Research Catalog

Title

Janet McDonald papers, 1960-2007.

Author

McDonald, Janet, 1953-2007.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

7 linear feet (7 boxes)

Summary

• The Janet McDonald papers, 1960-2007, document her personal experiences as an African American lesbian throughout her education, legal career, and her professional accomplishments as a writer and novelist. The collection contains personal correspondence, identification cards, school records and course work, medical records, employment records, published manuscripts and articles, interviews and publicity appearances, reviews, awards, unpublished manuscripts, and notebooks. The bulk of the collection is dated 1985 to 2007 and includes both English and French material.
• The Janet McDonald papers are organized into two series, Personal and Writings. The Personal series, dating approximately 1960-2007, contains biographical material about McDonald's personal life, education and legal career. The Writings series, dating approximately 1976-2007, features four manuscripts of McDonald's published books and various clippings of her articles in English and French, as well as material related to her published works. Also included are seven unpublished manuscripts, various notebooks, loose sheets of diary entries, and writing notes. There is scant information about McDonald's life as a lesbian except for an unpublished manuscript from 2000, "Undoings in Amsterdam."

Subjects

• African American women novelists
• McDonald, Janet, 1953-2007
• Manuscripts
• African American women > New York (State) > New York > Biography
• Gay lawyers > France > Paris
• Black author
• Americans > France > Paris > Biography
• African American women in the professions > New York (State) > New York
• Lesbians' writings, American
• African American women journalists
• African American women > France > Paris > Biography
• Gay lawyers > New York (State) > New York
• African American women lawyers
• African American women authors
• African American women in the professions > France > Paris
• African American lesbians > Biography
• Letters
• African Americans > Education

Genre/Form

• Manuscripts.
• Letters.

Source (note)

• Katherine "Kokie" Andrews

Biography (note)

• Janet Arneda McDonald was an African American novelist, journalist and lawyer. A member of MENSA, McDonald was a gifted student who earned degrees from Vassar College, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and New York University School of Law. She majored in French Literature at Vassar and studied abroad in Paris. After graduating in 1977, McDonald attended Cornell Law School, eventually earning a law degree years later at New York University School of Law in 1986.
• McDonald practiced law in New York, Seattle and Paris. An avid writer throughout her life, she published her first book in 1999, the memoir "Project Girl." McDonald's work was inspired by personal experiences growing up in the Brooklyn projects. She would continue to publish young adult novels until her death from colon cancer in 2007, including "Spellbound" (2001), "Chill Wind" (2002), "Twists and Turns" (2003), "Brother Hood" (2004), "Harlem Hustle" (2006), and "Off-Color" (2007).

Language (note)

• In English and French.

Call Number

Sc MG 907

OCLC

930039649

Author

McDonald, Janet, 1953-2007.

Title

Janet McDonald papers, 1960-2007.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

sheet

volume

Biography

Janet Arneda McDonald was an African American novelist, journalist and lawyer. A member of MENSA, McDonald was a gifted student who earned degrees from Vassar College, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and New York University School of Law. She majored in French Literature at Vassar and studied abroad in Paris. After graduating in 1977, McDonald attended Cornell Law School, eventually earning a law degree years later at New York University School of Law in 1986.

McDonald practiced law in New York, Seattle and Paris. An avid writer throughout her life, she published her first book in 1999, the memoir "Project Girl." McDonald's work was inspired by personal experiences growing up in the Brooklyn projects. She would continue to publish young adult novels until her death from colon cancer in 2007, including "Spellbound" (2001), "Chill Wind" (2002), "Twists and Turns" (2003), "Brother Hood" (2004), "Harlem Hustle" (2006), and "Off-Color" (2007).

Language

In English and French.

Connect to:

Finding Aid

Local Subject

Black author.

Research Call Number

Sc MG 907