The photographs in the Library of Congress Archives provide a look into the Library throughout the twentieth century. They document visits from authors, politicians, and celebrities as well as Library staff and their work.
This is a guest blog by Barbara Bair, historian of Literature, Culture, and the Arts in the Manuscript Division. In 1990, author Oscar Hijuelos (1951-2013) became the first Hispanic American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1989). He later received the Hispanic Heritage Award …
The newly opened papers of sex therapist and talk show host Ruth Westheimer contain thousands of letters sent by listeners of her radio program and viewers of her television show, providing insight into the sexual frustrations and obsessions of the 1980s. They also document the dynamic rise in popularity of “Dr. Ruth.”
Join Manuscript Division senior archives specialist Laura Kells and author Kurt Jensen as they highlight the work and legacy of film and theater director Rouben Mamoulian and Jensen’s new book, Peerless: Rouben Mamoulian, Hollywood, and Broadway with collection specialist and host Barbara Bair.
In honor of Pride Month, the recently acquired personal papers of best-selling Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, essayist, literary critic, and teacher Mary Oliver (1935-2019) are now open to researchers in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
In honor of Poetry Month, join professors and coeditors Eric Keenaghan and Rowena Kennedy-Epstein as they discuss their new book The Muriel Rukeyser Era: Selected Prose with Manuscript Division historian Barbara Bair.
Comedy writer Robert Orben’s stockpile of thousands of his jokes, one-liners, and witty patter is a rich resource for those interested in the history of humor in the last half of the twentieth century.
Join us on November 30 for a “Live! at the Library” commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of home rule in Washington, D.C., with a panel discussion on the legacy of home rule moderated by Kojo Nnamdi and featuring journalist Tom Sherwood; The Drum and Spear Bookstore co-founder, Eyes on the Prize documentarian and civil rights activist Judy Richardson; and historians G. Derek Musgrove and Kyla Sommers. A performance by the D.C. Go-Go band Mambo Sauce will follow the panel discussion.