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Dolores Koch Collection of Reinaldo Arenas

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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Koch, Dolores

Born in Havana, Cuba, Dolores Koch emigrated to the United States with her family in 1961. In 1986, she received her doctorate in Latin American literature from the City University of New York. Koch has published English translations of Arenas's Antes que anochezca and El portero as well as works by other Latin American authors. Her other notable work includes an English translation of the memoir of Oskar Schindler's widow, Where Light and Shadow Meet.

The collection consists of working papers of Reinaldo Arenas collected by Dolores Koch, his friend and preferred translator. Much of the material concerns the publication of Arenas's work and its translation into English. Explanatory notes by Koch accompany some items.

"Dolores Koch: Perfil profesional" at El Cuento en Red consulted during preparation of biographical note.

Materials appearing in this collection have been published under the following titles: Antes que anochezca (Barcelona: Tusquets Editores, 1992), Before Night Falls (New York: Viking Penguin, 1993), Farewell to the Sea, a Novel of Cuba (New York, N.Y.: Viking, 1986), La loma del angel (Barcelona: DADOR/Ediciones, 1987), Mona and Other Tales, (New York: Vintage, 2001), Otra vez el mar (Barcelona: Editorial Argos Vergara, 1982), El portero (Miami: Ediciones Universal, 1990).

Gift of Dolores Koch in February 2005.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by Danielle Ford in February 2005. Finding aid written by Danielle Ford in February 2005.

Audiovisual materials from this collection were digitized in 2017.

Nothing was removed from the collection.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Author
Danielle Ford
Finding Aid Date
2005
Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use Restrictions

Manuscripts may not be copied in any manner (Xerox, microfilm, digital, etc.). To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Collection Inventory

Arrangement

Organized into the following file groups: Books and Talks.

Scope and Contents

Consists of the writings of Reinaldo Arenas, including books and talks.

Physical Description

1 box

Scope and Contents

Contains a corrected typescript of Antes que anochezca, a photocopy of the unpublished Cecilia Valdes, and a typescript of Part One of La loma del angel.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by title.

Physical Description

1 box

Antes que anochezca: Draft, Pages 1-111, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Antes que anochezca: Draft, Pages 112-219, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Antes que anochezca: Draft, Pages 220-330, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Antes que anochezca: Draft, Pages 331-434, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Cecilia Valdes: Unpublished edition, 1987. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Cecilia Valdes: Part One, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

Contains typescripts of "La vanguardia como una re-escritura de la libertad" and "Muerte de Lezama," as well as typewritten notes on the presentation of Otra vez el mar, with a printed flyer announcing the event.

Arrangement

Arranged by date.

Physical Description

1 box

"La vanguardia como una re-escritura de la libertad", undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"Muerte de Lezama", 1982. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Notes for presentation of Otra vez el mar, 1983. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Arrangement

Arrangement has no apparent organization scheme.

Scope and Contents

Contains a typewritten contract (with holographic corrections) for the publication of Arenas's works, presented to Dolores Koch. Also includes Arenas's instructions for translating Otra vez el mar, cover blurbs for El portero, and proofs for book covers for two English translations: Before Night Falls and Mona and Other Tales.

Physical Description

1 box

"Modo de contrato para la publicacion de la obra de Reinaldo Arenas", undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Instructions for translator of Otra vez el mar, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"Blurbs" for El portero, 1988. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Proofs for book covers of English translations, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Scope and Contents

The correspondence prominently features members of Arenas's publication team and includes material relating to the "Colchie affair," a 1993 conflict between Arenas's agent, Thomas Colchie, and the Camachos. Also featured are letters written by Dolores Koch to Julian Schnabel, suggesting changes to the script for his 1999 movie Before Night Falls. Correspondents include Dolores Koch, Roberto Valero, Thomas Colchie, and Jorge and Margarita Camacho.

Arrangement

Arranged by date within each file.

Physical Description

1 box

Publication team, 1987-2001. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Colchie affair, 1992-1993. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Camacho-Koch, 1991-2002. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Koch-Schnabel, 1999. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Arrangement

Organized into the following file groups: Arenas, family, and friends and Cuba.

Scope and Contents

Contains originals and some photocopies of black-and-white and color photographs of Arenas and his family and friends, as well as pictures taken in 1996 by Liliane Hasson of Arenas's family and his room in Cuba.

Physical Description

1 box

Arenas, family & friends, 1974-1989. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Cuba, 1996. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Arrangement

Arrangement has no apparent organization scheme.

Scope and Contents

Contains a photocopy of Arenas's will and his handwritten addendum, a partial script for the film Before Night Falls, the Camachos' response to Cabrera Infante's "Mea Cuba," and miscellaneous clippings pertaining to Arenas and his work.

Physical Description

1 box

Arenas's will & addendum, 1990. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Partial script for Before Night Falls, 1999. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Response to Cabrera Infante's "Mea Cuba" by Jorge and Margarita Camacho, 1993. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

"Una flor en la memoria" / "Himno" - Two Songs By Arenas & Ameisen, 1988. 1 folder.
Existence and Location of Copies

32101047383466_1_a.mp3

Scope and Contents

1 audiocassette; musical recording (2 songs) dated 1988. Recording with Olivier Ameisen and Reinaldo Arenas. Produced by Arif Mardin at Atlantic Studios. Side B is blank.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Clippings, 1983-2001. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Print, Suggest