Marilyn French papers, 1957-2009, bulk 1978-2008

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Series I: Business and Promotional Records, 1957-2008

This series, which comprises the bulk of the collection, documents the business side of French's literary and scholarly career. It includes contracts, correspondence concerning foreign rights and permissions, and files related to publicizing and promoting her work. There is a significant amount of correspondence between French and agent, Charlotte Sheedy; this series is particularly strong in documenting Sheedy's role in placing and promoting French's work.


Subseries I.1: Business and Promotional Records by Book, 1974-2006

In this subseries the materials are grouped together by book, and arranged chronologically by publication date of the book. A typical file will include contracts, correspondence, rights and permissions files, promotional material, and reviews (domestic and international) of the book.



Box 1 Ulysses: The Book as World , 1974-1993, (9 folders)

(contains Contracts, correspondence, reviews and information in the 1993 reissue)


The Women's Room


Box 1 Contracts, Permissions and Agreements, (3 folders)


Box 1 Correspondence, (3 folders)


Box 1 Publicity, 1977, (12 folders)

(Includes general publicity, interviews, book tour, parties and lists of galleys sent to reviewers)


Box 1 Television Adaptation, 1980, (2 folders)



Box 2 Foreign Rights



Box 3 Virago Reissue, 1997-2007, (4 folders)


Box 3 Reviews--U.S. and International, (21 folders)


Box 3 Edith Wharton Introductions, 1980-1987, (5 folders)


The Bleeding Heart



Box 4 Contracts and Business Records, 1979-2006, (24 folders)

(U.S. and International Contracts, bills, etc.)


Box 4 Screenplay, 1988, (3 folders)


Box 4 Publicity and Promotional Materials, 1980, (12 folders)



Box 5 Reviews, 1980, (21 folders)

(U.S. and International Reviews)


Shakespeare's Division of Experience



Box 6 Contracts and Business Records, 1981-1982, (3 folders)


Box 6 Publicity and Promotional Material, (3 folders)


Box 6 Reviews, (5 folders)


Beyond Power


Box 6 Contracts and Business Records, 1982-2002, (20 folders)


Box 6 Publicity, 1985-1986, (9 folders)



Box 7 Publicity, (11 folders)


Her Mother's Daughter


Box 7 Contracts and Business Records, 1986-1988, (20 folders)


Box 7 Publicity, (11 folders)

(includes promotional and book tours in the U.S. and abroad)



Box 8 Reviews, 1988, (10 folders)


The War Against Women


Box 8 Contracts and Business records, 1991-1994, (17 folders)


Box 8 Publicity and Promotional Materials, (6 folders)



Box 9 Reviews, (8 folders)


Our Father


Box 9 Contracts and Business Records, (13 folders)


Box 9 Publicity and Promotional Material, (11 folders)


Box 9 Reviews, (2 folders)


Box 9 Dear Mother , 1994, (3 folders)


Box 9 Diary of a Slave , 1994-1996


Box 9 De Minaar (The Lover) Contracts


Box 9 Short Stories (German), 1996


Box 9 The Women's Room 2000



Box 10 My Summer with George


Box 10 Contracts and Business Records, (14 folders)


Box 10 Publicity and Promotion, 1997, (8 folders)


A Season in Hell


Box 10 Contracts and Business Records, 1996-2005, (18 folders)


Box 10 Publicity and Promotion, 1998, (5 folders)


Women's History of the World


Box 10 Contracts and Business Records, (16 folders)



Box 11 Correspondence


From Eve to Dawn


Box 11 Contracts and Licensing Agreements, 1992-2000


Box 11 Correspondence and Foreign Rights, (11 folders)



Box 10 Contracts and Business Records, 2001-2007, (6 folders)


Box 10 Publicity and Promotion, (4 folders)


Box 10 Reviews, (2 folders)


Box 10 The Love Children , 2005, (2 folders)


In the Name of Friendship


Box 10 Contracts and Business Records, 2003-2006, (5 folders)


Box 10 Publicity and Promotion


Box 10 Reviews


Subseries II.2: Chronological and General Business Records, 1957-2008

This subseries, arranged chronologically, includes files not specifically related to a particular book or promotional tour. It includes correspondence, files related to interviews and speaking engagements, and correspondence related to the placement of short stories and journal or magazine articles. The subseries also includes photographs and proposals for films and television programs based on French's work.



