The papers consist of personal correspondence, bound journals, and artwork created by Barbara Goedde and event fliers, posters, publication proofs, and a few photographs. The collection is arranged alphabetically by type of document. The collection dates from 1972 to 1977, from 2001 to 2003, and from 2006-2009. There is a date gap from 2004 to 2005 and a large date gap from 1978 to 2000, apart from five single items dated 1980, 1989, 1995, 1999, and circa 2009. The only correspondence in the collection is comprised of letters written from September 1, 1975, to May 24, 1977, by Goedde when she was in her early 20s. She wrote to her friend Alfred DePew while he travelled in Europe. She often enclosed event fliers, sometimes designed by her, photographs, and copies of her art. A testament to their friendship, Alfred sent his journals to Goedde for safekeeping until his return to the U.S. (5 Aug 1976, B1/f.6). He sent her a red journal comprised of Fabriano fine art paper in the spring of 1976. In November, Goedde wrote that she had completed the journal (Vol. 6). Goedde did several portraits of Alfred (B1/f.3, Vol. 4, B4/f.4). Goedde confided to Alfred about women with whom she had relationships and her feelings about the gay and lesbian communities in St. Louis. During this time, Goedde lived with her sister, a friend named Martha, and finally moved into Thornapple House at 3910 Botanical Avenue. She confided in Alfred about her experiences at each residence. On August 5, 1976, she wrote about Thornapple House, “I feel sad about you…these women I’m moving in with, will not like you, will not allow you in the house on the basis that you’re male. It’s another world, Alfred.” In later letters and journals, Goedde praised the emotional support received from communal living. In addition to her own relationships, Goedde discussed the intermingled relationships among her lesbian friends and acquaintances. She and Alfred also discussed what it meant to come out, feminism, and social activism. On November 1, 1975, Goedde described “Alice Doesn’t Day,” a no-work day organized by the National Organization for Women. On several occasions she mentioned her work with Moonstorm, her participation with other lesbian activists, and her attendance at the Women’s Conference of Presses, Printers, and Publishers in August 1976. Goedde also recounted her trips to Chicago, New York City, Montreal, and to the Midwest Womyn’s Festival at Lake of the Ozarks. As a young woman in her 20s, Goedde often mentioned recreational drug use, usually alcohol and smoking joints, but also a friend’s experience with MDA (11 Apr 1976). She discussed art, quoted authors, and praised performers such as Bette Midler, Melissa Manchester, and Phoebe Snow. The nine journals in the collection date from 1973 to 1977 and from 2001 to 2003; volume numbers were assigned chronologically. Each journal contains art and seven of the journals include diary entries with additional items such as photographs, poems and song lyrics, leaf pressings, postcards, a few letters, and event fliers. Volume 1 and Volume 4 are comprised entirely of art; there is no text. The 1970s journals, Volumes 2-3 and 5-6, include watercolors, ink sketches, oil paintings, and pastels. The three later journals, Volumes 7-9, also include prints and collage and mixed media techniques. Any loose items in the volumes have been removed and placed in folders (see Folder List). The journals Goedde kept from December 1974 to November 1975 (Vol.2-3, 5-6) complement the letters written to Alfred. However, she included more details in her journals and recorded other aspects of her life, such as familial relationships, that she did not share in the letters. Throughout the journals, she recorded various aspects of her daily life such as her art, her nightly dreams, recreational activities with friends, affairs of the heart, casual drug use, her employment, and a myriad of feelings about coming out and being a lesbian. Goedde often included a monthly calendar on which she recorded events and letters. On February 12, 1975, she wrote, “These journals are an absolute relief.” In Volume 2 (Dec 1974-March 1975), Goedde wrote extensively about Amy, a love interest who moved to New York City, and included postcards and letters from her. Other notable highlights from the journal include coming out to her mother (1/2/75), local activist groups with which she did not feel comfortable (1/23/75), events around Women’s Day at Washington University (1/25/75), and the burning of the Lesbian Alliance coffeehouse (1/31/75). Goedde wrote some entries in June and July out of order in Volume 3 (April-Aug 1975). Her friend Wendy sent some of her journals to Goedde and she added excerpts in this volume. In April, Goedde delivered a lecture to a freshmen sociology class on gayness and sexuality (4/7/75). Her father died in May; she pasted his obituary in the journal and wrote about her childhood and loss (5/22/75). Goedde wrote about anti-gay sentiment on Washington University’s campus with a photo of vandalism (4/8/75, 4/21/75), about a confrontation with a man in a café (4/21/75), and about her friend Cheri who did not want to see Goedde after she came out to her (7/8/75). Goedde continued to record her feelings about Amy, including copies of letters and a postcard, and about a trip she took to see Amy (7/8/75). Goedde began Volume 5 (Feb-April 1976) after a visit to New York on her way to Montreal where she visited friend Diane Quackenbush (2/3/76). When she returned to St. Louis in late February, she moved out of the apartment she shared with Martha. Volume 6 (Apr-Nov 1976) was a gift Alfred sent from Europe with an inscription and photo inside the front cover. Goedde also pasted feathers from Alfred in the volume (9/29/76). She included more art in this journal than previously, including self-portraits. She moved into Thornapple House, describing the communal living experience and her new neighborhood. She included a photo of the Moonstorm group during a June meeting (7/31/76) and she began seeing Nancy who worked with the women’s collective car repair service (7/27/76). When Goedde began writing Volumes 7, 8, and 9 she was 50 years old, in therapy, and worked as a kindergarten teacher at the Downtown Children’s Center (DCC). She began most entries with “Dear Carol,” her therapist, and included art at the top half of the page with the diary entry below. In Volume 7 and 9, Goedde included drawings about the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (9/13/01, 9/13/02) and she wrote that the 2003 Columbia space shuttle explosion reminded her of the 9/11 tragedy (2/2/03). In Volume 7 (July 11-Oct 6, 2001), Goedde went through a breakup with a long-time partner. She continued to record her dreams, talked about her childhood, her abusive parents, and her mother’s ancestors. Goedde reminisced about her past, recalling Mary Sue and Pat Hennon in Black, Missouri (8/8/01) and included a sketch from Moonstorm Spring 1977 entitled “Thornapple Neighborhood 1977” (8/9/01). She saw a book about lesbians and therapy that warned about dynamic therapy, transference, and countertransference (8/9/01). In Volume 8 (Apr 3-Sept 1, 2002), Goedde included her experiences at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and began to discuss her job (4/11/02, 6/7/02). She also worked on the Pride float for MoKaBe’s Coffeehouse (3603 Arsenal, 6/23/02) and saw Mary Chipps from Thornapple House. In Volume 9 (Sept 6-May 12, 2003), Goedde focused more on the diary and less on her therapy. She discussed her job, problems that developed with a parent and a supervisor, and current issues with her family. Goedde’s art can be found throughout the collection. She illustrated some letters and enclosed copies of her art with them. She added art to all the journals, including loose items not bound with the volumes. Subjects for much of Goedde’s journal art included nature such as houseplants, views of her home and streets, and cats. There are many single pieces of art, some of which might relate to classes at Washington University, and others that relate to Moonstorm and to her activism, such as saving Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Most of these works are in the Oversize Box; please consult the inventory for item descriptions. There are also five single items located in Box1/folder 3: Alfred DePew portrait (1974), sketch for Amendment #23 poster (1977) [see also Oversize Box/f.3], IRIS panel insert (1980), St. Louis Arch Rivals emblem design for Gay Games (1989), and “MoKaBe’s: A Common Ground,” color block print 1/12 (1999).