Lauren Berlant papers (Ms.2015.009)

This collection contains personal and professional papers of Lauren Berlant, the George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. Berlant's scholarship focuses on queer theory, power, and boundary drawing between public and private spheres. Materials in this collection include correspondence, conference files, lecture and poetry drafts, handwritten research notes, and print materials, dating from 1922 – 2019 (bulk 1970 – 2019). This collection is arranged into 10 series.

Series 1, Personal and Biographical, 1983 – 2019, contains articles and interviews about and with Berlant, correspondence, and photographs. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Series 2, ADMINISTRATIVE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT, 1985 – 2019, includes files relating to Berlant's Leverhulme Visiting Professorships and programs for various events. Of particular note are materials related to Faculty for Divestment from South Africa. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.

Series 3, CONFERENCES, 1996 – 2019, includes programs, agendas, and handwritten notes from conferences Berlant attended. Conferences include "Forms of Attachment: Affect at the Limits of the Political," "Pleasureless: A Queer Symposium," and "You Hurt My Feelings: Anxiety, Urgency, Outrage, Hope... A Conference on Political Feeling." This series is arranged alphabetically by conference title.

Series 4, TEACHING, 1961 – 2015, includes syllabi and readings for courses taught by Berlant. Courses include "American Women and Waiting," "Feminism and the Public Sphere," and "Queer Arts After Stonewall." This series is arranged alphabetically by course title.

Series 5, WRITINGS, circa 1980 – 2019, includes talk drafts and poetry drafts by Berlant. This series is arranged alphabetically by writing format then by title when available.

Series 6, RESEARCH, 1942 – 1997, contains annotated articles Berlant used for research. Topics include "Improving higher education" and the National Organization of Women. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic.

Series 7, PRINT MATERIALS, 1922 – 2019, includes books, journals, and a zine featuring works by Berlant and others. Titles include The Anti-Capitalism Reader, Reading Sedgwick, and differences: Difference: Reading Barbara Johnson volume 17 number 3. This series is arranged alphabetically by format then by title.

Series 8, EPHEMERA, n.d., contains 2 t-shirts Berlant obtained at conferences. This series is arranged alphabetically by writing on the shirt.

Series 9, OVERSIZE MATERIALS, circa 1980 – 2019, includes awards and conference posters. This series is arranged alphabetically by format then by title.

Series 10, ELECTRONIC RECORDS, 1991 – 2012, contains cassette tapes, 3.5" computer diskettes, and CDs. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by title listed on the carrier.