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Joe Gould (writer)

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281: 422:, with whom Gould, Brand reported, had been violently obsessed. Drawing from evidence in Gould's letters, scattered across dozens of archives, and in both the Mitchell Papers and from the Millen Brand papers at Columbia, Lepore suggests that Gould had repeatedly attacked Savage, who told Brand that, as a Black woman, she had been unable to get help from the police. Lepore speculates that Gould's harassment and attacks may have contributed to Savage's decision to leave New York in 1939. 330:. The book was supposedly based on a word-for-word account of people's lives, which Gould had listened to. Gould stood about 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) and weighed no more than 100 pounds (45 kg), but he said that he hoped his work would make a larger impression. Gould talked about the manuscript frequently, and Mitchell in 1942 suggested that "it may well be the lengthiest unpublished work in existence." 410:, and in a 2016 book of the same title, Lepore contradicted Mitchell's claim that Gould's manuscript never existed, having found in Mitchell's papers, which had recently been deposited at the New York Public Library, not only letters from readers who had seen the notebooks but also at least one volume of the "Oral History" itself. Among the readers who wrote to Mitchell in 1964 was the writer 344:
and I once saw a fragment of it running to perhaps 40,000 words," and deemed it to have "considerable psychological and historical importance." Pound said: "Mr. Joe Gould's prose style is uneven." "My history is uneven," Gould admitted. "It should be. It is an encyclopedia."
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cultures. He gained respect for their cultures, and he also learned how to ride horses, dance, and sing. Gould wrote again to Harvard, asking to be allowed to make up his outstanding credits by taking the examination in a class taught by the anthropologist
406:. "I wish I had had this information when I wrote the second Profile," Mitchell told people who wrote to him, "and if I ever write another article about Joe Gould, which I may do, I'd like very much to have a talk with you." In the July 27, 2015 issue of 456:
in eccentric poses in front of their verses scrawled on the walls of the Village Arts Center at 1 Charles St. Gould claimed to understand the behavior and language of seagulls, saying that he had translated the works of
273:, wrote stories and harangued editors about him to try to help him, but Gould's condition worsened, and he went in and out of psychiatric hospitals for many years. Jill Lepore speculated that he may have undergone a 379:, published in the April, 1929 issue, under the heading "From Joe Gould's Oral History", the two chapters "Marriage" and "Civilization". She solicited further work from Gould before 676: 232:
proposed that abnormal behavior was caused by infected teeth and that the complete removal of teeth would return patients to neurotypical behavior. In fact, Gould likely had
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never existed. Upon the publication of Mitchell's "Joe Gould's Secret," in September, 1964, people began to write to him and send him notebook copies of the
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and Slater Brown, and Gould's own "Social Position (Chapter CCCLXVIII of Joseph Gould's History of the Contemporary World, to be published posthumously.)".
809: 184:, and his father, also a medical doctor, had gone to Harvard. During his senior year, he exhibited strong symptoms of mental illness and was kicked out. 519: 362:
covered Joe Gould. The issue contained the "Portrait of Joe Gould" illustration by Joseph Stella, the biographical sketch "Joseph Gould: The Man" by
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also testified, and Gould was released. As his illness worsened, he lost his reviewing job. His artistic friends, most notably
224:, although he never acknowledged having been institutionalized. Here, all his teeth were removed. In the 1920s, a theory of 195:, and then came back to Boston. He applied for readmission to Harvard and was rejected. In 1915, he did field work for the 200: 482: 469: 434:
poetry readings in New York, where he recited absurd poems he made up to mock the serious poetry of other participants.
172:, Gould had written all over the walls and all over the floor. He exhibited what can today be understood as symptoms of 139: 336: 706: 326:. During his time at the newspaper, he had his epiphany for the longest book ever written. He would title this book 458: 418:" had in fact existed, that he had read much of it, and that the longest stretch of it concerned the Black artist 144: 589: 302:
ran an obituary for him: "Gould had no known relatives but many friends, including poet E. E. Cummings, artist
258: 135: 280: 289: 196: 181: 169: 69: 322: 270: 229: 225: 394: 130: 804: 799: 449: 220:. Gould passed, got his degree, and in 1916 moved to New York. At some point in the 1920s he entered 523:, co-authored by William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, set in 1944, but finally published in 2008. 192: 363: 733: 501: 177: 101: 187:
Two months after his departure from Harvard, he embarked on a five-hundred-mile walking trip to
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signed statements attesting to Gould's sanity so that he would not be sent back to an asylum.
550: 112:(12 September 1889 – 18 August 1957) was an American eccentric, also known as 507: 245: 494: 464: 307: 298: 261:
that in 1930, after an "old maid" had Gould arrested for sexually assaulting her, he and
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because his family wanted him to become a physician; both his grandfather, who taught at
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In 1964 Mitchell published the second of two profiles of Gould for
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Gould collapsed on the street in 1952, eventually ending up in
236:, and the teeth extraction procedure had a high fatality rate. 340:
and a Harvard classmate of Gould's, testified that, "Mr.
