Arthur Gordon Papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection contains manuscripts by the short story and nonfiction article writer Arthur Gordon. Gordon took the pen name Gordon Ramsey to distinguish himself from the editor Arthur Gordon (of Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and Guidepost magazines). Gordon served in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a lieutenant commander, including as a navigating officer during World War II, and most of his work dealt with life aboard ship. He was published in Country Gentleman, Liberty, Colliers, and Argosy magazines, among others. He attended a professional clinic for writers at NYU on the GI Bill, and later taught writing skills at NYU (1950).
Biography of Arthur Gordon
Arthur Gordon was born on January 24, 1899, in Fall River, Massachusetts, "one of that generation which had the last world war sandwiched between high school and college," as he wrote in 1940. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a commissioned officer during World War I. After two years at St. Stephen's (now Bard) College, Gordon returned to the sea. He joined the U.S. Coast Survey and then the Merchant Marine, sailing the world for nearly two decades. In 1938 he took a room at the Brooklyn YMCA and began to write full-time. "When I'm at sea my one absorbing interest is in writing. When I'm writing my one absorbing topic is the sea," Gordon wrote. Nearly all of his stories had the sea as a backdrop. He took the pen name Gordon Ramsey to distinguish himself from the editor Arthur Gordon (of Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Guidepost magazines). Though he sold stories to popular magazines fairly regularly in the early 1940s, his writing career was interrupted in 1942 by a return to active duty in World War II. He served as a navigating officer on the U.S.S. General A.E. Anderson until late in 1945. From December 1942 until January 1946, Gordon was unable to find time to write a word, though he carried around a briefcase containing an unfinished manuscript for a year in hopes of completing it. He returned to writing full-time, publishing stories in Country Gentleman, Liberty, Colliers, and Argosy magazines, among others. He attended a professional clinic for writers at NYU on the GI Bill, and taught writing skills at NYU in 1950. He died in Staten Island in September of 1975.
Sources: 1. Biographical sketch for The Week magazine, 1940; Arthur Gordon Papers; MC 160; box 1; folder 9; New York University Archives, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries. 2. "Troop Ships are Never Dull" magazine article; 1949; Arthur Gordon Papers; MC 160; box 1; folder 9; New York University Archives, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries. 3. Journal entry: resuming writing after World War II; January 1, 1946; Arthur Gordon Papers; MC 160; box 1; folder 9; New York University Archives, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Arrangement
The materials are arranged in one series, three subseries, in two boxes. They were originally bound in three volumes by the author, which have been dismantled for preservation purposes. The contents of the three subseries in the collection correspond to the contents of the original three volumes. The original order of the materials has otherwise been maintained.
The materials are contained in two boxes. They were originally bound in three volumes by the author, which have been dismantled for preservation purposes. The contents of the three subseries in the collection correspond to the contents of the original three volumes. The original order of the materials has otherwise been maintained.
This collection is arranged into one series and three subseries.
Series I: Manuscripts
- Manuscripts
Scope and Content
The Arthur Gordon Papers contain manuscripts of short stories written by Gordon, correspondence related to those stories, one nonfiction magazine article manuscript, and several journal entries on the art of writing. The first folder of Subseries A contains materials related to the provenance of the collection, and was not originally bound with the rest of the collection. All other materials were originally bound in three volumes by Gordon.
The short story manuscripts, along with correspondence between Gordon and his agent (Edith Sewell) on the sale of the manuscripts to magazines, comprise the bulk of the collection. Gordon wrote explicitly for the popular market, dabbling in genres such as romance and mystery in simple, accessible prose. Nearly all of the stories deal with life aboard ship. Exceptions to this rule include "Dude Jungle," set in the Amazon jungle; and "Sister Act" and "All the Angles," set in New York City show business. The latter two stories are also unusual among Gordon's work for having female narrators.
The article titled "Troop Ships are Never Dull" is unique among the manuscripts in the collection for being a nonfiction magazine article. It describes Gordon's experiences as an officer on the U.S.S. General A.E. Anderson, which transported American troops to and from Europe during World War II. The article was published in The Infantry Journal in 1949.
Most frequently the backdrop of Gordon's fiction is a U.S. Navy vessel, but a few stories are set on passenger ships as well: see "Love At First Carry" and "On the High Seas, Murder." Many of the stories are light and humorous in tone. Plots tend to be driven by romantic hijinks rather than the grimmer aspects of military service, as in "Sea Sleds Scuttled, Inc." and "Dames Love the U.S.N." Yet Gordon could take a serious turn too, particularly in those stories he set in World War II: "Men for the Job," "Old Gold, New Gold," and "Life of the Party," among others.
The term "journal entries" was created by the archivist to describe short nonfiction manuscripts that are essentially ruminations on the writer's craft. These typed or handwritten manuscripts were written sporadically by Gordon and not connected to any specific short story. Where the journal entries were given titles by Gordon, they have been retained in the folder titles.
Though Gordon lived until 1975, the last manuscripts in the collection date from 1957.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Open to the public. Some original papers in Volume I are brittle and have been replaced with access copies within the original order of the collection. The originals are stored separately and should not be used due to their fragility.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2641
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: university-archives@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Arthur Gordon Papers; MC 160; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The collection was originally donated to the College of Saint Rose by Gordon's widow, Mary C. Gordon, in 1976. The College of Saint Rose transferred the collection to New York University Archives in 2001.
About this Guide
Processing Information note
The original bound volumes were disbound for preservation purposes. Some of the original papers in the first volume are very brittle. These papers have been replaced with access copies and stored separately for preservation purposes. Researchers should use the access copies of the originals.
Repository
Series I: Manuscripts, 1938-1976, inclusive; 1939-1957, bulk
Language of Materials
Extent
Subseries A: Volume I, 1940, 1938-1942, inclusive
Language of Materials
Extent
Correspondence between Mary C. Gordon and archivists, 1976, 2001
Processing Information
The materials in this folder are related to the provenance of the collection, and were never included in the three bound volumes created by Gordon.