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Amos Poe Papers

Call Number

MSS.203

Date

1966-2005, inclusive

Creator

Poe, Amos

Extent

133.5 Linear Feet
in 68 boxes; film, video, and audio elements.

Language of Materials

Materials primarily in English.

Abstract

Amos Poe is a filmmaker, writer, and producer who became one of the leading figures of the No Wave Cinema Movement (1976-1985). The Amos Poe Papers largely preserves Poe's writing and the writing of others, which includes scripts, screenplays, and other writings, as well as journals, notebooks, photographs, and audio and moving image elements.

Biographical Note

Amos Poe (Amos Jay Porges) was born in Tel Aviv in 1949, and his family emigrated to the United States in 1957. The Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia provided a source for his first photographic series in 1968. His film career began in the early 1970s, when he made his first Super-8 films and briefly worked in distribution. Poe became one of the leading figures of the No Wave Cinema Movement (1976-1985) that developed out the New York East Village music and art community, which included Jim Jarmusch, Eric Mitchell, Beth B and Scott B, Vivienne Dick, John Lurie, Becky Johnston, James Nares and Nick Zedd. This movement embraced the artistic sensibilities of the avant-garde, French New Wave, and B-Movie genres. It was also during this period that Poe contributed writing and photography to publications specific to this scene, including NY Rocker and Traveler's Digest.

As a filmmaker, Poe sites the work of Jean-Luc Godard, John Cassavettes, and Andy Warhol as primary influences. In 1975, Poe collaborated with artist Ivan Kral (bassist of The Patti Smith Group) to create "The Blank Generation," which includes early performances of Iggy Pop, Blondie, Patti Smith, Television, Richard Hell and the Heartbreakers, The Ramones, Talking Heads, and Wayne County. Beginning in 1976, Poe experimented with the theme of alienating modernity amid new environments in his next three films, "Unmade Beds," (1976) "The Foreigner," (1978) and "Subway Riders" (1981). "Unmade Beds" is an homage to Godard's "Breathless" while "The Foreigner," starring Eric Mitchell and Debbie Harry, shares sensibilities with Jim Jarmusch's "Permanent Vacation" and Susan Seidelman's "Smithereens."

Poe's most widely distributed film, "Alphabet City" (1985) starred Vincent Spano, Kate Vernon, and Jamie Gertz. It was also during this time that Poe directed music videos for artists such as Run DMC and Anthrax. During 1985-1986, Poe wrote "Rocket Gibraltar," which was Burt Lancaster's first film and Macauley Culkin, Kevin Spacey, and Bill Pullman's debut film. During 1988-1990 Poe wrote a number of unproduced screenplays including "Port of Call," "The Golden Eagle," "Mrs. Dogg," "Beach House," and "Paint It Black." The production of "Triple Bogey On A Five Par Hole" marked Poe's official return to independent filmmaking in 1990. With Dolly Hall, he produced Steven Starr's "Joey Breaker," which starred Richard Edson, Gina Gershon, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in 1992.

1993-1994 was another prolific writing period for Poe in which he completed "Kid Killer," "La Pacifica," "The Guitar," "Lodz Seven," "The Grey Nun," "Hard on Berlin," and "The Listener." In 1994 with novelist Joel Rose, Poe co-wrote and directed Stephen Baldwin and Bai Ling in the Ed Wood inspired sci-fi fantasy, "Dead Weekend." In 1998, Poe wrote and directed "Frogs For Snakes" starring Barbara Hershey, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Hart, Debi Mazar, Harry Hamlin, Clarence William III, Lisa Marie, and John Leguizamo. In 1998-1999 Poe completed "Stunning," "To Kill An Angel," "Underage" (with Dirk Wittenborn), "Bypass" and "The Night Witches." Also during this period, Poe directed videos for singer-songwriter Steve Earle and later directed and produced a portrait of the same artist, "Steve Earle: Just An American Boy" (2003). Current projects include an interpretation of Andy Warhol's "Empire" and an online, proactive platform for filmmakers, designers and artists called "Pianospecs." Poe resides in New York City with his wife, artist Sarah Charlesworth, and teaches screenplay development and experimental production at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Arrangement

Within each series, materials are arranged alphabetically by project title, then chronologically if dated. In some cases, which are indicated, the material was arranged by Poe and has retained its original organization.

Series I: Writing includes the work of Amos Poe and others, it is organized alphabetically by document title, then chronologically.

Subseries A: Scripts and Screenplays

Subseries B: Film Treatments, Notes, and Notebooks This subseries includes notation and development directly related to the previous subseries.

Subseries C: Source and Subject Files This subseries consists of documentation directly related to the previous subseries, in addition to development files dedicated to individuals of interest, as either source material or collaborative parties.

Subseries D: Miscellaneous This subseries includes material that is not directly related to Poe's film career, consisting of student essays, notebooks, articles, lyrics, poetry, and development of the graphic novel "La Pacifica."

Series II: Production Files documents the production development of films and music videos involving Poe. Elements are organized by document type, alphabetically by project title, and then chronologically.

