (1988)

Box 2 Folder 13 Miscellaneous: Theater and Acting, circa 1975-1983

Scripts for commercials, circa 1975 and undated; clippings of contacts for theater world, circa 1977; papers related to a 1983 production of "The Ritz"; resumes and headshots for actors auditioning for a production Shur directed

Request Box 3

Box 3 Folder 1 Drugs and Alcohol, 1973-2004

3 copies of 1973 Physicians' Drug Manual; typescript of 1986 experience using crack cocaine; Alcoholics Anonymous literature and meeting schedule, circa 1993; papers related to purchase of ephedrine and confiscation by US Customs, 1996-1999; papers related to purchase of dextromethorphan, 2001-2004

Box 3 Folder 2 Calendars, 1983-1985

Box 3 Folder 3 Calendars, 1986-1988

Box 3 Folder 4 Calendars, 1989-1991

Box 3 Folder 5 Calendars, 1992-1994

Box 3 Folder 6 Calendars, 1995-1997

Box 3 Folder 7 Calendars, 1998-2000

Box 3 Folder 8 Miscellaneous Papers, circa 1973-1999

1973 World Series program; papers related to a keyboard Shur purchased; annotated article on "The Problem of Pluralism", 1982; "Foods for Fighting Herpes" Saturday Evening Post article, 1983; information on bicycling and swimming in New York City area; "Fight American Decay" flyer; anti-abortion and religious pamphlets; Teletubby doll instructions; Phillip B. Roth resume; invitation to Michael Musto party; two copies of undated stream-of-consciousness typescript; signed photo from comedian Larry G. Jones; articles related to a 1999 fire at a building near Shur's home

Box 3 Folder 9 Photos, circa 1965-2000

Color photos of a trip to Mexico, circa 1970s; polaroid of Shur in a classroom, circa 1975-1985; envelope of undated negatives; various photos of Shur and others, annotated 1988-1995; polaroids from "Xmas 99" of Shur family; photos from 1982 labeled "Pto. Escondido"; miscellaneous others

Box 3 Folder 10 Photos, circa 1965-2000

Photos mostly of Rick Shur, some family/friends. Childhood and young adult professional shots for acting resumes, some annotated; some erotic photos of swimmers

Box 3 Folder 11 Photos, circa 1965-2000

6 one-hour photo envelopes of prints and negatives, undated; images from a road trip, some family/friends, mostly skylines and cityscapes

Box 3 Folder 12 IDs and Business cards, circa 1977-2010

Various state, work, consumer, and other identification cards; Rick Shur and Rick X. business cards; assorted business cards from others

Request Box 4

Box 4 Folder 44569 Notebooks, circa 1963-2015, 8 folders

Rolodex, undated

Index card Rolodex with contact information for Shur's friends and associates

Subseries I.4: Creative Works, 1967-2008

Box 4 Folder 9 "Fiction and Nonfiction High School Writings", circa 1967-1971

Box 4 Folder 10 "Fiction and Nonfiction High School Writings", circa 1967-1971

Box 4 Folder 11 Antigone, Baby , undated

Typescript of Antigone: A Musical Operetta by Shur, and Antigone, Baby, an adaptation of Shur's play by Albert Evans, with handwritten notes

Box 4 Folder 12 Morningside Plights , 1978

2 copies of typescript of Morningside Plights: a student life soap operetta by Shur, 1978; one with handwritten annotation

Box 4 Folder 13-14 Dave and Johnny scripts, 2006, 2 folders

197 page bound script; 204 page bound script, 2 copies

Request Box 28

Box 28 Dave and Johnny: A Wyoming Operetta script, 2006

Box 28 Dave and Johnny: A Wyoming Operetta [CD], 2006

Request Box 5

Box 5 Folder 1 Dave and Johnny research and materials, circa 2001-2007

Information on Wyoming, playbill and program from The Producers, The History of Men's Underwear book by Gary Griffin, letter from theater workshop, lyrics to songs, etc.