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Gould died at Pilgrim State Hospital (pictured in 1938)
142:(2000), and is a character in the 2009 computer game 97: 89: 81: 58: 28: 21: 472:or Don't Go But If You Must Say Hello To Everybody 467:wrote a short story about Gould in his 1971 book, 734:"The Long-Lost Tale of the World's Longest Book" 708:Biography of American Writer Joe Gould Parts 1-3 553:Joseph Mitchell: A Reader's and Writer's Guide 510:, and appeared as a spirit in the third game, 8: 351:Broom: An International Magazine of the Arts 320:In 1917, Gould worked as a reporter for the 18: 705:Wallechinsky, David, and Irving Wallace, 640:"The Dial, April, 1929, pages 319 to 321" 520:And The Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks 156:Gould was born in a small suburb outside 118:An Oral History of the Contemporary World 564: 562: 506:, an adventure game series developed by 168:. In his room at his parents' house, in 675:Bovey, Darrel Bristow (29 March 2020). 543: 489:Gould is mentioned in several poems by 222:Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane 176:and did poorly in school. He attended 452:along with Diana Barrett Moulton and 430:One of Gould's pastimes was going to 7: 486:, an adaptation of Mitchell's book. 243:hired him as a regular reviewer for 594:"Profile : Professor Sea Gull" 392:, later collected in the 1965 book 810:20th-century American male writers 296:, where he died in 1957, aged 67. 249:, and Gould became known to local 14: 517:He made two brief appearances in 480:portrayed Gould in the 2000 film 444:photographed for a feature on 348:In the October, 1923 issue of 310:." None attended his funeral. 253:artists and writers. In 1942, 16:American eccentric (1889–1957) 1: 398:. Mitchell asserted that the 306:, Writers Malcolm Cowley and 665:PM, July 28, 1941, pp. 18-19 470:Letters from 74 rue Taitbout 556:. Retrieved 8 February 2014 526:He is a minor character in 337:Best American Short Stories 328:An Oral History of Our Time 315:An Oral History of Our Time 122:An Oral History of Our Time 826: 715:Excerpts from Joe Gould's 459:Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 426:Representations and legacy 795:Harvard University alumni 512:The Blackwell Convergence 414:, who told him that the " 145:The Blackwell Convergence 656:(New York: Knopf, 2016). 164:speculated that he had 128:. He inspired the book 493:and in the letters of 290:Pilgrim State Hospital 285: 197:Eugenics Record Office 182:Harvard Medical School 170:Norwood, Massachusetts 110:Joseph Ferdinand Gould 70:Pilgrim State Hospital 33:Joseph Ferdinand Gould 711:at Trivia-Library.Com 500:He was referenced in 461:into their language. 323:New York Evening Mail 283: 226:biological psychiatry 239:After his release, 140:its film adaptation 551:Raymond J Rundus, 530:, a 2021 novel by 483:Joe Gould's Secret 440:news photographer 395:Joe Gould's Secret 286: 203:. He then went to 178:Harvard University 131:Joe Gould's Secret 102:Harvard University 654:Joe Gould's Teeth 570:Joe Gould's Teeth 454:Maxwell Bodenheim 448:poets, including 446:Greenwich Village 332:Edward J. O'Brien 114:Professor Seagull 107: 106: 93:Professor Seagull 43:12 September 1889 817: 781: 779: 778: 760:"Oral Historian" 755: 753: 752: 693: 692: 690: 689: 672: 666: 663: 657: 650: 644: 643: 636: 630: 629: 622: 616: 615: 613: 612: 590:Mitchell, Joseph 586: 580: 566: 557: 548: 528:Broadway Revival 508:Wadjet Eye Games 383:folded in 1929. 334:, the editor of 246:The New Republic 191:, exploring its 120:, also known as 90:Other names 76:, New York, U.S. 65: 42: 40: 19: 825: 824: 820: 819: 818: 816: 815: 814: 785: 784: 776: 774: 758: 750: 748: 728: 702: 700:Further reading 697: 696: 687: 685: 674: 673: 669: 664: 660: 651: 647: 638: 637: 633: 624: 623: 619: 610: 608: 588: 587: 583: 567: 560: 549: 545: 540: 495:Gaston Lachaise 465:William Saroyan 428: 373:, as editor of 318: 308:William Saroyan 259:Joseph Mitchell 154: 136:Joseph Mitchell 98:Alma mater 77: 67: 63: 54: 44: 38: 36: 35: 34: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 823: 821: 813: 812: 807: 802: 797: 787: 786: 783: 782: 766:. 