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Creator
Mag City
Call number
MssCol 1834
Physical description
2 linear feet (5 boxes)
Language
Materials in English
Preferred Citation

Mag City records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Poetry magazine edited and published by Greg Masters, Michael Scholnick and Gary Lenhart in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. Fourteen issues appeared between 1977-1985; a fifteenth was begun, but was never completed. Prominent contributors included Amiri Baraka, Ted Berrigan, Edwin Denby, Larry Fagin, Allen Ginsberg, and Anne Waldman. Records consist of manuscripts and typescripts of published and unpublished poems, original cover artwork and negatives, mock-ups and final copies of each issue of the magazine, correspondence from readers and contributors, invoices, grant proposals, and business receipts.

Biographical/historical information

Mag City was a self published poetry magazine created and edited by Greg Masters, Michael Scholnick and Gary Lenhart in New York's East Village. Publication began in 1977. Contributions were sought from local poets and more well-known authors. Fourteen issues were published between 1977 and 1985. Several years elapsed between the publication of issue #13 (1982) and issue #14 (1985). Issue #15 was begun but never completed or published.

Scope and arrangement

This collection contains submitted poetry, artwork and prose, drafts of the magazine, correspondence and receipts related to its production and sale, and a copy of each published issue.

Typescripts and originals of some of the poetry are included for issues 1-7 and 10-15. Only the published magazines are available for issues 8 and 9. Notable contributions are edited poems by Allen Ginsberg (Box 1: original typescripts #5) and Ted Berrigan (Box 1: original typescripts #6; Box 4: issue #4; Box 2: unpublished poems #2). Other poets include Anne Waldman (Box 4: issue #9), Larry Fagin (Box 4: issue #6) and an interview with Amiri Baraka (Box 4: issue #13). Issue 14 (Box 4) is dedicated entirely to works by and about Edwin Denby.

The correspondence file (Box 3) also contains poetry, artwork and a narrative of a night at the blues club Kingston Mine including impromptu appearances by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Grant information, including a short autobiography of Bob Rosenthal, invoices, receipts and oversized cover art and negatives, including several of Edwin Denby, comprise the remainder of the collection.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Transferred from the Berg Collection of the New York Public Library

Processing information

Compiled by Norma J. Petkus, June 1996

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328