Special Collections Department
The Ishmael Reed Papers
IX. Legal and Publishing Correspondence, 1966 - 1993
Extent: 1 linear ft.
Contents: Letters, greeting cards, brochures, flyers, circulars. contracts, announcements, clippings, financial statements, legal documents, telegrams, book jackets, photographs.
Arrangement: Series IX is divided into three subseries: Agents, Legal Representatives, and Publishers. All three are arranged alphabetically by names of individuals or businesses. In Series IX.1. the arrangement is by the name of the agent or agency if no specific agent appears to be working directly as Reed's representative. The files for individual agents are in chronological order, with separate folders representing changes in agency names. A single folder at the end of the subseries contains information and solicitations from various agencies which Reed did not use to represent him. A similar arrangement is used for Series IX.2., which is alphabetical by the name of the individual attorney, with files for each attorney in chronological order and with separate folders representing changes in the names of the law firms. Series IX.3. is in alphabetical order by the name of the publishing company. Each company's files are arranged in chronological order, with some overlap in the chronology due to the use of separate folders for different editors and different types of materials (i.e. royalty statements, promotional materials). The last two folders contain publishing information with no publisher identified.
The Legal and Publishing Correspondence files consist primarily of business correspondence sent to Reed by the literary agencies, law firms, and publishers who represented his literary interests. Materials other than correspondence include advertising flyers and brochures, catalogs, royalty statements, and a few contracts. Some letters from Reed are also included. Significant correspondence is included from literary agents James F. Seligman (1966-1974) and Barbara Lowenstein (1978-1989); from attorney Ellis J. Freedman (1976-1989); and from editors Lynn Deming (1966-1970), Anne Freedgood (1973-1984), and Ken McCormick (1971-1976).
Literary agent James F. Seligman was retained in 1966 to market the publication rights to Reed's first novel, The Free Lance Pallbearers. Seligman negotiated an agreement with Doubleday for the book and a contract with an English publisher, McGibbon & Kee. Seligman entered into partnership with Oscar Collier in October, 1968, and continued to represent Reed until March 31, 1969. After that time, he continued to play a limited role in foreign marketing of The Free Lance Pallbearers and Yellow Back Radio Broke Down, Reed's second novel, and correspondence relating to these endeavors continued through 1973.
Correspondence files for agent Barbara Lowenstein begin in 1978. The first and second folders relate predominantly to securing a contract with Richard Marek Publishers for Reed's novel The Terrible Twos and marketing the novel to overseas publishers. The remaining two folders of correspondence relate to publication of Reckless Eyeballing and New and Collected Poems, and to re-publication of his earlier novels.
Program Corporation of America represented Reed as a speaker between 1974 and 1978. The correspondence in this folder supplements other files related to Reed's speaking engagements in section VI., Appearances.
Abraham Friedman was the attorney retained by Reed to represent his literary interests from 1966 until Friedman's death in March, 1972. Friedman handled financial matters relating to Reed's contract with Doubleday and other contracts negotiated by Seligman as well as the process of terminating Seligman's contract.
Ellis Freedman, who was involved in Reed's legal affairs along with his partner Abe Friedman, became Reed's representative after Friedman's death. Their association continued through at least 1989. Correspondence relates to contracts with publishers, including University of Massachusetts Press (Conjure), Doubleday (Mumbo Jumbo and This One's On Me), Bantam (Mumbo Jumbo paperback), Random House (Chattanooga, Last Days of Louisiana Red, Flight to Canada), NOK (A Secretary to the Spirits), Garland (God Made Alaska for the Indians), and St. Martin's Press (The Terrible Twos), as well as contracts for motion picture rights to Yellow Back Radio Brokedown and Freelance Pallbearers. Other correspondence relates to permission and copyright for reprinted poems (see also Series VIII.3) and reports on advances and royalties. There is a small amount of scattered correspondence relating to Reed, Cannon, and Johnson and Before Columbus Foundation. There are also some letters relating to Reed's divorce from his first wife and custody and child support arrangements. A few letters from Reed to Freedman, generally carbon copies, are also found in this series.
Howard Moore, Jr., was Reed's representative in the case of Yardbird vs. Reed (1978-1980), in which Reed and co-defendant Al Young were accused of improperly using the name, assets, and records of Yardbird Publishing Company. Copies of court documents related to the judgement and correspondence related to the case are contained in this file.
Stephen C. Skinner represented Ishmael and Carla Reed in McKinney vs. Reed. This case involved a financial award to the Reeds, but the exact nature of the case is not apparent from the contents of the four letters in the file.