Box 5 Folder 2 Scripts by Others, circa 1965-1975

Various typescripts of plays or dramatic scenes, including The Ping Pong Players by William Saroyan, Superman by Jules Feiffer, Harold Swerg by Jules Feiffer, As the Stomach Turns [no author listed], Bressman on the Fifty by Michael Bornstein, Henry and Narcissus by Neil Di Bernardo, and others

Box 5 Folder 3 Scripts by Others, 1976-1977

Bound scripts for 2 plays by Daniel Meltz: Carole with the Green Dress (circa 1977) and Scherzo (1976); Script for Saint Joan of the Microphone, parts of character Angel highlighted, with calendar of performances, cast list with contact information, etc.

Box 5 Folder 4 Scripts by Others, 1982 and undated

Script for The Men: A Comedy of Manners by Phillip Blackwell and Laurence Senelick (1982), with lines for character Chris highlighted; Typescripts for two one-act plays by Jeff Hochhauser, "You find out young" and "See Johnny…"

Box 5 Folder 5 "Songs: Mine", circa 1978-1983

Typed and handwritten music and lyrics to various songs composed by Shur, from the musical Morningside Plights and others

Box 5 Folder 6 "Songs: Mine", 2001-2004

Printed sheet music to original songs, some with handwritten annotations, and other papers

Box 5 Folder 7 "Seventeen Songs", 2008

Spiral-bound booklet of original songs by Shur; four copies, one with handwritten inserts

Box 5 Folder 8 Music Notebooks, undated

Three spiral-bound notebooks with sheet music and miscellaneous handwritten lyrics, melodic sketches, and scales

Box 5 Folder 9 "Songs: Theirs", undated

Miscellaneous typed and handwritten lyrics and other writings, no attribution or dates

Box 5 Folder 10 "Creative – Mine", circa 1973-2001

Wide range of materials: crayon drawings, poetry, prose fiction, scripted vignettes/dialogue, journal entries, some more philosophical musings; handwritten and typed. Multiple printed copies of short writing pieces by Shur in 2001: "Match Power with Love," "What Makes You Afraid?", "British Dinner Party"

Subseries I.5: Stephen Donaldson material, circa 1965-2000

Box 5 Folder 11 "Donny Photos", circa 1967-1992 and undated

Box 5 Folder 12 "Donny: Boys, Punks, Nudes", circa 1973-1992 and undated

Box 5 Folder 13 "Donny and Friends", circa 1980-1996 and undated

Box 5 Folder 14 Correspondence, circa 1985-2000

Request Box 22

Box 22

Subseries I.6: Ephemera, undated

Miscellaneous stuffed animals, toys, figurines; an electronic yo-yo; nameplate reading "R. Shur"; "Algebricks" educational toys; medallion reading "The 9th SACE; Taiyuan, China, June 2001"

Series II: Columbia University, 1971-1998

Series II collects materials documenting Shur's relationship to Columbia University as a Columbia College undergraduate, a Teacher's College student, and an active alumnus. Subseries II.1 includes his coursework papers, administrative correspondence, and journals and personal writings from his undergraduate years, as well as some material from his time at Teacher's College and a patron of Columbia facilities afterwards. Of particular interest are materials related to the two surveys of sexual behavior and gay identity he conducted in 1973-1974. Subseries II.2 includes organizational records, correspondence, and other files documenting his founding and leadership of Gay Alumni of Columbia (GAOC) in the 1980s-1990s, including the group's campaign against the campus ROTC for its anti-gay policies.

Subseries II.1: Columbia Student Papers, 1971-1998

Request Box 5

Box 5 Folder 15 Columbia College records, circa 1971-1975

Papers related to withdrawal and on readmission (1973-1975), Dean's List letter, transcript, grades, financial aid

Box 5 Folder 16 "Columbia College Legal/Disciplinary", 1972

Documents related to Shur's disciplinary proceedings with the Dean's office for allegedly participating in a 1972 anti-war protest on campus: correspondence from Dean's office, Manual of Tribunal Procedure, University Statutes booklet, copy of notarized court settlement, Faculty Resolution on Interim Rules relating to rallies and picketing

Box 5 Folder 17 Undergraduate coursework, 1971-1975

Typed papers written for Columbia courses in philosophy, psychology, literature, French, CC, linguistics, and others; some handwritten notes; exam blue books. Of interest: "Age of Sensation… Revisited" (includes comparative discussion of methodology and conclusions of Columbia Gay Survey); "Sex Roles and Educational Interference," "An Essay on the Nature of Human Love."

