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Tim Dlugos Papers

Call Number

MSS.087

Date

circa 1950-1998, inclusive

Creator

Dlugos, Tim

Extent

9.5 Linear Feet in 7 boxes.

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

Francis Timothy Dlugos was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on August 5, 1950. From 1968-1971, he was a Christian Brother at La Salle College in Philadelphia. Upon leaving the Brothers, he emerged to embrace a politically active and gay lifestyle. In Washington, D.C. Dlugos worked on Ralph Nader's Public Citizen and become heavily involved with the Mass Transit poetry scene. Dlugos then moved to New York in the late seventies where he edited and contributed to such magazines as Christopher Street, New York Native, and The Poetry Project Newsletter. He immersed himself in the downtown scene of the late-nineteen-seventies through the eighties, and became involved with fundraising projects for that scene. Sometime after being diagnosed HIV positive, Tim decided to abandon these endeavors to become a priest in the Episcopalian church. While studying at the Yale School of Divinity, Dlugos died of AIDS related complications on December 3, 1990. The collection chronicles the life of Tim Dlugos from his early development as a poet through his posthumously published books and poems.

Biographical Note:

Born in Springfield, Massachusettson August 5, 1950, Francis Timothy Dlugos later grew up in Arlington, Virginia. He joined the Christian Brothers, a Catholic religious order, in 1968 and entered their college, La Salle, in Philadelphia. He left the Brothers a few years later in 1971 to openly embrace a politically active, gay lifestyle. He eventually left La Salle before graduating. In Washington, D.C.Dlugos worked on Ralph Nader's Public Citizen and become heavily involved with the Mass Transit poetryscene. Describing his poetry in None of the Above, an early anthology in which Dlugos appeared, he stated: "1. I try to write out of the time & space I find myself in. 2. My best work takes the 'timeless' -- spontaneous goofs, flights, body motions -- & drags it onto timeline, the 'real world' where most of us live. I am 'successful' when the language (clean combination of words) takes me or someone else back to the original combination of feelings & perceptions 'out there,' or somewhere equally nice. 3. My work is part of the nostalgia craze; all of it reminds me of where I used to be. 4. Grace, in a very orthodox sense, is my major preoccupation." Dlugos moved to New York in the late seventies where he edited and contributed to such magazines as Christopher Street, New York Native, and The Poetry Project Newsletter. He read everywhere and with almost everyone involved the downtown scene. Whether writing about pop culture, New York, being gay, alcoholism, or AIDS, content always came secondary to style in Dlugos' poetry. Sometime after being diagnosed HIVpositive, Dlugos decided to abandon his career as a fundraiser to become a priest in the Episcopalian church where he could utilize and express his experiences as a gay man. While studying at the Yale School of Divinity, Dlugos died of AIDS related complications on December 3, 1990.

Bibliography: Works by Tim Dlugos:

Coming Attractions. Los Angeles: Little Caesar Press, 1980.A Fast Life. Chatsworth, CA: Sherwood Press, 1982.For Years. Washington D.C.: Jawbone, 1977.Entre Nous. Los Angeles: Little Caesar Press, 1982.High There. Washington D.C.: Some of Us Press, 1973.Incredible Risks. New York: Hard Press, 1981.Je Suis Ein Americano. Los Angeles: Little Caesar Press, 1979.Powerless: Selected Poems. Ed. David Trinidad. New York: High Risk, 1996.Strong Place: Poems. New York: Amethyst Press, 1992.

Works on Tim Dlugos/ Works With Contributions by Tim Dlugos (arranged alphabetically within author series by the title of the larger work):