Box 12 Correspondence with Publishers and Literary Journals, 1957-1979


1979


Box 12 Talks


Box 12 Correspondence


1980


Box 12 Interviews


Box 12 Appearances and Interviews


Box 12 Travel and Conferences


Box 12 Speaking Engagements, 1980-1992


Box 12 Hutchinson Correspondence, 1980-1983


1981


Box 12 Interviews


Box 12 Appearances


Box 12 Norway


1982


Box 12 Appearances


Box 12 Appearances and Interviews, 1983-1984


Box 12 Correspondence--reviews and Articles, 1973-1986


Box 12 Correspondence--Stories and Articles, 1980-1984


Box 12 Correspondence-Personal, 1980-1986


1985


Box 12 Appearances


Box 12 Letter to the Editor of The New York Times


1986


Box 12 Appearances


Box 12 Correspondence


Box 12 Humanist World Conference



Box 13 1987


Box 13 Interviews


Box 13 Jerusalem


Box 13 Interviews


Box 13 Scotland


Box 13 Newsday/Los Angeles Times Syndicate Correspondence


Box 13 Ms. Correspondence


Box 13 James Joyce: The Ninth Symposium--Contacts and Correspondence


1988


Box 13 Jane Addams Conference, 1988


Box 13 Appearances and Interviews


Box 13 Correspondence


1989


Box 13 Correspondence


Box 13 Appearances and Interviews


Box 13 Paris Conference


Box 13 Marietta Speech


Box 13 Boston


Box 13 Moscow Conference


Box 13 Gender Distribution of New York Times Book Review Authors and Reviewers, 1986-1989


1990


Box 13 Correspondence


Box 13 Appearances


Box 13 American Academy of Psychoanalysis Talk


Box 13 Meulenhoff Correspondence and Contract


1991


Box 13 Correspondence


Box 13 Ireland Trip--James Joyce


Box 13 Florida Lecture


1992


Box 13 Requests


Box 13 Speaking Engagements, 1992-1994



Box 14 Amsterdam


Box 14 Stratford Festival Canada


Box 14 James Joyce Symposium


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Appearances


Box 14 Indiana State Lecture


1993


Box 14 James Joyce Symposium


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Appearances


Box 14 Indiana State Lecture


1993


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Interviews


1994


Box 14 Appearances


Box 14 Harbourfront Reading Series


Box 14 Interview: Nasrin


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Paris Trip


Box 14 Mother/Daughter Interview


1995


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Interviews


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Mothers' Day


Box 14 Susan Mitchell Interview


1996


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Cookbook Correspondence


1997


Box 14 Interviews


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Television Appearances--Amsterdam


Box 14 Women Writing Prizes


Box 14 Little Brown UK


1997


Box 14 Interviews


1998


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Answered Fan Mail


Box 14 Conference--Hamburg, Germany


1999


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Norway


Box 14 Palm Beach Literary Society


Box 14 Interviews


Box 14 Requests


2000


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Requests


2001


Box 14 Appearances


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Teaching--Assisi


Box 14 Interview--Dorfman


Box 14 Requests and Blurbs


2002


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Appearances, (5 folders)


Box 14 Holland-Friendship


Box 14 Atwood Interview


2003


Box 14 Requests


Box 14 Feminist Press Gala


2004


Box 14 Appearances


Box 14 The MERC: Proust Reading


Box 14 Tillie Olsen


Box 14 Donna Ferber


Box 14 Barbara Love


Box 14 Turkey


Box 14 Women's Library of Istanbul


Box 14 The Nation


Box 14 Correspondence


2005


Box 14 Interviews


Box 14 Stephanie Genty Correspondence


Box 14 Stephanie Genty Interview


2006


Box 14 Interviews


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Requests for Appearance


2007


Box 14 Fan Mail Answered


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Greer Review


2008


Box 14 Correspondence


Box 14 Paris Press



Box 15 Biographical Material


Box 15 Jobs/Curriculum Vitae


Box 15 Bio-Vitae


Box 15 Biography


Box 15 Articles about French


Box 15 Photographs, 1950s


Box 15 Photographs, 1994


Box 15 Photographs--Hofstra Honorary Degree, 1992


Box 15 Short Stories


Box 15 Other Submissions


Box 15 Blurbs


Box 15 Rights and Copyrights


Box 15 Magazine Articles--Correspondence and Contracts, 1985-1992


Box 15 Magazine and Anthology Contracts


Box 15 China, (3 folders)


