CHRISTOPHER ROOF PAPERS, 1967-2007

VAULT A45, ROOF UNIT 1

 

EXTENT: 2 record cartons.

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT: Organized into six series: I. Poetry, other authored works, and related materials, 1976-2006, plus undated; II. Charitable donations: canceled checks, form letters, and other materials, 1979-2007; III: Political activities and correspondence with elected officials and government agencies, 1980-1998; IV.  Correspondence and other related materials from family, friends, and Concord organizations and people 1967-2007, plus undated; V. Photographs and other materials by form, 1980-2004, plus undated.

Series I. Poetry, other authored works, and related materials are arranged into two subseries. The first subseries includes poetry and other authored works, arranged chronologically by the date the work was written or published.  The second subseries includes correspondence, press clippings, and promotional materials regarding poetry and other authored works, readings, and talks about his works, arranged alphabetically by the title of the work.  Correspondence that relates to his musical compositions and correspondence where no work or more than one work is specified are placed at the end of the series.

Series II. Charitable donations: canceled checks, form letters, and other materials arranged alphabetically by the name of the organization receiving the donation.

Series III. Political activities and correspondence with elected officials and government agencies are arranged alphabetically by the name of the correspondent.

Series IV. Correspondence and other related materials from family, friends, and Concord organizations and people arranged by subseries.  Subseries 1: Family members and relatives; Subseries 2: Extended correspondents; Subseries 3: Casual correspondents; Concord organizations and people; and Subseries 4: Financial and legal institutions.

Series V. Photographs and other materials are arranged by form, with photographs grouped together at the beginning of the series and other types of materials grouped together at the end of the series.

BIOGRAPHY: Born on April 24, 1951, in Concord, Massachusetts to Simons Lucas and Marcia Sheldon (Moore) Roof.  Attended Hampshire College for two years and graduated Summa Cum Laude, with a BFA in 1978 from Emerson College.  Also studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature in West Redding, Connecticut in 1978.  Went on to teach at Emerson College and the Concord-Carlisle High School, as well as Sunday School at the First Parish Church in Concord where he was a member.  He self-published a number of books of poetry for children and adults, including A Winter Night’s Revels, Halloween to Halloween, Idylls, The Mythical Magical Poetry Book, The Pink Sheep, and The Spook House.  His coloring book for children, The Whale Friends, was published and distributed by Greenpeace Northeast in 1979.  He edited three books written by Bill Montague, The Concord Guidebook, Little Mouse: The Mouse Who Lived with Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond, and Montague's Wee Forest Folk Collectors Album.  Active in Concord civic life, he served on the Concord Historical Commission from 1994 until 1998 and worked at the Thoreau Lyceum for a number of years. In 2021, DNA identified his remains, discovered in November 2010, in northern Maine.