Box 5 Folder 18 Admissions documents, circa 1971

Approximately 30 "reader ratings" documents from interviews with prospective Columbia undergraduate students, including handwritten comments; some include later annotations in black marker (possibly by Shur?), highlighting attitudes related to race, class, and other variables within the comments

Request Box 6

Box 6 Folder 1 Columbia Gay Surveys, 1973-1974

In 1973, Shur conducted an anonymous survey on heterosexual and homosexual experiences of male undergraduates in Carman Hall, receiving about 100 responses. The results were analyzed and published by the Educational Committee of Gay People at Columbia-Barnard (GPCB) in November 1973. Shur conducted a subsequent survey specifically for gay men, circulated at dances organized by GPCB and by the Gay Activists Alliance, receiving 359 respondents. Shur analyzed the responses in an academic paper ("Age, Experience, Promiscuity, Genitality, and Relations With Parents Among Gay Men," May 1974), and GPCB published an analysis as "A New Gay Survey" in November 1974. This folder contains 16 completed response forms from the first survey; copies of the report ("Survey of Sexual Experiences and Homophobia") based on the survey; two copies of the Gay Men's Questionnaire from the second survey; a copy of Shur's academic paper ("Age, Experience…"), and two copies of the GPCB "A New Gay Survey" report.

Box 6 Folder 2 "A Comparative Study of Gay Liberationists and Columbia Homosexuals", 1972

Copy of January 1972 "Comparative Study of Gay Liberationists and Columbia Homosexuals" by Morty Manford

Box 6 Folder 3-4 Miscellaneous undergraduate writings, circa 1971-1975, 2 folders

Handwritten and typed writings including dramatic scripts and dialogues, short stories and poetry (some on erotic themes), letters, gay political essays. Of interest: includes undated typescript (circa 1973) "Prelude to a Homosexual Career", in which Shur reflects on his early life, family, and time in Mexico, including discussion of the diary located in Series I.2 [Box 1, Folder 11].

Box 6 Folder 5 Other miscellaneous undergraduate-era material, circa 1970-1977

Three drawings, miscellaneous hand-written notes, postcards, "Summer '71" Columbia University newspaper, 1977 undergraduate poetry publication, Selective Service form, doctor's letter, New York Times article on class of 1974

Request Box 24

Box 24 Folder 1 Teacher's College, circa 1978-1985

Recommendations for admission, correspondence, exam record, "Standard (American) English Speakers' Mitigated Requests for the Bathroom" (1979), "Knowledge, Use, and Avoidance of Relative Clauses" by Bruce Ballard (1985), and other papers written for TC courses circa 1978-1979; "Silent Way" practicum–journal with teacher comments from spring 1979.

Box 24 Folder 2 Lesbians and Gays at Teachers College, circa 1986-1993

Papers relating to lesbian and gay organizing at TC, including correspondence with Columbia administration and TESOL officials, event flyers, needs survey, complaint letters, "A History and Handbook for Lesbians and Gays at Teachers College" by Bruce Ballard (1990), and other materials.

Box 24 Folder 3 Columbia alumni papers, circa 1983-1998

Papers relating to alumni use of Columbia facilities, 1983 Summer Guide to the Columbia Community, 1991 Guide to the Columbia University Libraries, campus maps, building schedules, Alumni Association pamphlet, Class of 1975 Reunion announcement, etc.

Box 24 Folder 4-5 GHAP Training Manual, circa 1996, 2 folders

Manual for volunteers with Columbia's Gay Health Advocacy Project, consisting of articles on various topics related to HIV/AIDS, condom use and safer sex, college students, medication, counseling, etc. Originally housed in a three-ring binder.

