Sparrow Papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Sparrow is a longtime poet/activist/musician of the Lower East Side of Manhattan and a member of the literary group, the Unbearables. He has published several chapbooks of poetry in collaboration with the St. Mark's Poetry Project and other poetry organizations, and he has served as the editor for the literary journal Big Fish. He has been published in The New Yorker, as well as The Quarterly, and The New York Times. The Sparrow Papers are a diverse collection of materials including manuscripts, notes, journals, travelogues, handwritten signs, and periodicals.
Biographical Note
Sparrow is a longtime poet/activist of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He has published several chapbooks of poetry in collaboration with the St. Mark's Poetry Project and other poetry organizations, and he has served as the editor for the literary journal Big Fish. He gained notoriety in 1995 by picketing The New Yorker, holding a sign that read, "My poetry is as bad as yours." Since then, he has been published in that magazine as well as The Quarterly and The New York Times. In 1996, he ran for president and published the book Republican Like Me: A Diary of My Presidential Campaign about his experiences. In addition to his work as a poet, Sparrow is a member of the Unbearables (along with Ron Kolm, Richard Kostelanetz, and Rob Witz), and the founder of the East Village Militia and the One Size Fits All Movement. He is also a member of the musical group Foamola.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject/author heading.
The files are grouped into four series.
- Series I: Manuscripts
- Series II: Journals/Travelogues
- Series III: Personal
- Series IV: Books/Periodicals
Scope and Contents
The Sparrow Papers are a diverse collection of materials including manuscripts, notes, journals, travelogues, handwritten signs, and periodicals.
The manuscripts are in the form of typescripts (some with corrections) or handwritten notes, most pertaining to an unidentified novel and are labeled as such. The collection also includes journals and travelogues detailing Sparrow's travels and including notes and drafts of original poetry and fiction. Sparrow's other the personal files in the collection include articles, correspondence, information on Foamola, the New Yorker occupation, and the East Village Militia, and miscellaneous travel documents. The published material within the collection is from Sparrow's collection of periodicals, books, and chapbooks. Published books and chapbooks written by Sparrow have been catalogued and are located within the downtown collection at Fales Library.
Subjects
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Sparrow Papers; MSS 096; box number; folder number or item identifier; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased from Sparrow in 1999. Sparrow donated further accretions in 2008, 2013, and December 2023. The accession numbers associated with these acquisitions are 1999.096, 2008.096, 2013.096, and 2024.008.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2024 are unknown. In 2024, an accretion of poetry manuscripts and ephemera was rehoused in archival folders, and intellectually incorporated into the collection's Series I. as Box 7.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I: Manuscripts, Undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Series I contains the manuscript files of Sparrow's poetry and fiction, most of which are in the form of typescripts (some with corrections) or handwritten notes. A large number of these files are manuscript fragments pertaining to an unidentified novel and are labeled as such. The author's original grouping of manuscript fragments is maintained.
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-computer printout, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-computer printout, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript, pp. 1-182, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript, pp. 183-326, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript, pp. 327-480, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript submitted to Pantheon Books, pp., undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript submitted to Pantheon Books, pp. 161-370, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript submitted to Pantheon Books, pp. 371-480, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript with corrections, pp. 161-239, 1-83, undated
Born Too Young: A Pilgrimage Diary-typescript with corrections, pp. 1-160, undated
Miscellaneous, handwritten poems, notes, and short works, undated
New Yorker: Poems written to the New Yorker during occupation of offices, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-handwritten notes, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
Novel: Unidentified-typescript with corrections, undated
One Size Fits All Movement-poems, undated
Poems, undated
Poetry and Ephemera, 2009-2021, inclusive
Power Poetry, undated
Sparrow for Prez, undated
Unidentified, handwritten fragments, undated
Unidentified, handwritten notes, undated
Unidentified, handwritten notes, undated
Unidentified, handwritten notes, undated
Unidentified typescript with corrections, undated
Uptown Dispatches, pp. 1-109, undated
Uptown Dispatches, pp. 110-234, undated
Series II: Journals/Travelogues, Undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Series II contains journals and travelogues detailing Sparrow's journeys in Europe and India. Interspersed with the autobiographical information in these journals are notes and drafts of original poetry and fiction.
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Journals, undated
Series III: Personal, Undated, 1991-2012, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Series III contains the personal files, which include articles, correspondence, information on Foamola, the New Yorker occupation, and the East Village Militia, and miscellaneous travel documents.
Articles-"Light In Our Catskills, A Sparrow." The Mountain Eagle, 7/17/1997, 1997
Articles-Sparrow. Garbage In Mind. Whole Earth Review, Spring 1991, 1991
Articles-Sparrow. Tomorrow's News, undated
Calendar, undated
Cartoons, drawings, and original artwork, undated
Correspondence, undated
The East Village Militia, undated
Foamola signs (musical group with Sparrow), undated
Hitchhiking signs indicating city destinations, undated
New Yorker: Signs protesting the New Yorker, undated
Sherwin, Richard E. A Strange Courage-manuscript submitted to Sparrow, undated
Topp, Mike materials, undated
Travel, undated
Notes - mixed, Undated
Notes - mixed, Undated
Notes - mixed, Undated
Notes - mixed, Undated
The True Story of How I Went Punk, Crumbs From My Cabana, drawings, drafts, notes., 2000-2012, inclusive
Series IV: Books/Periodicals, 1988-1995, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Series IV contains Sparrow's collection of periodicals, books, and chapbooks. Published books and chapbooks written by Sparrow have been catalogued and are located within the downtown collection at Fales Library.