Box 15 Fiction Sales Correspondence, 1977-1982


Box 15 Travel and Conferences, 1981-1990


Box 15 Business Correspondence, 1977-1989

(primarily correspondence from Charlotte Sheedy Agency regarding placing French's work)


Film and Television Proposals


Box 15 General


Box 15 TV Series


Box 15 A Woman's History of the World


Box 15 Ruth Mickel's World, 1985


Box 15 The Bleeding Heart Screenplay, (2 folders)


Box 15 The Women's Room Teleplay


Box 15 Liv Ullmann's Refugee Project


Subseries I.3: Professional Activities, 1986-2008

The professional activities subseries documents French's involvement with various scholarly, literary, and feminist organizations, as well as her teaching career. It also includes files on various awards and honors awarded to French over the course of her career. Finally, it includes a subject file of women's issues that French compiled and maintained relating to women's political, activist, and cultural organizations, as well as general subjects affecting women.



Box 16 Aspen Institute


Box 16 Atlantic Center Correspondence and Publicity


Box 16 Danforth Foundation


Box 16 Emma Goldman Archive Project


Feminist Press


Box 16 Board of Directors, 1997-1998, (2 folders)


Box 16 Correspondence, 1991-2008, (3 folders)


Box 16 Harvard University


Box 16 Harvard Award, 1993


Box 16 Harvard Graduate Society Council, 1990-1993, (3 folders)


Box 16 Hofstra Honorary Doctoral Degree, 1992


Box 16 Hofstra Correspondence


Box 16 Hofstra Alumni/Estabrook Awards


Box 16 Holy Cross, (2 folders)


Box 16 Joyce Foundation


Box 16 Ms. Foundation for Women


Box 16 National Writers Union


Box 16 PEN, 1989-1992, (3 folders)


Box 16 PEN Authors Guild


Box 16 PEN Fiction Project


Box 16 PEN Hemingway


Box 16 Phi Beta Kappa



Box 17 Women's Issues


Box 17 Women's Committee


Box 17 Poems


Box 17 Clippings


Box 17 Deconstruction


Box 17 Women's Research Network


Box 17 The Love Children Correspondence


Box 17 Censorship


Box 17 The Political Novel


Box 17 Psychology Notes


Box 17 Reversals


Box 17 PBS Interview


Box 17 The Love Children


Box 17 Feminist Materials


Box 17 Surrogacy Issues


Box 17 Ritual Abuse


Box 17 International Womens Writers Association


Box 17 Women in Authority, 1998


Box 17 Times Book Review Complaint, (2 folders)


Box 17 Lexington Prison


Box 17 Crisis Center Network


Box 17 Women's Playhouse Trust: Shakespeare, 1986

Series II: Writings, 1957-2009

The writings series includes manuscripts, notes, drafts, and research files French drafted or compiled in the course of writing her novels, articles, and non-fiction monographs. The series includes materials related to her earliest academic writings, as well as her major works of fiction and non-fiction.


Subseries II.1: Books, 1964-2009

The books subseries is notable for its inclusion of plot summaries and research files related to an unwritten novel, Sarah Murtagh. It also includes preliminary drafts and notes forDepression Babyan unpublished memoir.



Box 18 The Carving of the Stone (early unpublished novel)


Box 18 The Commanding Center of Ulysses, 1964 (Master's Thesis), 1964


Box 18 The Book as World, 1972 (Dissertation), 1972


Edith Wharton Material


Box 18 Introductions, 1995, (3 folders)


Box 18 Notes, (2 folders)


Box 18 Wharton Papers


Box 18 Wharton Criticism


Box 18 Virago Press Correspondence, 1984-1986


Shakespeare's Division of Experience


Box 18 Correspondence, 1979-1982


Box 18 General Notes


Box 18 Notes: Comedies


Box 18 Notes: Histories


Box 18 Structure


Box 18 Corrections


Arrangement in Black and White


Box 18 Outlines and Notes


Box 18 Scene


Box 18 Research, (2 folders)


