Eliot Katz Papers
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Abstract
The Eliot Katz Papers (1975-2017) include essays, reports, newspaper clippings, photographs, personal writings, poetry and prose, and memorabilia related to Katz's activities as an activist and poet. The collection also contains correspondence between Katz and the poet Allen Ginsberg, which documents Ginsberg's influence on Katz's career as a poet and human rights activist. A significant portion of the collection consists of correspondence with other major activists and writers including Abbie Hoffman, Charles Bukowski, Adrienne Rich, Dave Dellinger, Tom Waits, and Amiri Baraka. Katz was an advocate for homeless individuals and families of Central New Jersey and dedicated himself to working with the Middlesex Interfaith Partners with the Homeless (MIPH) to institute housing and food programs. The collection also features newspaper clippings of poetry reviews and political events; photographs taken at literary events and political rallies; event posters of a variety of poetry readings; and memorabilia relating to his career as an activist and poet are also present in the collection. Of particular significance, the collection also features drafts and original manuscripts of Katz's poetry and other published works.
Biographical Note
Eliot Katz (1957- ) is an American poet and activist. In the fall of 1976, as a student at Rutgers University, Katz met the prominent writer Allen Ginsberg. Over time, Katz developed a relationship with and became Ginsberg's apprentice. His interest in human rights causes and poetry was influenced greatly by Ginsberg. As a longtime resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Katz worked with Middlesex Interfaith Partners with the Homeless (MIPH) as an advocate for homeless families and individuals. He was a cofounder and former editor of Long Shot literary magazine, and his poems appear in numerous anthologies, including Blue Stones and Salt Hay: An Anthology of Contemporary New Jersey Poets and Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. He is the author of books of poetry, including: Space and Other Poems for Love, Laughs, and Social Transformation, Unlocking the Exits: Poems, Les voleurs au travail/Thieves at Work, and coeditor of Poems for the Nation: A Collection of Contemporary Political Poems. Katz currently resides in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Arrangement
This collection has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Contents
The Eliot Katz Papers contain correspondence between Katz and Allen Ginsberg, as well as with major activists and writers, including Abbie Hoffman, Charles Bukowski, Adrienne Rich, Dave Dellinger, Tom Waits, and Amiri Baraka. The collection also includes newspaper clippings of poetry reviews and political events; photographs taken at literary events and political rallies; event posters to a variety of poetry readings; and memorabilia relating to Katz's career as an activist and poet. Of particular significance, the collection also includes drafts and original manuscripts of Katz's poetry, his notebooks, and other published works. The collection also contains video recordings of interviews with Katz in addition to electronic recordings of Katz's poetry activites.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by Eliot Katz, was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Eliot Katz Papers; TAM 722; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Eliot Katz in 2017. The accession numbers associated with this gift are 2017.056 and 2017.079. Accretion materials donated by Eliot Katz in November 2023; the accession number associated with this gift is 2024.008.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
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 tamiment.wagner@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.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Advance notice is required for the use of computer records. Original physical digital media is restricted. Born-digital materials have not been transferred and may not be available to researchers. Researchers may request access copies. To request that material be transferred, or if you are unsure if material has been transferred, please contact tamiment.wagner@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.
Appraisal
On November 11, 2023, accession materials were reviewed by the Curator for Tamiment-Wagner Collections and the following items were separated and discarded per the terms of the letter of agreement signed with Katz in 2017: duplicate fliers, duplicate photographs, personal photographs, 1 copy of Rolling Stone magazine, 1 VHS tape marked "poor quality" that was otherwise unmarked, and 1 unlabeled audiocassette tape that appears to be presenting mold.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning, materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. Original caption information, when available, was transcribed onto acid-free archival folders. Where captions were illegible, the archivist's interpretation is enclosed in square brackets. The language of the original captions, which includes editorializing comments was retained. Materials that were loose was foldered and titled. All materials were organized in the order the content was received. A small accretion of materials donated in November of 2017 was accessioned and incorporated into the folder-list at the end of the collection.
Electronic records on CD-R format have been identified, inventoried, and physically removed from their original boxes but have not yet been imaged or analyzes. New York University Libraries follow professional standards and best practices when imaging, ingesting, and processing born-digital material in order to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the content.
In November 2023, an accretion was rehoused in archival boxes and folders. In January 2024, the finding aid was updated to include accretion materials inventoried on the folder-level (Boxes 5-9).