1937-11-27. 764:The New Yorker 756: 738:The New Yorker 732:(2015-07-20). 726: 712: 701: 698: 695: 694: 667: 658: 645: 631: 617: 598:The New Yorker 592:(1942-12-12). 581: 578:978-1101947586 568:Lepore, Jill, 558: 542: 541: 539: 536: 491:E. E. Cummings 427: 424: 420:Augusta Savage 408:The New Yorker 389:The New Yorker 371:Marianne Moore 356:Malcolm Cowley 317: 312: 267:E. E. Cummings 255:Horace Gregory 241:Malcolm Cowley 218:Earnest Hooton 153: 150: 105: 104: 99: 95: 94: 91: 87: 86: 83: 79: 78: 68: 66:(aged 67) 62:18 August 1957 60: 56: 55: 45: 32: 30: 26: 25: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 822: 811: 808: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 793: 792: 790: 773: 769: 765: 761: 757: 747: 743: 739: 735: 731: 727: 725: 724: 719: 718: 713: 710: 709: 704: 703: 699: 684: 683: 678: 671: 668: 662: 659: 655: 652:Jill Lepore, 649: 646: 641: 635: 632: 627: 621: 618: 607: 603: 599: 595: 591: 585: 582: 579: 575: 571: 565: 563: 559: 555: 554: 547: 544: 537: 535: 533: 532:Laura Frankos 529: 524: 522: 521: 515: 513: 509: 505: 504: 498: 496: 492: 487: 485: 484: 479: 475: 473: 471: 466: 462: 460: 455: 451: 447: 443: 439: 438: 433: 425: 423: 421: 417: 413: 409: 405: 401: 397: 396: 391: 390: 384: 382: 378: 377: 372: 367: 365: 361: 357: 353: 352: 346: 343: 339: 338: 333: 329: 325: 324: 316: 313: 311: 309: 305: 301: 300: 295: 291: 282: 278: 276: 272: 268: 264: 263:Edmund Wilson 260: 256: 252: 248: 247: 242: 237: 235: 231: 228:pioneered by 227: 223: 219: 214: 210: 207:to study the 206: 202: 201:Spring Harbor 198: 194: 190: 185: 183: 179: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 151: 149: 147: 146: 141: 137: 133: 132: 127: 123: 119: 115: 111: 103: 100: 96: 92: 88: 84: 80: 75: 71: 61: 57: 52: 51:Massachusetts 48: 31: 27: 20: 775:. Retrieved 763: 749:. Retrieved 737: 730:Lepore, Jill 723:Kooks Museum 721: 720: at the 717:Oral History 716: 707: 686:. Retrieved 680: 670: 661: 653: 648: 634: 620: 609:. Retrieved 597: 584: 569: 552: 546: 527: 525: 518: 516: 511: 502: 499: 488: 481: 476: 468: 463: 442:Ray Platnick 435: 429: 416:Oral History 415: 412:Millen Brand 407: 404:Oral History 403: 400:Oral History 399: 393: 387: 385: 380: 374: 368: 364:Edward Nagle 360:Slater Brown 349: 347: 335: 327: 321: 319: 314: 297: 287: 271:Sarah Berman 244: 238: 230:Henry Cotton 205:North Dakota 186: 166:hypergraphia 155: 143: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 108: 64:(1957-08-18) 805:1957 deaths 800:1889 births 304:Don Freeman 294:Long Island 162:Jill Lepore 126:Meo Tempore 82:Nationality 74:Long Island 789:Categories 777:2018-02-28 751:2018-02-28 688:2020-12-13 611:2018-02-28 538:References 342:Ezra Pound 134:(1965) by 39:1889-09-12 772:0028-792X 746:0028-792X 682:TimesLIVE 606:0028-792X 503:Blackwell 450:Joe Gould 369:The poet 277:in 1949. 251:modernist 193:landscape 160:in 1889. 152:Biography 23:Joe Gould 478:Ian Holm 381:The Dial 376:The Dial 275:lobotomy 85:American 432:beatnik 770:  744:  604:  576:  234:autism 213:Mandan 209:Ojibwe 189:Canada 174:autism 158:Boston 138:, and 53:, U.S. 47:Boston 257:told 768:ISSN 742:ISSN 602:ISSN 574:ISBN 358:and 299:Time 211:and 59:Died 29:Born 292:on 199:in 124:or 791:: 762:. 740:. 736:. 679:. 600:. 596:. 572:, 561:^ 534:. 514:. 497:. 474:. 437:PM 354:, 148:. 72:, 49:, 780:. 754:. 691:. 642:. 628:. 614:. 41:) 37:(

Index

Boston
Massachusetts
Pilgrim State Hospital
Long Island
Harvard University
Joe Gould's Secret
Joseph Mitchell
its film adaptation
The Blackwell Convergence
Boston
Jill Lepore
hypergraphia
Norwood, Massachusetts
autism
Harvard University
Harvard Medical School
Canada
landscape
Eugenics Record Office
Spring Harbor
North Dakota
Ojibwe
Mandan
Earnest Hooton
Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane
biological psychiatry
Henry Cotton
autism
Malcolm Cowley
The New Republic

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