The War Against Women


Box 18 Research


Box 18 Biographies


Box 18 Holland



Box 19 Beyond Power: Women, Men, and Morals


Box 19 Notes and Research, (12 folders)


Box 19 Index


Box 19 Bibliography


Box 19 Clippings, (2 folders)


Manuscript


Box 19 Introduction


Box 19 Chapter I: Matrocentry


Box 19 Chapter II: Patriarchy



Box 20 Chapter III: Women Under Patriarchy


Box 20 Chapter IV: Men Under Patriarchy


Box 20 Chapter V: Present Perspective


Box 20 Chapter VI: Feminism


Box 20 Chapter VII: Reevaluations


Box 20 Chapter VIII: Long View Forward


War Against Women


Box 20 Research, (7 folders)


Box 20 Our Father , (3 folders)


Box 20 My Summer with George


A Season in Hell


Box 20 Diary, 1992


Box 20 Notes and Manuscript Pages


Box 20 Proposal, undated



Box 21 From Eve to Dawn


Box 21 Synopsis, (2 folders)


Box 21 Copyeditor's Corrections, (8 folders)


Box 21 Review, 2009


Box 21 In the Name of Friendship , (2 folders)


Box 21 Depression Baby: A Memoir , (2 folders)

(unpublished memoir)


Sarah Murtagh--unfinished novel


Box 21 Notes and Research Files, (8 folders)


Box 21 First Draft


Subseries II.2: Essays and Articles, 1957-2005

The Essays and Articles Subseries includes manuscripts and related material for essays and articles that French submitted to magazines and academic journals. They chronicle both her academic interests (in James Joyce, Edith Wharton, and feminist literary criticism) as well as her political activism and her work as a feminist cultural critic.



Box 22 Course Notes and Scholarly Writing, 1957-1966


Box 22 Essay Notes, 1972 1974, 1972, 1974, (2 folders)


Box 22 Christine de Pisan Notes


Box 22 "Why The Women's Room Should Not Have Been Written,", 1977


Box 22 Reflections on The Women's Room Wall, 1979


Box 22 Journal Articles--General, 1979-1983


Box 22 Women and Friendship, 1979


Box 22 "ERA: Why Bother", 1981


Box 22 James Joyce Criticism and Essays, 1982-1998, (2 folders)


Box 22 Friedan Article in Esquire, 1983


Box 22 India Article, 1985, (4 folders)


Box 22 Lily Tomlin Profile, 1985, (2 folders)


Box 22 "Shakespeare in America"--Vogue, 1985


Box 22 George Sand Notes, 1986


Box 22 Michigan Quarterly Review , 1987


Box 22 Newsday, 1987


Box 22 College Literature--"Muzzled Women", 1987


Box 22 Gentleman's Quarterly--"The New Adam,", 1988


Box 22 Mamonova , 1989


Box 22 Hypatia , 1989


Box 22 Hedda Nussbaum, 1989


Box 22 Spenser Encyclopedia, 1989, (3 folders)