Subseries II.2: Gay Alumni of Columbia Organizational Files, 1984-95, 1984-1995

Request Box 6

Box 6 Folder 6 GAOC Articles of Association, 1985

Box 6 Folder 7 GAOC Meeting Notes, 1985-1986

Meeting agendas and notes for GAOC business meetings, event flyer

Box 6 Folder 8 GAOC Newsletters, 1984-1986

Copies of and materials for GAOC newsletters

Box 6 Folder 9 GAOC Newsletters, 1988-1993

Copies of and materials for GAOC newsletters, undated flyer and insert

Box 6 Folder 10 GAOC Financial Records, 1985-1991

NY State business certificate, bank statements, checks written to other activist and community organizations; IRS/NY Department of Revenue correspondence; treasurer printouts and handwritten notes describing expenses, orders for advertising in Columbia Spectator

Box 6 Folder 11 Columbia Lesbian and Gay Association (CLGA) and GAOC Summer Dances, 1985

Expenses printouts, handwritten notes, receipts, and clippings related to 1985 dances organized by gay student and alumni groups

Box 6 Folder 12-13 GAOC Members, circa 1985-1994, 2 folders

Correspondence, member information forms, printouts of names and addresses, and other papers related to GAOC membership

Box 6 Folder 14 GAOC Correspondence, 1984-1986

Letters to/from alums, to/from politicians, and various flyers, announcements, pamphlets, and other materials. Includes copies of a newsletter for gay Christian Scientists, 1984-1985.

Box 6 Folder 15 GAOC Correspondence, 1987-1995

Letters to/from alums, to/from politicians, and various flyers, announcements, pamphlets, and other materials

Box 6 Folder 16 GAOC Gay Rights Advocacy, 1985-1988

Correspondence with New York City politicians and media, Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights materials, news articles, and other papers related to New York City gay rights bill and advocacy against anti-gay violence

Box 6 Folder 17 Campus Military Campaign, circa 1984-1993

Papers related to campaign led by Shur against anti-gay discrimination in the military on Columbia's campus: newspaper clippings, newsletters, correspondence, info on Columbia administration and governance, University Senate resolutions, press list, etc.

Box 6 Folder 18 GAOC and other groups, circa 1984-1989

Papers related to other LGBTQ organizations with which GAOC collaborated or networked, including New York City Pride March, National March on Washington, Committee for Lesbian and Gay Rights (New York City), Gay Officers Action League, Network of Gay and Lesbian Alumni Associations, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, gay alumni groups at Yale, Dartmouth, and elsewhere, and others

Box 6 Folder 19 GAOC Stationary, circa 1985-1990

Copies of blank GAOC stationary, envelopes, and materials

Box 6 Folder 20 Columbia news clippings, 1968, 1987-1990

Miscellaneous clippings circa 1987-1990 on Columbia sports, administration, campus activism, etc.; Columbia Spectator special issue on AIDS (1990); interview with Mark Rudd (Evergreen Review, 1968).

Series III: Closet Case TV Show, circa 1984-1997

Series III assembles materials related to Shur's production of the Closet Case Show on Manhattan Cable Access from 1984-1994. Subseries III.1 includes the show's extensive correspondence and materials files, which include letters, flyers, photographs, event announcements, pamphlets, erotica, and more, as well as documents from Shur's battles with the cable access channel over censorship and cancellation, PR materials, media coverage of Shur and the show, materials from film festivals in which Shur's work appeared, and correspondence with Haworth Press, with whom Shur collaborated on academic research into gay video pornography and visual culture. Shur created a business selling erotic videotapes drawing on content from the show, files from which are collected in Subseries III.2.

Series IV: Gay Culture, Activism, and Community, circa 1978-2003

Series IV brings together materials related to Shur's other gay community activities, including the Gay Switchboard, Outweek magazine, WBAI's Gay Show, and gay theater productions, as well as research and subject files and other periodicals and ephemera on gay topics.

Request Box 11

Box 11 Folder 8 Gay Switchboard, circa 1987-1990

Papers related to Shur's participation as a volunteer with the Gay Switchboard: phone lists, shift sheets, call statistics, info on active listening, letter in response to Shur's resignation.

Box 11 Folder 9 Outweek , 1990

Office memos, newspaper clippings, periodicals, correspondence, and other papers related to Outweek magazine and Shur's employment there. Note: In 1990, Shur worked as a Listings Editor for Outweek, a progressive gay and lesbian magazine. He resigned in November 1990 in protest over the magazine running an ad for pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome.

