Collection Summary
Selden Rodman Correspondence
1931-1972
1931-1972
MSS86352
Rodman, Selden, 1909-2002
175 items
1 container
0.4 linear feet
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Writer, editor, and cultural critic.
Correspondence and related attachments, primarily from poets Archibald MacLeish and
Fleming MacLiesh, documenting Rodman's literary associations.
Acquisition Information
The correspondence of Selden Rodman was purchased by the Library of Congress in 2007.
Custodial History
Physical evidence, namely the singed edges of the material, suggests the
correspondence once was part of a cache of Selden Rodman’s papers on loan to the
University of Wyoming American Heritage Center and returned to the Rodman family in
2002. The American Heritage Center holds photocopies of the original material in
this collection.
Processing History
The correspondence of Selden Rodman was arranged and described by Matthew Darby with
the assistance of Emily Flint in 2020. As the majority of the collection was damaged
in a 1972 fire at Rodman’s home, all letters are filed in groupings within paper
sleeves to reduce further text loss or other damage.
Other Repositories
Other papers of Selden Rodman are located at the American Heritage Center, University
of Wyoming; the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory
University; and Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University.
Related Material
Related collections in the Manuscript Division include the papers of Archibald
MacLeish (see http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms997016).
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Selden Rodman is governed by
the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The correspondence of Selden Rodman is open to research. Many collections are stored
off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to
visiting.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container number, Selden Rodman Correspondence, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1909, Feb. 19
Born, New York, N.Y.
1931
Graduate, Yale College, New Haven, Conn.
1932
1943
Cofounder and coeditor with Alfred M. Bingham,
Common Sense
magazine
1932
Published
Mortal Triumph and Other Poems
. New York: Farrar & Rinehart
1933
Married Eunice Clark (divorced 1937)
1935
Published with Alfred M. Bingham
Challenge to the New Deal
. New York: Falcon Press
1938
Married Hilda Clausen (divorced)
Published
New Anthology of Modern Poetry
. New York: Random House
1942
Published
The Revolutionists: A Tragedy in Three Acts
. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce
1943
1945
Officer, Office of Strategic Services Foreign Nationalities
branch
1949
1951
Codirector, Le Centre d’Art, Port au Prince, Haiti
1950
Married Maia Wojciechowska (divorced 1957)
1960
Published
The Insiders: Rejection and Rediscovery of Man in the Arts of Our
Time
. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press
1962
Married Carole Cleaver
1972
Fire destroyed part of his Oakland, N.J., home, damaging his personal
papers
2002, Nov. 2
Died, Ridgewood, N.J.
Scope and Content Note
The correspondence of Selden Rodman spans the years 1931-1972 and relates to his work
as coeditor of the political magazine
Common Sense
and his other publishing efforts as well as his personal relationships. The
bulk of the correspondence is from Archibald MacLeish, poet, playwright, and
Librarian of Congress, and (Archibald) Fleming MacLiesh, poet and close friend.
Copies of some outgoing correspondence to Archibald MacLeish are included.
MacLeish’s letters offer feedback on Rodman’s poetry and suggestions for potential
publication. He also responds to Rodman’s critiques of
Fortune
, while MacLeish was an editor at the magazine, and provides commentary on
national and global politics during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration and
into World War II. MacLeish occasionally references poems and pieces offered to
Rodman for publication in
Common Sense
. Of note is a typescript of MacLeish’s poem “Speech to a Crowd” as well as
handwritten fragments of unidentified verse. In contrast, owing to their long
friendship, Fleming MacLiesh’s letters are of a much more personal nature, covering
family and work life as well as his own literary pursuits. A February 10, 1945,
letter from Rodman to James A. Cameron, written on behalf of Fleming MacLiesh, notes
the frequent confusion between the two poets.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and chronologically
therein.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Cameron, James, 1911-1985--Correspondence.
MacLeish, Archibald, 1892-1982--Correspondence.
MacLeish, Archibald, 1892-1982. Speech to a crowd.
MacLiesh, Fleming, 1911-1973--Correspondence.
Rodman, Selden, 1909-2002.
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945.
Subjects
American literature.
American periodicals.
American poetry.
Poetry.
Socialism--Periodicals.
World politics--1933-1945.
Places
United States--Intellectual life--20th century.
United States--Politics and government--1933-1945.
United States--Politics and government--Periodicals.
Titles
Common sense.
Fortune.
Selden Rodman papers
Occupations
Authors.
Critics.
Editors.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm2020086352]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Burton, Barbara, 1949
1949
1
Cameron, James A., 1945
1945
1
Lofting, Lynne, circa 1938
circa
1938
1
MacIntyre, C. F., circa 1941
circa
1941
1
MacLeish, Archibald
1
1930-1939
1930-1939
1
1940-1948
1940-1948
1
1957-1972
1957-1972
1
MacLiesh, Fleming
1
1936-1941
1936-1941
1
1942-1944
1942-1944
1
1944-1948
1944-1948
1
1949-1950
1949-1950
1
1951-1962
1951-1962
1
MacLiesh, Patty, 1945
1945
1
McCarthy, William H., circa 1934
circa
1934