Box 22 Women's Shakespeare, 1990


Box 22 New York Times


Box 22 Censorship, 1991



Box 23 Letter to Editor--New York Times, 1990


Box 23 Cleopatra--Women's Review of Books, 1990


Box 23 International Writing, 1990


Box 23 Macbeth, 1991


Box 23 "A Choice we Never Chose"--Women's Review of Books, 1991


Box 23 Sphinx, 1991


Box 23 "Power and Sex", 1992


Box 23 "Will Secularism Survive"--Free Inquiry, 1992


Box 23 "Family as Site"--The Telegraph, 1992


Box 23 Sunday Mail , 1992


Box 23 Writers' Workshop--Ireland, 1992


Box 23 "Masculine Mystique"--Literary Review, 1992


Box 23 Introduction to The Women's Room, 1993


Box 23 Articles--United Kingdom, 1994


Box 23 Denmark, 1994


Box 23 Op-Ed, 1994


Box 23 Readers' Guide to Women's Studies, 1996


Box 23 History Encyclopedia, 1996


Box 23 New Choices , 1996


Box 23 Chanteh , 1997


Box 23 Guardian , 1997


Box 23 Catholics for Free Choice , 1997


Box 23 Joyce, 1997


Box 23 Forever Sisters, 1998


Box 23 Sand Intro, 1998


Box 23 Ladies Home Journal , 1999


Box 23 Rosie Scott Intro, 1999


Box 23 The Feminist Press, 1999


Box 23 Global City Review , 1999


Box 23 Guardian , 1999


Box 23 Margaret Atwood, 2000


Box 23 Free Inquiry , 2000


Box 23 Islam Article, 2001


Box 23 Introduction or Donna Ferber's A Woman's Journey Through Divorce, 2004


Box 23 Conscience , 2004


Box 23 Feminist Press Art Forms, 2005


Box 23 Readers' Report, 2005


Box 23 General Articles


Box 23 Unpublished Articles



Box 24 Published Articles



Box 23

Subseries II.3: Short Stories, Poems, and Reviews, undated and 1994, undated, 1994

This subseries is comprised of manuscripts and drafts of French's short stories and poems, several unpublished, and notes and ideas for unrealized literary works. This subseries also includes French's reviews of others' works.


Box 23 Short Story Manuscripts, (4 folders)



Box 25 "Diary of a Slave"


Box 25 Exquisite Corpse story for Atlantic Center for the Arts, 1994


Box 25 "Walking Around"


Box 25 Poems

(includes two unpublished poems--"Fall" and "Hot Spell")


Box 25 Ideas/Beginnings

(includes drafts, story ideas, inspirations, dreams, and other notes)


Box 25 Reviews by French, (9 folders)


Subseries II.4: Talks and Lectures, 1978-2002

The Talks and Lectures subseries is comprised of texts of and notes for speeches and lectures French delivered at various events and conferences. Many files also include supporting correspondence, travel information, and other material related to planning and coordinating these lectures.


Box 25 Talks, 1978-1983, (2 folders)


Box 25 Beyond Power, 1985-1986


Box 25 Harvard 350th Reunion, 1986


Box 25 1986


Box 25 Self-Respect, 1986


Box 25 University of Pennsylvania, 1986


Box 25 Edith Wharton Conference, 1987


Box 25 Jerusalem, 1987


Box 25 Berkshire Conference, 1987


Box 25 Joyce Symposium, 1988, (4 folders)


Box 25 Olin Conference, 1988


Box 25 "Is There a Feminist Aesthetics?", 1988


Box 25 Beyond Power-Hofstra, 1988


Box 25 Beyond Power--Vancouver, 1989


Box 25 National Writers Union, 1989


Box 25 PEN Reproduction Conference, 1990


Box 25 Talks, 1991


Box 25 Joyce, 1991


Box 25 Rollins Speech, 1991


Box 25 PEN Taboo Talk, 1992


Box 25 Indiana State University/Shakespeare, 1992


Box 25 James Joyce Symposium-Dublin, 1992


Box 25 Smithsonian Museum-War, 1992


Box 25 Sarah Lawrence, 1992


Box 25 Stratford Festival, 1993


Box 25 YWCA Talk-The War Against Women, 1993


Box 25 Ms. Panel on Pornography, 1993

(includes transcript of the panel)


Box 25 Our Father, 1994


Box 25 Edith Wharton Conference, 1995


Box 25 Goucher College, 1995


Box 25 Oxford Talk, 1996


Box 25 Simone de Beauvoir Talk, 1997, (2 folders)


Box 25 Women's Campaign Fund, 1997


Box 25 Amsterdam, 1997


Box 25 United Nations Event, 1998


Box 25 92nd Street Y, 1998


Box 25 New Century Fund, Grace Paley Introduction, 1998


Box 25 Florence Howe Talk, 2002

Series III: Calendars, Datebooks, and Personal Correspondence, 1977-2008

This series is comprised of French's desk planners and datebooks. She kept careful records of her activities, and those are reflected in these books.



Box 26 1977-1996



Box 27 1997-2008


Box 27 Correspondence

Series IV: Books by Marilyn French, 1964-2007

This series represents a complete run of first editions of French's published work. Also included are bound copies of her Masters Essay and doctoral dissertation.



Box 28 Books by Marilyn French

(includes her Masters Thesis and Dissertation)



Box 29 Books by Marilyn French