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David Solomon papers

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MSP 92

Scope and Contents

The David Solomon papers contains Solomon's typescript for "Psychedelic Satire," a letter to Timothy Leary, other correspondence, a photocopy of Don Allen's talk on LSD, a poem, notes and correspondence pertaining to "Flight to Reality," Duncan Blewett's proposal for an "Institute for Studies in Normal Psychology, survey of a psychedelic questionnaire, description of a mescaline trip, materials pertaining to Solomon's friend, Robert Burdette.

Dates

  • April 23, 1963 - August 31, 1965

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Biographical Information

David Solomon was born in California in 1925.  He served in World War II and was pulled from combat and re-assigned to intelligence work after his two and only brothers were killed in bombing runs over Germany.  He was discharged in 1946 and attended Washington Square College of New York University on the GI Bill; Solomon eventually earned his BA from Washington Square College.  He remained in the Village, married and had two children.  Solomon became an assistant editor at Esquireby the mid-1950s and worked with writers, such as Aldous Huxley, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Allen Gingsberg.  In 1960, he became editor of Metronome and was friends with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat Henthoff, Earl Robinson, and Perry Robinson.  By the early 1960s, Solomon became the literary editor for Playboy and published Ram Das (Richard Alpert), Alan Watts, Timothy Leary and Humphry Osmond.  He also edited LSD –the Conscious Expanding Drug (1964) and The Marijuana (1966) and co-edited Drugs and Sexuality (1973) and The Coca Leaf and Cocaine Papers (1975).  On April 26, 2007, Solomon died at the age of 81.

Sources: “David Solomon, jazz critic, drug guru, 81.” The Villager. Volume 77, Number 9. 14 December 2011. http://www.thevillager.com/villager_222/davidsalomomjaz.html “William Burroughs and David Solomon.” Reality Studio. 14 December 2011. http://reality.studio.org/bibliographic-bunker/william-burroughs-and -david-solomon/

Extent

0.25 Cubic Feet (One half-width legal-size manuscript box)

Arrangement

Material is arranged by subject.

Acquisition Information

Collection purchased from Flashback Books/Michael Horowitz on June 1, 2011.
Title
David Solomon papers
Status
Under Review
Author
Stephanie Schmitz, Kristin Leaman, and Serena Potter
Date
2018-04-06
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Second edition. Collection description was first completed December 2, 2011.

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

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