Doubleday was the first major publisher to handle Reed's books, and his interests there were handled by four different editors: Lynn Deming (Free Lance Pallbearers, Yellow Back Radio Broke Down), Anne Freedgood (19 Necromancers From Now, Mumbo Jumbo, Chattanooga) Ken McCormick (Mumbo Jumbo, This One's On Me), and Betty Prasher (Shrovetide in Old New Orleans). Folders in the Doubleday subseries include correspondence about the publication of these works, some typed letters, generally unsigned copies, from Reed. The correspondents are primarily the editors named, but letters from other members of the editorial staff, fans, and other interested parties are included in the files. Book covers for Shrovetide in New Orleans are included in the Betty Prasher file, and photostatic copies of a longhand letter to be reproduced in Mumbo Jumbo are included in the Ken McCormick files. Correspondence also relates to permission and copyright matters for works previously published, for articles and poems by Reed published or reprinted elsewhere. Scattered throughout the files are responses to Reed's requests for the publishers to obtain copies of books for him, which could be useful for documenting the author's reading during this time. There is also a folder of royalty statements for the years 1979-1987.
In 1971, editor Anne Freedgood left Doubleday for Random House. Ken McCormick continued work on Reed's projects at Doubleday, but after some negotiation, Reed signed a contract with Random House. Anne Freedgood became his editor for Chattanooga and also worked with him on The Last Days of Louisiana Red and Flight to Canada. The Random House files include correspondence relating to these works and related promotional appearances, publicity, and a few reviews. Three 1973 draft letters from Reed to Freedgood with extensive notes and corrections are foldered separately (F48). These include two drafts of a proposal for his novel The Last Days of Louisiana Red (then called "Bloom Dido"), the second dated March 12, 1973, and a nine-page draft letter dated June 9, 1973 with detailed responses to Freedgood's criticisms of a draft of the same novel. An undated draft letter to Freedgood which explains his decision to submit a novel to a different publisher also bears extensive notes and corrections and is also foldered separately (F50). Random House files also include newsletters, royalty statements, and letters from Charles Harris, Random House editor for Books for Young Readers and co-editor of Amistad magazine.
University of Massachusetts Press published Conjure, Reed's 1972 volume of poetry. A contract for the publication is included in the files with correspondence, receipts, and publicity relating to the publication process. Editor Malcolm L. Call also read Reed's autobiographical manuscript This One's On Me and the files contain two letters with his comments. Royalty statements are also included.
Margaret Talcott was Reed's editor at Atheneum, which published Writin' is Fightin', The Terrible Threes, and New and Collected Poems, as well as paperback editions of his previous books. The Atheneum file contains correspondence related to the editing and publication process, cover design, rights and permissions, and publicity; an amendment to his contract; and photocopied reviews.
The original contract for The Terrible Twos was with Richard Marek Publishers, Inc. Reed's editor, Joyce Engelson, moved to St. Martin's Press, and Reed signed a contract reassigning rights to St. Martin's (see F18). One letter from Engelson at Richard Marek is included in the St. Martin's Press files. St. Martin's also published Reckless Eyeballing, and most St. Martin's Press materials concern that novel. Press releases, invoices, editorial comments, copies of letters to advance readers requesting comments, and royalty statements are included.
Other publishers with files in this series include Addison Wesley (Airing Dirty Laundry), Allison & Busby (British publishers of Reckless Eyeballing, Mumbo Jumbo, and The Terrible Threes), Avon (paperback editions of the first five novels), Bamberger (Cab Calloway Stands In For the Moon), Bantam (paperback edition Yellow Back Radio Broke Down), Garland (God Made Alaska for the Indians), NOK (A Secretary To The Spirits), and International (relating to permission to publish "I Am A Cowboy in the Boat of Ra" in the Norton Anthology of Poetry). The Avon files include black and white photographs of cover art sketches for Yellow Back Radio Broke Down, Freelance Pallbearers, and Flight to Canada; and a photo/collage/sketch treatment for the Mumbo Jumbo cover. A file for E.P. Dutton contains contract drafts for the transfer of rights to publish William Demby's Love Story Black from Reed, Cannon, & Johnson Co. to E. P. Dutton.