Box 11 Folder 10 Outweek - Calendar Materials, 1990

Flyers, announcements, correspondence, contact information, and other materials related to LGBTQ community events, related to Shur's role as Listings Editor for Outweek

Box 11 Folder 11 WBAI Gay Show, 1993-1996

Information on programming, running sheets, correspondence, lists of guests, flyers, and "Rick X Bio" by Shur.

Box 11 Folder 12 WBAI Gay Show - Past Guests, 1994-1995

Letters, photos, and various materials related to guests on Shur's WBAI show; articles, press releases, song lyrics, info sheets for accessing the radio station, Spot the Dog September/October 1995 newsletter, printed list of show guests 1994-1995.

Box 11 Folder 13 WBAI Gay Show - Materials Used, circa 1991-1995

Handwritten notes, printouts, transcripts, and typed summaries related to Shur's show on WBAI. Several items focus on Shur's interpretations of the Bible and critiques of religious fundamentalist views on homosexuality. Of note: transcript of July 1991 statement by Shur about his experience working for Outweek and with Gabriel Rotello.

Box 11 Folder 14-16 Gay Theater, circa 1986-1995, 3 folders

Playbills, programs, promotional materials, newspaper articles, and other ephemera related to theater productions, mostly gay-themed and mostly in New York City

Request Box 12

Box 12 Folder 1 Gay Theater, circa 1986-1995

Playbills, programs, promotional materials, newspaper articles, and other ephemera related to theater productions, mostly gay-themed and mostly in New York City

Box 12 Folder 2 Gay Bathhouses, circa 1985-1997

Articles and various materials related to gay bathhouses, especially in regards to HIV/AIDS

Box 12 Folder 3 Coors Research, circa 1985-1992

Miscellaneous photocopies, pamphlets, clippings, and other materials related to Coors company, including its literature about its philanthropic activities, a Political Research Associates report ("The Coors connection," 1989), etc.

Box 12 Folder 4 Coors Research, circa 1985-1992

Gay periodicals that discuss Coors or feature Coors ads

Box 12 Folder 5 Coors Research, circa 1985-1992

Gay periodicals that discuss Coors or feature Coors ads; Sappho's Isle (1989-1990), Equal Times (1989), The Advocate (1989), and other clippings

Box 12 Folder 6 Miscellaneous Gay Periodicals, 1979-1982

Single issues of Weekly Soho News (1979), The Advocate (1982), Gay Sunshine (1980), Gaysweek (1979), Gay Community News (1982), and other articles

Box 12 Folder 7 Miscellaneous Gay Periodicals, 1978-2004

Single issues of Out (2004), My Comrade (1988), J.D.'s (1989), Gaysweek (1978)

Box 12 Folder 8 "Spring Nineteen Eighty Eight: A Journal of Gay Lives", 1988

Bound volume (113 pp) of "SPRING–Nineteen Eighty Eight (A Journal of Gay Lives)" by Sidney Morris, with handwritten note to Shur (1992); narrative of a gay man's experience as an AIDS buddy.

Box 12 Folder 9 Miscellaneous Other Periodicals, 1971-1975

Issues of After Dark, 1971-1975

Box 12 Folder 10 Miscellaneous Other Periodicals, circa 1991-2003

P.O.N.Y. Press 1.1 and 1.2 (1991); The Sprinkle Report 1.4, undated; The Sprinkle/Vera Examiner, undated; various tabloids, circa 1991-1992 (Globe, National Inquirer, Weekly World News), most with gay or HIV/AIDS-related content; Scientific American, September 1993; Spy, May 1992; Bravo Girl (German), 1994; Interview, October 2003.

Box 12 Folder 11 Miscellaneous Other Publications, circa 1992-2001

"Yucky Stiff" by Bob Z, booklet and cassette tape (1992); "Penetrator" by Bob Z, booklet and cassette tape (1993); "Sex Symbol for the Insane" by Reverend Jen (undated, circa 2001), bound volume with note to Rick X.

