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Audio recording of Freddie Reynolds speaking with Charles and Janice Rosenak

 Digital Record
Identifier: A0009_10_26a_Reynolds

Dates

  • circa 1983

Creator

Summary

In this recording, Chuck and Jan Rosenak interview artist Freddie Reynolds at his residence in Washington D.C. They discuss Reynolds’s childhood, schooling, and parents. Reynolds extensively discusses his father, Francis Reynolds, who he describes as a brilliant and politically active Black man (Francis, according to Reynolds, invented the cinder block), but who became mentally distressed later in life. Note: Reynolds also shares his own struggles with his mental and physical health. Also in this interview, Reynolds discusses the various jobs he has held overtime, including working as a waiter on a railroad, until he came to making art and writing books and poetry. This recording includes Reynolds reading one of his poems called “My Lament.” The interview ends with a discussion of Reynolds’s art.

Conditions Governing Access

The Charles B. and Janice M. Rosenak Collection is owned by the American Folk Art Museum. The collection is subject to all copyright laws, and is dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship.

Extent

1 file(s) ; Length: approx. 41 minutes

Language of Materials

English

Related Materials

The full transcript of this recording is available upon request.

Processing Information

This recording was digitized from tape cassette through a grant from the National Recording Preservation Foundation in 2020.

Repository Details

Part of the American Folk Art Museum Archives Repository

Contact:
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Long Island City New York 11101 United States
(212) 595-9533