{"value"=>"<p>Beam maintained an active domestic and international correspondence as a way of nurturing an expanding network of gay writers and friends. There are five subseries: <em>Family, General, Individuals, Organizations</em>and <em>Prison Letters.</em>The <em>Family</em>subgroup consists mainly of letters from Beam to his parents while at Franklin, prior to his self-identification with homosexuality. These letters reveal a penchant for loneliness and adolescent depression, but also a growing political and cultural awareness. <em>General Correspondence</em>is divided into letters sent (1982-1988) arranged chronologically, and letters received (1976-1988) arranged alphabetically. Beam corresponded with a wide range of people, from gay and lesbian activists, to poets and other writers from the general population. <em>Individual</em>and <em>Organization</em>files comprise incoming and outgoing letters and deal mainly with gay and lesbian issues, and related activities. Significant correspondents include Audre Lorde, Barbara Smith, Essex Hemphill and Daniel Garrett. <em>Prison Letters</em>comprise an important body of correspondence with an aspiring Muslim writer and various gay prisoners. Those letters touch on issues of sexuality, human rights, prison conditions and African-American culture.</p>"}