Box 12 Folder 12 Miscellaneous Gay Papers and Ephemera, circa 1979-1997

"Thoughts on the Health Crisis" by Rick Shur (undated, circa 1985-1987); "Stripping for AIDS" event program, 1986; GLAAD booklet, undated; "Odorama" for John Waters film Polyester, undated; "Healthy Sex is Great Sex" pamphlet, circa 1984; "City Men" flyer, undated; "Read This Before Coming Out to your Parents" pamphlet, 1984; ad for lesbian and gay screenprinting company; "20 Questions About Homosexuality" pamphlet by Gay Activists Alliance, 1979; NAMBLA Bulletin 14.4, 1994; "It's Time to End the Gay Rights movement as we know it" newspaper, 1997; journal by author Edmund Miller about his efforts to find a publisher for his book Icons of Gay New York, 2002.

Request Box 23

Box 23 Folder 3 Miscellaneous Oversized Materials, 1991-1993

Request Box 25

Box 25 Autographed Louganis Box, undated

Mixed media assemblage with Wheaties box, pasted photograph, and Greg Louganis autograph

Series V: Erotic Materials, circa 1955-2003

Series V, the largest in the collection, contains Shur's collection of gay erotic materials. The bulk comprises Subseries V.1, which includes decades of gay pornography, mostly in the form of curated notebooks and folders of images clipped from magazines as well as some complete magazines, books, DVDs, typed stories, and loose photos. Subseries V.2 consists of Shur's "Pix files," which were folders of images clipped from mainstream magazines and newspapers that he considered to have homoerotic significance. Subseries V.3, "Heteros," shows Shur's critique of homophobia through a curatorial practice of assembling documentation of cross-sex sexual violence and abuse clipped from newspapers and magazines, as well as some heterosexual pornography.

Series VI: ESL Teaching, circa 1970-2013

After graduating from Teacher's College in 1979, Shur began working at LaGuardia Community College as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor, serving there until his retirement. He drew on his teaching experience co-writing instructional textbooks and developing software programs for use by ESL teachers and learners.

Request Box 21

Box 21 Folder 2 Photos and Cards, circa 1980-2002

Photos of Shur's ESL students and classes at LaGuardia Community College, some with candid annotations; five from early 1980s, bulk from 1999-2000; thank you and holiday greeting cards from students to Shur.

Box 21 Folder 3 ESL Publishing, circa 1982-1989

Documents related to Shur's work as a writer and consultant on ESL instruction topics for Atlantic Publishing and Heinle and Heinle: correspondence, contracts, annotated drafts, catalogs, etc.

Box 21 Folder 4 Heights Enterprises, circa 1984-1988

Papers related to Shur's video and computer business, Heights Enterprises, and the "Teacher's Toolkit" diskette: materials related to trade conferences on computers and education, software contracts, correspondence, lists of services, etc.

Box 21 Folder 5 "Guess What" ESL Software Program, circa 1995-2007

Users instruction manual and sticker labels for software program developed by Shur for ESL learners; correspondence related to "Guess What"

Box 21 Folder 6 ESL Software Business, circa 2002-2013

Business certificate, purchase orders, invoices, correspondence, and other documents related to Shur's "Computer Creations Technology Visions" (CCTV) business selling the "Guess What?" ESL software

Box 21 Folder 7 Gay TESOL, circa 1985-1995

"Gay Guide for TESOLers": detailed and opinionated listing of gay male bars, clubs, and resources in Manhattan, undated but circa 1985-1990; letter on formation of lesbian/gay/bi caucus in professional organization and caucus newsletter, 1995.

Box 21 Folder 8 Miscellaneous ESL Papers, 1979-2007

Name tags for TESOL conferences, 1979 and undated; "Computers in the English Class" monograph (1983);"Computer Assisted Instruction in the English Language Center, LaGuardia Community College" paper by Shur (1984); folder with annotations of humorous misuses of English from classes; notebook of material from ESL classes, 1993-1994; miscellaneous correspondence and certificates.

Request Tube Box 26

Tube Box 26 Poster: Celebrating 10 years of Laguardia Community College Chinatown Center, 1983-1993, 1993

Collection Overview

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