James McCourt and Vincent Virga papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of writings, journals, correspondence, printed material, photographs, audiovisual material, computer disks, and other papers documenting the literary careers and lives of James McCourt and Vincent Virga.
McCourt's writings comprise the bulk of the collection, and include notes, notebooks, manuscript and typescript drafts, correspondence, and printed material related to his published works: Mawrdew Czgowchwz (1975), Kaye Wayfaring in "Avenged:" Four Stories (1984), Time Remaining: Stories (1993), Delancey's Way (2000), Wayfaring at Waverly in Silver Lake (2002), Queer Street: Rise and Fall of American Culture, 1947-1985 (2004), and Now Voyagers: The Night Sea Journey (2007). Virga's writings consist of manuscript and typescript drafts of his published works, including Gaywyck (1980), Comfortable Corner (1982), and Vadriel Vale (2001).
Diaries, appointment calendars, and notebooks, belonging to both McCourt and Virga and spanning over thirty years, document their individual careers and their life together. McCourt's journal from July 1973 to December 1978 covers his efforts to sell Mawrdew Czgowchz, and his journals from 1992 to 1995 contain notes for Time Out of Mind and Delancey’s Way. Other material relating to the personal and professional lives of McCourt and Virga include: personal correspondence between McCourt and Virga; professional correspondence with publishers, editors, and agents; photographs of McCourt and Virga; McCourt's childhood memorabilia; and printed material.
Dates
- 1941 - 2015
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 65, 82 (electronic media): Restricted Fragile Material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 66, 83 (audiovisual material): Restricted Fragile Material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The James McCourt and Vincent Virga Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, Inc. on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, 2011 and 2015.
Gift of Vincent Virga, 2015.
Arrangement
Organized into six series: I. James McCourt Writings. II. Vincent Virga Writings. III. Diaries, Appointment Calendars, and Notebooks. IV. Personal and Professional Papers. V. November 2015 Acquisition. VI. December 2015 Acquisition.
Extent
69 Linear Feet (83 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The collection consists of writings, journals, correspondence, printed material, photographs, audiovisual material, computer disks, and other papers documenting the literary careers and lives of James McCourt and Vincent Virga.
James McCourt (1941–)
James McCourt was born July 4, 1941, in New York, NY. He was educated at Manhattan College (B.A., 1962), New York University (1962-1964), and Yale University, School of Drama (1964-1965). McCourt is the author of the novels Mawrdew Czgowchz (1975), Delancey's Way (2000), and Now Voyagers: The Night Sea Journey (2007), several collections of short stories, and Queer Street (2003), a work of nonfiction documenting the story of 20th-century gay culture. He has also published work in the New Yorker and the Paris Review.
Vincent Virga (1942–)
Vincent Virga was born September 28, 1942, in New York, NY. He was educated at St. Bonaventure University, (B.A., 1964) and Yale University (1964-1965). Virga is an editor, writer, and author of the novels Gaywyck (1980), A Comfortable Corner (1982), and Vadriel Vail (2001). He has been McCourt’s partner since their time as graduate students at Yale.
Processing Information
Collection are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization, in 2012. Information included in the Description of Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- American literature -- 20th century
- Audiocassettes
- Audiovisual materials
- Authors -- United States -- 20th century
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Born digital
- Electronic documents
- Gay authors
- Gay men
- Homosexuality and literature
- LGBTQ resource
- McCourt, James, 1941-
- Sound recordings
- Virga, Vincent
- Title
- Guide to the James McCourt and Vincent Virga Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- by Danijela True, Jennifer Meehan, and Nora Soto
- Date
- 2012. Revised: September 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.