Abbott, Steve. "In the Spirit of Rimbaud." [ ]. (Aug. 24, 1979). 15, [ ].Beaudouin, David. "Tim Dlugos, an Appreciation." Washington Review. (Dec. 1982 -- Jan 1983). 28.Chibbaro, Lou and Keen, Lisa M. "Fighting Back: Gay Communities Respond to the Aids health Crisis." Washington Blade. 14:5 (Feb. 4, 1983) [ ],32-3. (Tim Dlugos quoted on p. 33).Cooper, Dennis and Tim Dlugos; Eds. Coming Attractions: An Anthology of American Poets in Their Twenties. Los Angeles: Little Caesar Press, 1980.Cory, Jim. "Tim Dlugos: 1950-1990" The James White Review. 10:2 (Winter 1993). 18-19.DeLynn, Jane. "Francis Timothy Dlugos." Outweek. 79/ 80. (Jan 9, 1991) 36, 90.Dlugos, Tim.. "The Certitude of Night," "Harding's Beach." American Letters and Commentary.2 (Fall 1989) 78-80.Dlugos, Tim. "Night Life, "Famous Writers," "Day Light." Angels of the Lyre: A Gay Poetry Anthology.Ed. Winston Leyland. San Francisco: Parjandrum Press, 1975. 49-50.Dlugos, Tim. "All Soul's Day," "As Alive,""Signs of Madness." Art and Understanding. 1: 1 (Fall 1991) 5-6.Dlugos, Tim. "Erosion." Art and Understanding. 1: 13 (Spring 1992) 13.Dlugos, Tim. "Bill Sullivan." Arts Magazine. 58:5 (Jan. 1984).Dlugos, Tim. "The Steve Hamilton Sestina." B City. 8 (1993) 24-5.Dlugos, Tim. "Green Acres." Barney: The Modern Stone Age Magazine. 4 (Spring 1984) 13.Dlugos, Tim. "Healing the World from Battery Park." The Best American Poetry 1993. Eds. Louis Gld David Lehman. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1993. 58-61.Dlugos, Tim. "As It Is," "American Baseball," "Sounding Back," "Great Books of the 1950's," "John Tongue," "Another Stanza for Martina." Black Box. 8 (n.d.) side b. [sound recording]Dlugos, Tim. "Harmony in Red," "Ordinary Time," "Radiant Child." Bomb. 35 (Spring 1991). 93.Dlugos, Tim. "West 22nd Street." Brooklyn Review. 6 (1989). 46.Dlugos, Tim. "Powerless." Brooklyn Review. 7 (1990). 1-3.Dlugos, Tim. "Good Morning." Brooklyn Review. 8 (1991) 2.Dlugos, Tim. "Psalm," "Spinner." Brooklyn Review. 9 (1992) 29-30.Dlugos, Tim. "Signs of Madness." Chemical Imbalance Magazine. 2:3 (n.d.). 75.Dlugos, Tim. "Rough Trade: The Williams-Windam Correspondence. Christopher Street Magazine. 2:2 (Aug. 1977). 53-6.Dlugos, Tim. "A Weekend Guide to Gay D. C." Christopher Street Magazine. 3:3 (Oct. 1978). 47-52.Dlugos, Tim. "Generation" Christopher Street Magazine. 7:3 (Apr. 1983). 44-7.Dlugos, Tim. "You are There," "Day for Paul," "At the Point," "Bindo Altoviti," "In London," "Great Art." Coming Attractions: An Anthology of American Poets in Their Twenties. Ed. Dennis Cooper. L.A.: Little Caesar Press, 1980. 35-42.Dlugos, Tim. "Powerless." Day of Hope. 1 (n.d.). 32.Dlugos, Tim. "D.O.A." Editor's Choice III: Fiction, Poetry & Art from the U.S. Small Press (1984-1990): Selections from Nominations Made by the Editors of Independent, Noncommercial Literary Presses and Magazines, of Work Published in Them from 1984 to 1990. Eds.Dlugos, Tim."The Legend of Gaucho." The Faber Book of Movie Verse. Ed. Philip French. London: Faber and Faber, 1993. 394-5.Dlugos, Tim. "White Petals." Four Petals. 27:4 (Summer 1978). [ ].Dlugos, Tim. "New Music." Gandhabba. 1:1 (Jan 1984) 29.Dlugos, Tim. "Poem After Dinner," "Flaming Angel." Hanging Loose. 23 (Summer 1974). 9-10.Dlugos, Tim. "The Nineteenth Century is 183 Years Old," "Lit," "Summer, South Brooklyn," "Healing the World from Battery Park." Hanging Loose. 60 (1992) 16-21.Dlugos, Tim. "Signs of Madness," "D.O.A." Jugular Defenses: An Aids Anthology. London: The Oscars Press, 1994. 