COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
Manuscript versions of Brass' plays, stories, novels, and articles, mostly with gay male themes, including stage directions, programs, press releases and other promotional material for some of the plays, notably "All Men"; typescript of unpublished novel; original screenplay This is All of US, 1970; copies of COME OUT!, which Brass wrote for and published; professional and gay movement correspondence; course materials; and miscellaneous professional papers. Personal papers include a 1968 journal; student papers from NYU, 1971-1973; photographs; and personal and family correspondence.
Dates
- 1968-2004.
Creator
- Brass, Perry. (Person)
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Perry Brass was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1947. He graduated from New York University in 1974, having studied art education. As a gay playwright, writer, and essayist, Brass' most successful work was the theater piece "All Men" which was produced in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, in 1987 and 1988.
Extent
4.4 cubic feet. (4.4 cubic feet.)
Abstract
The Perry Brass papers consist of handwritten and typescript drafts of letters, articles, prose pieces, theatrical writings, diaries, poems, and essays, as well as photographs, publicity and promotional materials, scripts, letters to Brass from friends and family, and printed versions of articles as they appeared in various gay magazines. Most of the material in the collection is concerned with gay themes and the relationship between the gay and straight cultures; the correspondence also most often pertains to gay society, relations, or theatrical and literary milieus.
COLLECTION ARRANGEMENT
As the collection arrived at the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell, there was no evident or particular organization other than the one Brass provided to identify the components of his several donations. As with "All Men," which he called a "structuralist performance piece," Brass kept unlike forms together. These might include drafts of letters, ideas for essays, fragments of theatrical pieces, other forms of writing, and other material. These usually have a chronological integrity.
It is particularly useful to consider Brass' descriptive notes that accompanied each of the donations. These frequently became reminiscences or interpretations, and provide valuable insight into the works. These are located in Box 1, folder 58. Wherever possible, notation of the correspondence is made between Brass' original folder designations, and the current archival configurations. Other connections can be inferred.
The terms "holograph" and "manuscript" are for the purposes of this collection interchangeable.
SERIES LIST
- Series I. Personal
- Boxes 1, 3
- Series II. Correspondence
- Boxes 1, 2, 4, 5
- Series III. Works
- Boxes 1-5
- Series IV. Miscellany, including photographs
- Boxes 1-5
PROVENANCE
The collection was received from Perry Brass in multiple installments in 1989 and 1992.
Physical Description
Diaries, scripts, erotica, photographs.
General
- Contact Information:
- Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
- Compiled by:
- Phil McCray
- Date completed:
- March 1991, October 1992
- EAD encoding:
- Mireille Lee, May 2000
Key to Perry Brass' original descriptive notes of the material:
Box 1:
- "Envelope 7.A" = folders 1-2
- "Envelope 5.A" = folders 5-6
- "On this pad:" = folder 7
- "Envelope 2.A" = folders 11-12
- "Manuscript of Jimmie = folders 13-19
- "On this pad:" = folder 34
- "On this pad:" = folder 35
- "Envelope 3.A" = folders 36-41
- "On this pad:" = folder 43-44
- "Envelope 4.A" = folders 45-46
- "In this folder--5.A" = folders 47-48
Box 2 (primarily):
- "Perry Brass List of Archive Box 2"
- 1 = folders 1-3
- 2 = folders 4-12
- 3 = folders 13-15
- 4 = folder 16
- 5 = folders 17-22
- 6 = Box 4, folders 1-7
- 7 = folder 23
- 8 = folders 24-25
- 9 = folders 26-27
- 10 = folder 28
- 11 = folders 29-31
- 12 = folders 32-37
- 15 = folder 38
Box 3 (primarily):
- "Perry Brass List of Archive, Box Four"
- Item 1 = Box 2, folders 58-60
- Item 2 = folder 6
Box 5 (primarily)
- "Perry Brass List of Archive, Box Five"
- Batch 3 = folders 36-39
- Batch 5 = folders 26-30
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Compiled by Phil McCray
- Date
- 2000
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- ENG
Repository Details
Part of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Repository
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853
607-255-3530
607-255-9524 (Fax)
rareref@cornell.edu