53 Series IX. Legal and publishing correspondence, 1966-1993 Series IX.1. Literary agents, 1966-1995 F1 Lordly and Dame, Inc., 1969 Lowenstein, Barbara, 1978-1995 F2 Barbara Lowenstein, 1978-1981 Barbara Lowenstein Associates, Inc., 1981-1988 F3 1981-1982 F4 1983-1988 Lowenstein Associates, Inc., 1988-1995 F5 1988-1989 F6 Reviews, 1994-1995 F7 Program Corporation of America Seligmann, James F., 1966-1974 F8 James F. Seligmann, Inc., 1966-1968 F9 Seligmann & Collier, 1968-1974 F10 James Seligmann Agency, [n.d.] F11 Wright, Ellen, 1969-1971 F12 Information, various agencies, 1973-1976 and [n.d.] 53 Series IX. Legal and publishing correspondence (cont'd) Series IX.2. Legal representatives, 1972-1983 Freedman, Ellis J., 1972-1989 F13 Friedman & Freedman, 1972-1973 Includes a number of letters from Ishmael Reed to Freedman Lowenthal, Freedman, Landau, Fischer & Todres F14 1973-1974 F15 1975 F16 Lowenthal, Freedman, Landau, Fischer & Singer, 1976 F17 Freedman & Kolins, 1976-1982 F18 Ellis J. Freedman, 1981-1989 Friedman, Abraham, 1966-1972 F19 Bernays & Eisner, 1966-1971 F20 Friedman & Freedman, 1971-1972 F21 Moore, Howard, Jr. Moore and Bell, 1978-1980 F22 Skinner, Stephen C. Munck, Benson, Skinner & Wagner, 1983 Series IX.3. Publishers, 1966-1993 F23 Addison-Wesley, 1993 F24 Allison & Busby, 1989, 1993 F25 Atheneum, 1987-1992; n.d. Avon F26 Correspondence, 1976-1981 F27 College catalog, 1979-1980 F28 20th-century literature catalogs, n.d. 53 Series IX. Legal and publishing correspondence (cont'd) Series IX.3. Publishers (cont'd) F29 Bamberger, 1986 F30 Bantam Books, 1972-1975 Doubleday Deming, Lynn F31 1966-1968 F32 1969-1970 F33 Books in Print catalog, 1969 Freedgood, Anne F34 1970-1973 F35 From Ishmael Reed, 1971 Drafts of letters to Anne Freedgood and her secretary, Mary Dick regarding changes and corrections in the manuscript of Mumbo Jumbo. All have author's notes and corrections. McCormick, Ken F36 1971-1972 Includes several TL(c) and one letter from Ishmael Reed. Also includes 3 pages of a letter from McCormick to Reed detailing questions and objections to parts of This One's on Me. F37 From Ishmael Reed, 1971 Three letters to McCormick and one letter to Joan Ward, McCormick's assistant. Also includes autograph original and photostatic copy of fictional letter which appears in Mumbo Jumbo. F38 1973-1976 and [n.d.] Includes TL from Reed to Loretta Barrett, Editorial Director F39 Prasher, Betty, 1976-1979 F40 Royalty statements, 1979-1987 F41 E. P. Dutton, 1986 53 Series IX. Legal and publishing correspondence (cont'd) Series IX.3. Publishers (cont'd) Garland F42 Correspondence, 1980-1989 F43 Royalty statements, 1982, 1989 F44 International Publishers, 1969-1970 F45 Nok, 1978 Random House F46 Harris, Charles F., 1969-1970 Freedgood, Anne F47 1971-1973 Includes three letters from Reed to Freedgood and a five-page letter from Freedgood to Reed with Reed's holograph notes and responses to her suggestions for The Last Days of Louisiana Red. F48 From Ishmael Reed, 1973 Two drafts of a letter to "Anne" with a proposal for a new novel. Both drafts have corrections and comments; those on the first draft appear to be in Reed's hand. The second draft, dated March 12, 1973, has corrections in two different, unidentified hands. Final draft in F47. Draft letter to "Anne" dated June 9, 1973 with detailed responses to criticisms of The Last Days of Louisiana Red. Five pages typescript with corrections and comments in at least two different hands. Four pages holograph in Reed's hand. Four pages of final draft sent to Freedgood are in F47. F49 1974-1984 F50 From Ishmael Reed, Aug 28, 1979 Draft and carbon copy of typed letter to "Anne" regarding dispute over Random House contract. Extensive holograph corrections on draft. F51 At Random newsletter, 1970-1976 F52 Random Publicity News newsletter, 1974-1975 F53 Royalty statements, 1979-1982 53 Series IX. Legal and publishing correspondence (cont'd) Series IX.3. Publishers (cont'd) St. Martin's Press F54 Correspondence, 1981-1987 F55 Royalty statements, 1983-1985 University of Massachusetts Press F56 Correspondence, 1971-1976 F57 Royalty statements, 1980, 1984 F58 W. H. Allen & Co., 1990 F59 Unidentified publisher, n.d. F60 Unidentified publisher, royalty statement, 1989
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citation and reference information
The Ishmael Reed Papers
Manuscript Collection Number: 398
Accessioned: Purchases, 1980-1995.
Extent: 65 linear ft.
Content: Correspondence, novels, plays, poems, essays, reviews, speeches, magazines, posters, clippings, brochures, flyers, broadsides, photographs, artwork, books, galley and page proofs, financial documents, catalogs, programs, photocopies, sound recordings, schedules, comic books, notes, transcripts, awards, certificates, minutes, audiovisual recordings, and miscellaneous ephemera.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: 1998-1999 by Shiela Pardee, completed by Anita Wellner.
Special Collections, University of Delaware Library
Newark, Delaware 19717-5267
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