James Baldwin: Public Intellectual

The purpose of this page is to provide tips and resources on locating material on James Baldwin which is found in Special Collection Libraries. Generally Special Collection Libraries contains manuscripts, documents, records (including electronic records), images, artifacts, recorded sound or moving images, or other materials.

Cornell University's Special Collection Library, Kroch Library, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC) has a small collection of James Baldwin material. Most notably from the book collector George Bixby.

All visitors (including Cornell) please visit; Information for Visitors page on how to use and access RMC's collection.

George Bixby James Baldwin Collection

George Bixby [1934-2023], a New York bookseller, collector, publisher, and bibliographer. Like Baldwin, Bixby was a gay man who came of age in America before Stonewall. He spent decades carefully gathering books, magazine issues, and other materials to document Baldwin's extensive publication record. While not comprehensive, the collection Bixby assembled contains remarkable depth, offering not only first editions, but proofs, advance review copies, alternate covers, foreign editions, and contributions to magazines and other anthologies.

In 2024, the George Bixby James Baldwin collection arrived at RMC.
 

• Cornell University Library's Catalog listing of the George Bixby James Baldwin Collection

Listing of Ephemera Materials on James Baldwin, RMC

• George Bixby James Baldwin Collection 1954-1967: Finding Aid
   
• Gail and Stephen Rudin Literary Autograph Collection 1841-1993: Finding Aid
  • Box 7 Folder 7 Baldwin, James: Typed letter to Samuel L. Blumenfield. Paris, France. October 29, 1955. 
    Baldwin complains that he doesn't think his book was properly advertised; he is in the process of finishing a play; and he indicates that he isn't drinking any more than normal.
  • Box 7 Folder 8 Baldwin, James: Typed letter to Samuel L. Blumenfield. Paris, France. October 8, 1955.
    Baldwin discusses the theme and characters of his new book Giovanni's Room and fears censorship by his publishers - Included is a first edition of the book. (Book is catalogued individually). 
  • Box 1 Folder 8 Baldwin, James: Signed card. Regarding struggle vs. satisfaction. (No date.)
     

Listing of Uncorrected Proofs by James Baldwin, RMC

An uncorrected proof is a printed copy of a book that needs to be reviewed for errors and corrections. They are released prior to official publication, and generally are very plainly bound, and distributed only for final editing or promotion.

• Giovanni's Room (1957)
• Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son (Dial Press printing,1961)
• Another County (1962)
• The Fire Next Time (UK edition, 1963)
• Go Tell It on the Mountain (Dial Press printing,1963)
• Blues for Mister Charlie: A Play (1964)
• Notes on a Native Son (UK edition, 1964)
• Going to Meet the Man (1965)
• Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone (1968)
• The Amen Corner: A Play (UK edition, 1969)
• No Name in the Streets (1972)
• One Day When I Was Lost Based on Alex Haley's The Autobiography of Malcolm X: A Scenario (1973)
• If Beale Street Could Talk (1974)
• The Devil Finds Work: An Essay (1976) 
• Just Above My Head (1979)
• The Evidence of Things Not Seen (1985)
• The Price of a Ticket: Collected Nonfiction, 1948-1985 (1985)

Selected Archival Materials on Baldwin in Special Collection Libraries

This guide was created by Kofi Acree, Director of the John Henrik Clarke Africana Library; send email.