Naphtali "Tuli" Kupferberg (1923-2010) was an American counterculture poet, cartoonist, publisher, activist, and musician. This collection reflects the varied, interconnected assortment of projects Kupferberg undertook beginning in the 1940s until his death in 2010, while living in lower Manhattan. Material in this collection includes essays, articles, and books by Kupferberg and his wife Sylvia Topp; work files for his and Topp's publishing company, Birth Press; fan mail, song lyrics, and recordings related to his band, The Fugs; props for his performance group, The Revolting Theater; and recordings of his local television show, Revolting News. His correspondence with authors including Sparrow, Urban Gwerder, Ted Joans, Walter Lowenfels, and Coby Batty, provide perspective into the network and relationships among the literary bohemian community within New York and beyond during the 1960s through 2000s. The bulk of the collection is Kupferberg's extensive research and source material grouped into subjects including sex, politics, smoking, religion, drugs, and education. Material within these subject files were used as inspiration or incorporated into works he wrote and performed. His significant collection of local, small-run independent published material as well as mainstream publications illustrates the output of writers and artists during these decades, and represents the interests of readers within the New York community and beyond.
