Radical Faerie Digest Processing Plan and Finding Aid

Requirement and Description

This is a Finding Aid I completed for Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville during my position as a Graduate Research Assistant. First I went through the collection of about 80-90 issues of the Radical Faerie Digest, or RFD, noting common themes and subjects, preservation concerns, and other commonalities across the issues, and creating an inventory of the collection. After gathering information about the RFD, I completed a Processing Plan for the collection, where I wrote a Brief Historical Overview of the Collection, described the Present Arrangement of Records, wrote a Description and Condition of Records, and created a Proposed Level of Arrangement which was then approved by my supervisor. After approval, I input the information and inventory that I gathered into ArchivesSpace using EAD.

Skills and competencies illustrated by this project include Archival Processing and Description.

Radical Fairy Digest is the longest-running reader-written gay quarterly since 1974 and has been the de facto journal of record of the radical faerie movement since 1979. Radical Fairy Digest is a reader-written, volunteer-produced journal for gay people which focuses on country living, encourages alternative lifestyles, and fosters community building and networking, exploring diverse expressions of sexuality, care for the environment, radical faerie consciousness, nature-centered spirituality, as well as life experiences.

This is a collection of 78 issues of Radical Faerie Digest, commonly known as “A country journal for gay men everywhere,” from 1975-1997. The publication documents and discusses contemporary events in news, politics, and health (including covering the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s-90s). Additionally, the journal includes pieces on the arts, gender identity and expression, sexuality, and spirituality. Popular recurring sections include Letters to the RFD, Brothers Behind Bars, Country Kitchen, Gatherings, and Faerie Contacts. The issues include poetry, short stories, articles, illustrations, photographs, recipes, book reviews, lunar calendars, and advertisements, some with explicit and erotic imagery.