Conrad Liberman Papers, 1935-2001

The papers are arranged chronologically into seven series. Series 1, Diaries 1935-1970, consists of two subseries: 1.1, Holographs, and 1.2, Photocopies. The photocopied diaries generally include Liberman's marginalia, drawings, sketches and/or accompanying documentation such as newspaper and magazine clippings, excerpts from literary texts, and reproductions of popular and fine art. This additional material serves a dual purpose: to illustrate the personal and social context in which the diaries took shape and, in some instances, to add a later gloss on an earlier theme. Some of this material duplicates items found in the following series. Series 2, Sketches and Drawings 1939-2000, consists of pictorial works that Liberman has produced throughout his life, including the sketches he made during his dramatic crossing of the Pyrenees in 1942. Series 2 is divided into three subseries: 2.1, Sketchbooks; 2.2, Photocopies; and 2.3, Exhibited works. Series 3, Published Writings, consists of three subseries: 3.1, Thesis; 3.2 Novels; and 3.3, Periodicals with Articles. Series 4, Literary Manuscripts, consists of two subseries: 4.1, Published Manuscripts, and 4.2, Unpublished Manuscripts. Series 5, Photographs, Slides, and Memorabilia, includes a concert announcement, oversize photographs, and official documents issued to Liberman by state or public institutions. Series 6, Research and Reference Material, consists of information on Libermans's papers and related subjects. Series 7, Selected Works About Conrad Liberman, includes scholarly studies which are based on his diaries and journals. Series 8: Addendum (added materials), 1954-2001, was added to the collection in 2018. It contains installments of materials donated by Conrad Liberman in 2001 and 2002 (MS-2001-01, MS-2001-10, MS-2001-12, MS-2001-20, MS-2001-22, MS-2001-24, MS-2001-25, MS-2002-04, MS-2002-09, MS-2002-14, MS-2002-16).

After several in-house discussions over the definitions of autobiography (and autobiographical writings), diaries, journals, memoirs, notebooks, chronicles, and reminiscences, the decision was made to call the material in Series 1 "diaries". This is generally how Dr. Liberman refers to these papers. Memoirs and autobiography were rejected because as texts these documents lack the polish of an edited, "finished" prose narrative that is usually associated with these literary genres. The category "journals" was seen as too broad and one that does not fully convey the sometimes "intimate" quality of these papers. Finally, the categories of reminiscences, chronicles, and notebooks was each rejected in turn as unsuitable; calling the material diaries, although not totally accurate either, was viewed as the least misleading way to describe this part of the Liberman papers. This confusion arises in part because of the unfinished quality of most of this material and because Dr. Liberman, in assembling and creating his diaries, is constantly adding miscellaneous printed and published material to supplement his own original text (sometimes many years later). In sum, the papers in Series 1 represent a work-in-progress, chiefly authored by Conrad Liberman, but including other material acquired by him in the course of assembling this collection of documents.

Note: The foliation in Series 1 and Series 4 was established by Dr. Liberman. Numerals in parentheses refer to parts of works, as indicated by him. Much of the descriptive information throughout this guide was supplied by Dr. Liberman.