SCOPE AND CONTENT: Records, 1967-2007 (bulk 1976-2004). Authored works include school compositions, travel journals, biographical notes, self-criticism, unpublished typescript, newspaper essay and letter to the editor, musical compositions, and self-published poetry, 1976-2004.  Correspondence, press clippings, and promotional materials regarding poetry and other authored works (1978-2006) include letters from publishers and readers about his works.  Letters from local libraries, schools, and bookstores regarding readings and talks on his works are also included.  Records from charitable donations include canceled checks, mostly to environmental groups, and thank you letters, newsletters, and other promotional materials from those groups, 1979-2007.  Records of political activities include Roof’s notes from regional Freeze Council meetings, 1983-1984, and correspondence with national and state elected officials and government agencies, mostly mailings about environmental issues received by Roof, 1980-1998.  Correspondence from family members and relatives (1981-2003, plus undated) includes letters, birthday, holiday, and thank-you cards received by Roof from siblings Jonathan (also referred to as Jonny or Jon) and Louisa (also referred to as Loulie); his father, Simon Roof, his father’s partner, Tinie Freeman; and cousin Leslie.  Also includes obituaries and condolences regarding the death of his mother, Marcia Moore in 1981; memorial service programs and condolences from the deaths of his grandmother, Eleanor Moore in 1994, and grandfather, Robert Moore in 1986; and a one-page genealogy of his mother’s family dating back to 1601.  Extended correspondence includes lengthy, ongoing correspondence from non-family members, including Kristina Joyce and Francine Huxley.  Casual correspondence includes cards, notes, and other brief communications.  Correspondence from Concord organizations and people includes letters regarding the Thoreau Country Conservation Alliance and Thomas Blanding, 1988-1991; letters regarding the Thoreau Society, 1967-2001; student appreciations from Concord-Carlisle High School and First Parish Church, mostly undated; and other letters, pamphlets, brochures and ephemera related to Concord organizations in which Roof was active, 1967-2004.  Financial and legal correspondence includes two letters from the Bank of Boston regarding trust funds and one letter from Walker and Associates regarding Roof’s apartment lease.  Photographs and other materials by form include photographs of Roof, his family, and friends; commemorative stamps; postcards; and a xerox copy of the inside of a box top that he used for storage of materials from this collection.

SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Gift of Christopher Roof on July 2007.

NOTES/COMMENTS: Accessioned July 31, 2007, AMC 147.

PROCESSED BY: Laura Wulf and Tiffany Davis; finding aid completed May 2008.

 

CONTAINER LIST

 

Box 1.

Series I: Poetry, other authored works, and related materials, 1976-2006:

Subseries 1: Poetry and other authored works, 1976-2004:

Folder 1:
Six Essays on the Romantic Age, 1976 (2 copies).

Folder 2:
Six Essays on the Victorian Age, 1976 (2 copies).

Folder 3:
On the Development of Sir Gawain in Arthurian Romance, 1978.

Folder 4:
The Whale Friends, 1979 (2 copies).

Folder 5:
The Pink Sheep, 1982.

Folder 6:
In Wales and Ireland: A Journal, 1982(2 copies).

Folder 7:
Snowflakes, 1985.

Folder 8:
Newspaper essay and letter to the editor, 1985-1987.

Folder 9:
Halloween to Halloween, 1986 (2 copies).

Folder 10:
Travels in Britain and Ireland, Summer of 1968, 1988.

Folder 11:
Musical compositions, 1988 plus undated.

Folder 12:
In the Woods and Fields of Concord, 1990-1999.
The Old Railroad Causeway, 2000.

Folder 13:
The Mythical Magical Poetry Book, 1995 (2 copies)

Folder 14:
A Biographical Note, 2004
Notes on the Prosody of My Light Verse, undated (2 copies).

Folder 15:
Idylls, 2004. 2 copies.

Subseries 2: Correspondence, press clippings, and promotional materials regarding poetry, other authored works, readings, and talks about his works, 1978-2006, plus undated:

Folder 16:
Correspondence regarding Brian’s New View, 1982-1993.

Folder 17:
Correspondence regarding Dialogue, undated.

Folder 18:
Correspondence regarding The Eccentric Youth, 1984-1985.

Folder 19:
Correspondence regarding Fantasy Times Four, 1978-1979.

Folder 20:
Correspondence and press clippings regarding Halloween to Halloween, 1986-1993 plus undated.

Folder 21:
Correspondence regarding Idylls, 2005-2006.

Folder 22:
Correspondence regarding The Magic Kite, 1980.

Folder 23:
Correspondence and press clippings regarding The Mythical Magical Poetry Book, 1995-1997 plus undated.

Folder 24:
Correspondence and press clippings regarding The Pink Sheep, 1982-1989.

Folder 25:
Correspondence and note from author regarding The Spook House, 1980-1988 plus undated.

Folder 26:
Correspondence and promotional materials regarding The Whale Friends, 1982-1984 plus undated.

