Christina Crosby papers (MS.2023.005)

This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Christina Crosby, lesbian and feminist scholar, social justice activist, and co-founder of Sojourner House – a non-profit dedicated to supporting those affected by domestic and sexual violence in Rhode Islanda queer feminist who was committed to social justice and sexual liberation. Crosby worked as a Professor in the English Department and a Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Wesleyan University. Her scholarship focused on women in 19th-century British literature but turned toward disability studies after a near fatal bicycle accident in 2003. In 2016, Crosby published A Body Undone: Living on After Great Pain documenting this experience. The collection documents Crosby's personal life, academic career, research, and writing, and includes photographs, correspondence, syllabi, handwritten notes, research articles, and writing drafts. The collection spans from 1949 to 2023.s. The collection spans from 1949 to 2023 and is arranged into 12 series.

Series 1, PERSONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL, 1949-2021, contains personal items from throughout Crosby's life including awards, diaries, medical records and invoices, and photographs. Of particular note are medical adaptation records documenting the modifications made to Crosby's home, office, and life to accommodate her needs after the 2003 accident which left Crosby paralyzed from a spinal cord injury; photographs of "friends and lovers;" and the dog collar of Crosby's beloved dog, Babe. Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Series 2, CORRESPONDENCE, 1960-2022, contains personal correspondence from various senders including Janet Jakobsen, Maggie Nelson, Teresa Rankin, and Elizabeth Weed. Correspondence marked "post accident" was originally indicated as such. Most, but not all of that correspondence relates directly to the accident. Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. Professional correspondence can be found throughout the collection. This series is arranged chronologically and then alphabetically by the sender's last name.

Series 3, EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT, 1958-1996, contains items related to Crosby's education including notebooks, handwritten notes, Crosby's student papers, and report cards from Huntingdon High School, Swarthmore College, and Brown University. Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by name of institution then by record type.

Series 4, CONFERENCES, 1986-2017, contains papers, handwritten notes, correspondence, and materials for several conferences attended by Crosby. Conferences of note include the 11th Annual Feminist Theory Workshop and Dignity from the Margins. This series is arranged alphabetically by conference title.

Series 5, WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIVE, 1982-2015, contains files from Crosby's time as a Professor in the English Department at Wesleyan University, including correspondence, materials and notes for faculty seminars, and preliminary course drafts and research regarding "Women's Studies 101." Of particular note are handwritten notes, correspondence, and meeting materials pertaining to Corsby's development of the Women's Studies major, including steering committee materials. Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Series 6, TEACHING, 1983-2020, includes handwritten lecture notes, syllabi, and course evaluations for courses taught by Crosby. Course titles include "Critical Issues in Contemporary Society," "Feminist Theory," "History of the British Novel," "Introduction to Critical Theory," "Reading the Victorians," and "Women's studies." Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by course and then chronologically.

Series 7, WRITINGS BY CROSBY, 1973-2020, includes correspondence, flyers, reviews, and contracts related to Crosby's published books, as well as essays and talks written by Crosby. Titles include A Body Undone, "Skin, Touching, Skin in Pandemic Times," and "Woman as the Wild Card: Deconstruction and the Feminist Literary Critic." This series is arranged alphabetically by writing format then by title.

Series 8, WRITINGS BY OTHERS, 1977-2023, includes offprints, correspondence and annotated drafts by other scholars. Scholars include Laura Berry, Janet Jakobsen, Maggie Nelson, Ellen Rooney, Naomi Schor, Gayatri Spivak, and Elizabeth Weed. This series is arranged alphabetically by author's last name then by title.

Series 9, RESEARCH, 1980-2018, includes notecards, annotated readings and handwritten notes about various people and topics. This series is arranged into 2 subseries.

Series 9, subseries 1, RESEARCH BY NAME, 1980-2000, includes handwritten and typed notes, annotated readings, and related correspondence regarding Crosby's research on various scholars and their work. Subjects include Elizabeth Cowie, Charles Dickens, Jane Gallop, and Peggy Kamuf. Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by the scholar's last name.

Series 9, subseries 2, RESEARCH BY TOPIC, 1984-2018, includes note cards, clippings, annotated readings, handwritten notes and notebooks regarding Croaby's research on various topics. Some topics of note are "Trollope and Realism," "Disability Studies," and "Feminist Theory." Note that original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Series 10, PRINT MATERIAL, 1966-2019, includes books, booklets, pamphlets, newspapers, and flyers. Titles include American Thunder: 30 Photographs of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Life Stinks: A Wry look at Hopelessness, Despair, and Disaster, Expression by the Third World's Artist Collective, and "Our American Sisters and the Roots of American Feminist Thought." This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by title.

Series 11, ELECTRONIC RECORDS, n.d., contains floppy disks, a DVD, and a memorial website. The website was created by Janet Jakobsen and friends of Crosby's, to gather memories of Crosby after her death. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by title written on the carrier.

Series 12, CLOTHING, 1995-2003, primarily contains t-shirts from demonstrations, but also includes a hat and jacket. Of particular interest is a bomber-style jacket with "Pembroke Center" embroidered on the back and "Christina" embroidered on the front, as well as various multiple sclerosis bicycle ride t-shirts from events in which Crosby participated. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then alphabetically by text on the article of clothing.