74-5,106-7.Dlugos, Tim. "Parachute." Long Shot. 10 (n.d.) 63-5.Dlugos, Tim. "Desire Under the Pines," "From Journal," "Solidarity." Mag City. 13 (1982) 15-18.Dlugos, Tim. "Stanza for Martina," Stanza for Martina," "Stanza for Martina," "Chapter Two." Mass Transit. 5 (Fall 1974). 2-3.Dlugos, Tim. "Naked Brunch." New York Native. 1 (Dec. 5-18, 1980). 33.Dlugos, Tim. "Naked Brunch." New York Native. (Dec. 29 -- Jan. 8, 1980). 31.Dlugos, Tim. "Summer Wishes..." New York Native. (June 4-17, 1984). 37-8.Dlugos, Tim. "Where I Hang My Cassock." New York Native. (Oct. 5 -- Nov. 18, 1984). 43-4.Dlugos, Tim. "Gilligan's Island," "President Truman," "American Baseball," "Mallarm" None of the Above: New Poet's of the U.S.A. New York: Crossings Press, 1976. 187-92Dlugos, Tim. "Retrovir." Outweek. 11 (Sept 4, 1989) 55.Dlugos, Tim. "D.O.A." Outweek. 66 (Oct. 3, 1990). 56.Dlugos, Tim. "Turnadot." Outweek. 79/ 80 (Jan 9, 1991) 72.Dlugos, Tim. "Untitled," "July." Paris Review. 29:102 (Spring 1987). 211-212.Dlugos, Tim. "G-9" Paris Review. 115 (Summer 1990) 244-260.Dlugos, Tim. "Larry Stanton: Portraits of Writers" Poetry Project Newsletter. 111. (Jan./Feb. 1985). 7.Dlugos, Tim. "The Collective Smile, the Solitary 'No'." Poetry Project Newsletter. 112 (Mar. 1985). 3-5.Dlugos, Tim. "Here Comes the Bride," "Your New House," "Friends Survive." In Memoriam Tim Dlugos 1950-1990. The Poetry Project Newsletter. 141 (April/May 1991) 11-12.Dlugos, Tim. "The Morning," "All Soul's Day," "Station." Santa Monica Review. 4: 2 (Spring 1992) 98-101.Dlugos, Tim. "Steve Reich and Musicians," "Film." Shiny International. [2] [( )]. [ ].Dlugos, Tim. "Fan Mail From Some Flounder." Shiny International. 4 [( )]. [ ].Dlugos, Tim. "Turnadot," "Etiquette in 1969," "Friends Service." Shiny International. 6 (1991) 53-6.Dlugos, Tim. "New Hope," "Daylight," "Close," "Desire Under the Pines." The Son of the Male Muse: New Gay Poetry. Ed. Ian Young. New York: Trumansburg: Crossing Press, 1993. 82-6.Dlugos, Tim. "The Black Forest," "Ten Movies." The Thursday Book: Selected Poetry from the Dove Readings. Ed. J. Wesley Clark. Anapolis: Dove Books, 1975. 11-12.Dlugos, Tim. "Octavian," "A Sense." The World. 42 (Jan 1992) 51-3.Dlugos, Tim. "Goodbye to Chrysis," "Awash in Angels." The World. 51 (1995) 40-3.Dlugos, Tim. "Qum." A Year in Poetry: A Treasury of Classic and Modern Verses for Every Date on the Calendar. New York: Crown Publishers, [ ]. 16.Dlugos, Tim. "American Baseball," "President Truman," "Gilligan's Island," "Note to J.A.," "Mallarm ZZZ. (1974) 44-51.Dlugos, Tim. "At the Point," "Day for Paul," "You are There," "Poles Apart." ZZZZZ. (1977) 138-42.Funsten, Kenneth. "Entre Nous: New Poems." Los Angeles Times. (Oct. 10, 1982).[ ].Griffith, Patricia. "None of the Above, New Poets of the USA" Washington Review. [( )]. [ ].Kikel, Rudy. "Entre Nous Le Deluge." New York Native. (Dec. 20, 1982 -- Jan. 2, 1983). 41.Lally, Michael; Ed. None of the Above: New Poets of the U.S.A. Trumansburg, N.Y.: Crossing Press, 1976.Lerner, Eric. "Dlugos' Songs." Washington Blade. 13:22 (Oct. 8, 1982). 11.Leyland, Winston; Ed.. Angels of the Lyre: A Gay Poetry Anthology. San Francisco: Panjandrum Press, 1975.Miller, Alan. "Strong Place." Lambda Book Report. (Sept. -- Oct. 1992). 43.Padgett, Ron. The Poetry Project Newsletter. New York: St. Mark's Church, 1972-.Trinidad, David. "The Prowling Beast." Outweek. (Mar. 20, 1991). 59.Veasey, Jack. "PhiladelFiles: Check It Out Department." Gay News. (Nov. 26 -- Dec. 2, 1982). [ ].In Memoriam: Tim Dlugos 1950-1990. Poetry Project Newsletter. 141 (April/May 1990). 10-12.Remembering Tim. Washington Review. 16:6 (April-May 1991). 3-18.

Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject/author heading or chronologically.

The files are grouped into six series and elements of his writing material are subdivided into subseries:

  1. Series I: Correspondence
  2. Series II: Manuscripts
  3. Series III: Biographical Information
  4. Series IV: Readings, Reviews, Periodical Contributions
  5. Series V: Video, Audio, and Electronic Files
  6. Series VI: Realia
  7. Oversize - Series IV: Readings, Reviews, Periodical Contributions
  8. Accretion 1998 - Series I: Correspondence
  9. Accretion 1998 - Series II: Manuscripts
  10. Accretion 1998 - Series III: Biographical Information
  11. Accretion 1998 - Series IV: Readings, Reviews, Periodical Contributions

Scope and Content Note

The Tim Dlugos Papers are a part of the Downtown Collectionat the Fales Library, New York University. The Fales Library is the primary special collections division of the NYU libraries, housing over 160,000 volumes of English and American literature from 1700 to the present. Strengths of the collection include the development of the English and American novel, with an emphasis on the Gothic and the Victorian novel. The Downtown Collection, of which the Dlugos Papers are a part, is a comprehensive collection of printed materials, archives, and other materials related to the Downtown New York scene from ca. 1975 to the present.

The collection includes Dlugos' books, chapbooks, correspondence, poetry, prose, periodical contributions, manuscripts (his and other writers), diaries, journals, video and audio recordings, notes on course work, and a host of biographical and miscellaneous material. The collection chronicles the life of Tim Dlugos from his early development as a poetthrough his posthumously published books and poems. David Trinidad, a long-time friend and fellow poet, aided in the processing of the collection by sorting most of the poetry manuscripts chronologically. Printed materials were removed and catalogued in the Downtown Collection and are listed in Bobcat.

The archival portion of the Tim Dlugos Collection is the Tim Dlugos Papers. It comprises his personal correspondence with both New York and Washington writers, manuscripts, periodical contributions, reviews, interviews, fundraising projects, course work from his undergraduate years and Yale Divinity School, and other assorted biographical material. The Tim Dlugos Papers chronicle the wide range of events and the driving forces of his life. The collection, while not entirely comprehensive, captures the literary scene he involved himself with in Washington, D.C. and New York, his early political activism at La Salle College, his plans to become a priest, and his trials with alcoholism and AIDS.

SERIES DESCRIPTION

SERIES I: Correspondence

Series I contains correspondence to and from Tim Dlugos and his estate from a variety of his friends, writers, editors, church leaders, and others. It is arranged alphabetically and chronologically where possible.

Subseries A contains the correspondence from others to Tim Dlugos. Separate folders were created for Steve Abbott, Dennis Cooper, and Bernard Welt. The poetry of Bernard Welt has been kept in with his correspondence as much of his correspondence took a poetical form. Other poetry kept with correspondence has been cross referenced in the box and folder list.

Subseries B contains the correspondence from Tim Dlugos to others with a separate folder for business correspondence which includes such items as requests for credit checks.

Subseries C contains all the correspondence to and from the estate of Tim Dlugos.

SERIES II: Manuscripts

Series II contains the manuscripts of Tim Dlugos and other writers such as Bernard Welt and Dennis Cooper.

Subseries A contains the book projects which were seen to publication. These are arranged alphabetically.

Subseries B contains the poetry manuscripts of Tim Dlugos. These are arranged chronologically with the unfinished manuscripts being interfiled chronologically as well. The poems printed from Dlugos' computer files have been processed at the end of this subseries by the address printed on the top of the poem when available.

Subseries C contains the prose manuscripts of Tim Dlugos which were never or never known to be published in magazines or periodicals as well as the initial stages of several planned novels. These are arranged alphabetically.

Subseries D contains interviews conducted by Tim Dlugos.

Subseries E contains the manuscripts by other people, which have been subdivided between poems and manuscripts. The poems in this section may have been submitted for a small press and magazine, Lucy & Ethel, which Dlugos ran in Washington D.C. Two folders have also been created for the manuscripts of Dennis Cooper and the articles either written by him or about him.

SERIES III: Biographical material

Series III contains three subseries which fill one entire box.

Subseries A contains all general biographical material arranged chronologically when possible. In addition to general biographical material such as rm mailing lists, a list of books from his library, a working bibliography of Tim's works compiled by David Trinidad, obituaries, memorial tributes, journals, diaries, photographs, a desk calendar, party invitations, course work from his undergraduate education, and miscellaneous material.

Subseries B contains all information pertaining to the Yale Divinity School. It begins with reflective information, which includes biographical statements, applications, reflection papers, and pastoral interviews. It then moves into the papers Dlugos wrote for Yale. Most of this information was printed off of the computer files in Series V.