Folder 27:
Correspondence and press clippings regarding A Winter Night’s Revels, 1983-1986 plus undated.

Folder 28:
Correspondence regarding musical compositions, 1981-1990 plus undated.

Folder 29:
Correspondence regarding authored works, with no work or more than one work specified, 1981-2004 plus undated.

Folder 30:
Correspondence, card samples, and promotional materials regarding Pamela Sampson, 1981-1992 plus undated.

Folder 31:
Correspondence and promotional materials regarding readings and talks about his works, 1979-2006.

Series II: Charitable donations: canceled checks, form letters and other materials, 1979-2007:

Folder 32:
Tally of donations made ; Cancelled checks with no form letters: Arkansas Peace Center, Campaign to Stop Nuclear Waste, Central American Relief Fund, Chet Atkins Committee, Clergy and Laity Concerned, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Environmental Lobby of Massachusetts, Food First, International Wildlife Coalition, John Evans for Senate Campaign, The Kerry Committee, Marine Mammal Fund, Markey for Senate, Mass Alert Referendum Campaign, Massachusetts Citizen for Safe Energy, National Peace Academy Campaign, National SANE Education Fund, New England Rivers Center, Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, Project  Vote!, Protect Our Pets, Union of Concerned Scientists, U.S. Committee Against Nuclear War, War Resisters League.

Folder 33:
A-C, 1981-1996: American Farmland Trust, 1981-1984; Amnesty International USA, 1982-1986; Attorneys for Animal Rights (AFAR), 1983; The Cambridge School, 1991; Campaign to Save the Massachusetts Bottle Bill, 1982-1983; Concord Open Land Foundation, 1991; Concord-Carlisle Community Chest, 1996; Concord Free Public Library, 1998; Council for a Nuclear Weapons Freeze, 1982-1986; The Cousteau Society, 1987-1994.

Folder 34:  
Concord Land Conservation Trust, 1982-2006.

Folder 35:
Conservation Law Foundation of New England, 1981-1995.

Folder 36:
E-F: 1980-2002: Earth Island Institute, 1987-1992; Environmental Action, 1981-1995; Environmental Defense Fund, 1982-1993; Environmental Lobby of Massachusetts, 1991-1992; Fairhaven Preservation Association, 1987-1988; First Parish in Concord, 1983-2002; Freeze Voter, 1983-1988; Friends of Heywood Meadow, 1995; Friends of the Earth, 1981-1984; The Fund for Animals Inc., 1980.

Folder 37:
G-M, 1980-2006 plus undated: The Dana McLean Greeley Foundation, 1987-1991; Greenpeace USA, 1983-1991; Historic Concord, Inc. 1996; International Fund for Animal Welfare, 1983-1988; The International Primate Protection League, 198?-1983; Kangaroo Protection Foundation, 1983; League of Conservation Voters, 1981-1988; Lincoln Conservation Commission, 1980-1981; Massachusetts Audubon Society, 1983-2006; Mobilization for Animals, Inc., 1982; Musicians Against Nuclear Arms, 1984.

Folder 38:
Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 1980-2000.

Folder 39:
The Nature Conservancy Fund, 1982-1998.

Folder 40:
Ne-S, 1981-1994: New England Anti-Vivisection Society, 1992; New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution, 1988; Nuclear Times, 1983; Operation California, Inc., 1983; Oxfam America, 1981-1983; People vs. Nuclear Arms, 1983-1984; Plenty, 1981; Project Wolf, 1986; Programme for Belize, 1988-1989; SANE: The Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, 1982; Save-the-Redwoods League, 1981; Sea Turtle Rescue Fund, 1982; Seacoast Clamshell, 1984; Sierra Club, 1981-1992; Stop Project ELF, 1982-1984; Sudbury Valley Trustees, 1982-1994.

Folder 41:
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, 1980-2007.