Subseries A: Administrative This subseries includes pre-production materials: casting, contact lists, shooting schedules, and miscellaneous office management documentation.

Subseries B: Financial This subseries exclusively holds budgetary documentation, cost reports, and cash flow estimates.

Subseries C: Distribution and Promotion This subseries consists of press pack materials, critical reviews, screening information, and sales agreements and reports.

Subseries D: Film Festivals This subseries includes festivals that screened Poe's work and festivals or events of interest. These contents are organized alphabetically by project title or film festival, then chronologically.

Subseries E: Project Correspondence This subseries consists of communication directly related to the previous subseries. Documents are organized alphabetically by individual or corporation in contact.

Series III: Press includes press about Amos Poe as a filmmaker, but is not directly promotional for any single project individually. This documentation is organized alphabetically by periodical or article title.

Subseries A: About Amos Poe

Subseries B: Clips of Interest

Series IV: Teaching Materials documents Amos Poe the educator. These elements are organized alphabetically by class title or name of institution, then chronologically.

Subseries A: Course Components This subseries includes syllabi, class lists, and teaching contracts.

Subseries B: Miscellaneous Reading This subseries includes articles and literature excerpts not directly related to any single course, and is organized alphabetically by document title.

Series V: Correspondence includes communication not directly related to any single production, and is organized alphabetically by individual or corportation in contact, then chronologically.

Subseries A: Professional

Subseries B: Personal

Series VI: Photography includes photographs, contact sheets, negatives, and slides pertaining to Poe's professional work and personal collection.

Subseries A: Amos Poe Productions This subseries includes stills, negatives, and contact sheets related to Series II. These elements are organized alphabetically by production title.

Subseries B: Other Productions This subseries includes stills from productions not by Amos Poe, which are organized alphabetically by production title.

Subseries C: Talent Files This subseries includes miscellaneous headshots, resumes, and talent agency catalogs in their original organization by Poe. These materials are not in any particular order and are not attached to any single production. Similar elements are located in Series II: Production Files, subseries A: Administrative, which are organized by production title or production company, either "Amos Poe Productions" or "Rain Film."

Subseries D: Personal This subseries includes photographs, negatives, contact sheets, and slides either unlabelled or not directly related to any specific production. These elements are organized alphabetically by original title or date. In addition, this subseries includes three binders of unidentified photographic elements in no particular order.

Series VII: Visual Materials includes scrapbooks, posters and artwork by Amos Poe and others.

Subseries A: Scrapbooks

Subseries B: Posters and Artwork

Series VIII: Film includes original filmic elements by Amos Poe. Access copies appropriate for consultation may not be available, please ask a Fales archivist.

Subseries A: Access Copies

Subseries B: Originals

Subseries C: Film Documentation

Series IX: Video

Access copies appropriate for consultation may not be available, please ask a Fales archivist.

Subseries A: Access Copies

Subseries B: Originals

Subseries C: Miscellaneous Video

Series X: Audio

Access copies appropriate for consultation may not be available, please ask a Fales archivist.

Subseries A: Access Copies

Subseries B: Originals

Subseries C: Miscellaneous Audio

Series XI: Objects includes office items, buttons and other collectables.

Series XII: Data Storage includes magnetic and optical computer elements.

Scope and Content

The Amos Poe Papers contain materials that directly relate to his film career, ranging from the late 1970s through 2005. In addition, this collection largely preserves Poe's writing and the writing of others, which includes scripts, screenplays, treatments and rewrites, articles, essays, short stories, journals, notebooks, a graphic novel, lyrics, and poetry, that occasionally date back to Poe's high school and collegiate education that began in the 1960s. Elements include source material for projects that progressed beyond the writing stage. This body of components includes pre-production agreements and budgetary reports, on-set schedules and memorandums, distribution and promotional materials, teaching elements, professional and personal correspondence, production and personal photography, original artwork, scrapbooks, and original film, video, and audio recordings.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open to researchers without restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by Amos Poe was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Amos Poe Papers; MSS 203; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Some materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact fales.library@nyu.edu at least two business days prior to your research visit to coordinate access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Amos Poe in 2007, with accretions to the collection received in 2009 and 2016. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 2007.203, 2009.203, and 2016.044, respectively.

Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures

Access copies for audiovisual materials in the collection are available by appointment for reading room viewing and listening only. Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact fales.library@nyu.edu with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Collection processed by

Rhyannon J. Rodriguez, 2009 - 2010. Finding aid completed by Ashley Todd, 2010

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 14:16:27 -0500.
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

Decisions about the arrangement, description, and physical interventions taken on this collection prior to 2016 have not yet been recorded. In 2016 an accretion of photographs was incorporated into the collection as part of Series VI. Photography in keeping with the collection's existing arrangement scheme.

Revisions to this Guide

October 2016: Record edited by Rachel Searcy to reflect 2016 accretion
March 2017: Updated by Jacqueline Rider to reflect incorporation of video preservation master and sub-master files.

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