Subseries C contains the projects from Dlugos' career as a fundraiser exempting those he did for the church which are in Series III, subseries B and those he did for the St. Mark's Poetry Project which are in Series IV, subseries E.

SERIES IV: Readings, reviews, periodical contributions

Series IV contains five subseries and fills one entire box.

Subseries A contains information on readings and press information with separate folders for Dlugos, Some of Us Press, Little Caesar, Beyond Baroque, and other writers. Some of this material appears in the Oversize section of the collection.

Subseries B contains reviews of the books Dlugos wrote and the anthologies in which he appeared as well as an interview with Dlugos. The reviews are alphabetized by the work they cite.

Subseries C contains blurbs he provided other books and reviews he did of other books, both those published and possibly unpublished. The reviews are alphabetized by the author's name.

Subseries D contains Dlugos' prose and poetry contribution to periodicals, magazines, and anthologies. Contributions which appeared in the Christopher Street Magazine or The Poetry Project Newsletter have been placed in subseries E. All other contributions have been alphabetized in this subseries by the title of the periodical, magazine, or anthology.

Subseries E contains the magazines which Dlugos either published or edited. All information regarding these magazines has not been sorted -- elsewhere with the exception of poems that may have been submitted for Lucy & Ethel magazine, which are among other people's poetry manuscripts (Series II, subseries E).

SERIES V: Video, audio, and electronic files

Series V contains audio and video recordings of Tim's readings and lectures. The computer disks transferred from Tim's computer have all been printed and interfiled into the appropriate series and folders. Note: Series has been divided between researcher access copies and original material. Research copies may not be available for all material yet. Please check with the Fales Archivist.

SERIES VI: Realia

Series VI contains the ephemeral objects of the Dlugos collection.

OVERSIZE

A flat oversize box at the end of the collection contains oversize materials from Series IV, subseries A.

ACCRETION 1998

An accretion consisting of two boxes (Boxes 6 and 7) was added in 1998 containing material belonging to Miscellaneous Correspondence (Series I); Manuscript Material (Series II); Biographical Material (Series III); and Readings, reviews and periodical contributions (Series IV). Material is arranged alphabetically and organized under the appropriate subseries.

Access Restrictions

Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Use Restrictions

Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date (if known); Tim Dlugos Papers; MSS 87; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.

Provenance

The Tim Dlugos Papers were donated to the Fales Library by Christopher Wiss, the executor of the Dlugos estate, in 1996. David Trinidad, a long-time friend and fellow poet, aided in the processing of the collection by sorting most of the poetry manuscripts chronologically. Printed materials were removed and catalogued in the Downtown Collection and are listed in Bobcat.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Access copies for some materials are available by appointment for reading room viewing and listening only. Please contact fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.

Separated Material

Printed materials listed below were removed and catalogued in the Downtown Collection in Bobcat. TV generations : LACE, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, February 21 through April 12, 1986 / exhibition curators, John Baldessari, Bruce Yonemoto ; literary editor, Tim Martin.[Los Angeles, Calif.] : LACE, c1986.Mueller, Cookie. How to get rid of pimples / by Cookie Mueller ; with photographs by David Armstrong, Nan Goldin, Peter Hujar.New York, N.Y. : Top Stories, c1984.Shiny international.New York : Shiny International, c1986-Welt, Bernard, 1952- Undying love / Bernard Welt.[New York?] : Smart Poets Press, c1976.Welt, Bernard, 1952- 2000 vibrations per minute help / by Bernard Welt.[New York?] : Smart Poets Press, c1975.Welt, Bernard, 1952- Macho stud / [Bernard Welt].[S.l. : s.n., 197-?]Spera, Stephen. The same thing by candlelight / Stephen Spera.Phila[delphia], PA, USA : Phila Eye and Ear, c1980.Art & understanding.Albany, N.Y. : Art & Understanding, Inc., 1991-American letters & commentary.[Brooklyn, N.Y.] : American Letters and Commentary, 1988-Barney.Venice, Calif. : Fred & Barney Press, 1981-1984.

Related Material at the Fales Library and Special Collections

Other material relating to the life of Tim Dlugos exists in:

Between C & D Archive (MSS.084)

Dennis Cooper Papers (MSS.085)

Ron Kolm Papers (MSS.079)

David Wojnarowicz Papers (MSS.092)

Collection processed by

Matthew Barton (February - July 1997), Media Material updated by Luke Martin and Brent Phillips, July, 2008

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 17:08:36 -0400.
Language: Description is written in: English, Latin script.

Edition of this Guide

Derived from Dlugos Finding AID.doc

Repository

Fales Library and Special Collections
Fales Library and Special Collections
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012