Folder 42:
U-Z, 1979-1993: Unitarian Universalist World, 1981-1983; The Wilderness Society, 1983-1993; World Wildlife Fund-U.S., 1979-1988; Zero Population Growth, 1983.

Series III: Political activities and correspondence with elected officials and government agencies, 1980-1998:

Folder 43:
Notes from Freeze Council meetings, 1983-1984.

Folder 44:
Correspondence with elected officials and government agencies,1980-1998: Representative Chester Atkins, President George Bush, Governor Michael Dukakis, Vice President Al Gore, Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, Senator Bob Packwood, Representative James Shannon, Senator Paul Tsongas, United States Department of the Interior, United States House of Representatives Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.

Box 2

Series IV: Correspondence and related materials (alphabetically by correspondent), 1967-2007:

Subseries 1: Family members and relatives, 1981-2003, plus undated:

Folder 1:
Eleanor Moore, 1994, plus undated.

Folder 2:
Jonathan (Jonny or Jon), Rose, and Leela, 1993-2003, plus undated.

Folder 3:
Leslie, undated.

Folder 4:
Luisa (Loulie), undated.

Folder 5:
Marcia Moore, 1981-1983, plus undated.

Folder 6:
Robert Lowell Moore, 1986.

Folder 7:
Simon Roof, 1989-1995, plus undated.

Folder 8:
Tinie Freeman, 1995, plus undated.

Subseries 2: Extended correspondents, 1971-2007, plus undated:

Folder 9:
Francine Huxley, 1981-1985.

Folder 10:
Olwen, 1984, plus undated.

Folder 11:
Bill, 1980, plus undated.

Folder 12:
Amma Cherniske, 1981-1982, plus undated.

Folder 13:
Kristina Joyce, 1987-2007, plus undated.

Folder 14:
Roger Low, 1982-1984, plus undated.

Folder 15:
Eunice Sawyer, 1980, plus undated.

Folder 16:
Ramona Wheeler, 1971.

Subseries 3: Casual correspondents, 1981-2006, plus undated:

Folder 17:
General, 1981-2003, plus undated.

Folder 18:
Birthday cards, 1990-1992, plus undated.

Folder 19:
Thank you notes, 1984-1998, plus undated.

Folder 20:
Christmas cards, 1985-2006, plus undated.

Subseries 4: Concord organizations and people, 1981-2005, plus undated:

Folder 21:
Student appreciation, 1984-2004, plus undated.

Folder 22:
Concord Chamber of Commerce, undated.

Folder 23:
Concord Free Public Library, 1998-2005.

Folder 24:
Concord Historical Commission, 1995-1998.

Folder2 5:
Concord Land Conservation Trust, 1997, plus undated.

Folder 26:
Concord Museum, 1999.

Folder 27:
Concord Natural Resources Commission, 2000.

Folder 28:
First Parish Church, 1981-1985.

Folder 29:
Orchard House, 1997.

Folder 30:
Roland Robbins, 1987-1993.

Folder 31:
Thoreau Country Conservation Alliance and Thomas Blanding, 1988-1991, plus undated.

Folder 32:
Thoreau Farm Trust, 2004.

Folder 33:
Thoreau Society, 1994-2001.

Folder 34:
Walden Pond State Reservation, undated.

Folder 35:
Miscellaneous, 1985-1988, plus undated.

Subseries 5: Financial correspondence, 1990-1994:

Folder 36:
Bank of Boston, Walker and Associates, 1990-1994. 

Series V: Photographs and other materials by form, 1980-2004, plus undated

Folder 37:
Photographs of Roof, family and friends, 1980-1983, plus undated.

Folder 38:
Miscellaneous unused U.S. stamps, commemorative issue stamp of Nathaniel Hawthorne, postcards and a xerox copy of the inside of a box top that he used for storage of materials from this collection, 1983-2004.

 

c2008 Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.
Not to be reproduced in any form without permission of the Curator of Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library.

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Mounted 31st May 2008.    rcwh.