Uncover the Life and Legacy of Claude Fredericks
Step into the extraordinary world of my late husband, Claude Fredericks (1923–2013), through Extracts, an immersive journey into The Journal of Claude Fredericks. Spanning over 65,000 pages and eight decades, this monumental literary achievement reveals his profound reflections, vibrant relationships, and the quiet, transformative moments that shaped his life.
Remarkably, only the first 4,000 pages of The Journal—covering the years 1932 to 1943—have ever been published. The remaining 61,000 pages, preserved at the Getty Research Institute, have never been publicly available in any form. Beyond a small number of biographers and close friends who accessed excerpts with my guidance, these pages remain largely unread. Even I have not read Claude’s entries from 1993 to 2013, which include the years we lived together and our shared life became a central focus of his writing.
Through Extracts, I aim to open a window into this vast and untapped treasure, offering readers access to selections from this unparalleled journal, contextualized with insights into its time, place, and significance.
A Monumental Literary Achievement
In November 2021, The New Yorker described Claude’s journal as ‘the most ambitious diary in history’. But the article could only scratch the surface of its depth and humanity. Now housed in the archives of the Getty, along with his letters, plays, poems, and other writings, Claude’s journal is more than a record of events. It is a profound exploration of self-knowledge, offering timeless insights into the struggles and triumphs of living authentically.
Your journals have the texture of life itself, of life actually lived, and in this respect they are like nothing I’ve ever read or indeed nothing else that exists. You have done something extraordinary.
—Donna Tartt, from a letter to CF, 7 May 2012
Our Shared History
I first met Claude in 1989, when I was 19 and he was 65, as a student at Bennington College. Six years later, in 1995, our lives intertwined more deeply when I moved into the beautiful Greek Revival farmhouse he had purchased in Pawlet, Vermont, in 1947. I was 26 then, and he was 72.
For 18 years, we built a life together within those walls, surrounded by 150 acres of serene Vermont countryside. Ours was an intergenerational love story—one that bridged decades of lived experience, history, and creativity. The house—filled with books, art, and music—became the backdrop for a life as reflective as it was vibrant.
Now, more than a decade after Claude’s passing, I still live in this home, carrying forward his legacy while creating new memories with my husband, Edward. Past and present coexist here in a poignant and sometimes bittersweet way. As the executor of Claude’s estate and copyright holder of his writings, I am both custodian and storyteller of his remarkable life and work.
Who Was Claude Fredericks?
Claude Fredericks (1923-2013) was an American poet, playwright, printer, teacher, and diarist, whose life and work remain an enduring testament to the pursuit of beauty, knowledge, and self-expression. Born in Springfield, Missouri, he began keeping a diary at the age of eight—a habit that grew into an unparalleled literary achievement spanning more than eight decades and 65,000 pages. His journal, now housed at the Getty Research Institute, offers a deeply introspective and candid record of his life, relationships, and intellectual explorations.
In the late 1940s, Claude founded the Banyan Press, a small but influential press that published beautifully hand-printed works by luminaries such as Gertrude Stein, Wallace Stevens, and Stephen Spender. As a professor of literature at Bennington College from 1961 to 1993, he inspired generations of students with his unconventional teaching methods and profound engagement with texts ranging from classical Greek epics to Japanese novels.
Claude’s life was as richly layered as his journal—marked by his friendships with prominent cultural figures, his years of creativity in his beloved Vermont farmhouse, and his enduring commitment to documenting the texture of life itself. A visionary diarist and craftsman, Claude’s legacy is a rare and extraordinary window into the human experience.
Why Claude’s Journal Matters Today
Claude Fredericks’ journal is a living testament to the power of reflection, authenticity, and creativity. In a world often dominated by brevity and surface-level interactions, his work reminds us of the value of looking inward.
To read his journal is to step into a life deeply lived—one that bridges the personal and universal. Claude chronicled not only events but also emotions, ideas, and questions, inviting us to explore our own journeys in the process. His reflections resonate with timeless relevance, offering a beacon for those seeking mindfulness, connection, and self-understanding.
As I share these extracts, I aim to guide readers through Claude’s world, providing context and personal insights to illuminate the richness of his writing. Together, we’ll uncover truths about the beauty of human complexity, the necessity of self-reflection, and the importance of living deeply and authentically.
Why Extracts Matters
Through Extracts, I’m offering more than selections from Claude’s journal—I’m inviting readers into an intimate and shared exploration. His journal is a profound narrative of encounters with literary greats like John Berryman, Anaïs Nin, and Bernard Malamud, as well as detailed accounts of daily life in New York, teaching at Bennington, and travels abroad. It is both publicly vibrant and privately contemplative, chronicling his journey as a gay man through shifting eras in American history.
These passages will also reflect my personal lens. Living in the same space where Claude and I shared so many years, I will provide context to the extracts, offering reflections on how his legacy informs my present. This project is a testament to the lasting influence of a remarkable man whose life continues to inspire new understanding.
An Invitation to Discovery
Through Extracts, my hope is to share with you the essence of Claude’s world—his thoughts, his passions, and his remarkable way of seeing life. While no one could truly know him as I did, his journal invites us all into a shared venture into the human experience, one that underscores the importance of reflecting on our lives and the moments that shape us.
Subscribe now to join me on this journey. Together, we’ll uncover the enduring truths within Claude’s words and explore the universal beauty of a life lived deeply.
— Marc
I can only think of Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu as a text that produces in the reader the impression of being inundated by another person’s sensibility, his way of using words, his way of looking at the world. These are two very different literary works, of course, one a journal and the other a novel, but I do not think the comparison is far-fetched. The experience of reading The Journal Of Claude Fredericks is just as powerful.
—Piotr Gwiazda, poet and translator
Why Subscribe?
Join me on a unique journey through Extracts, where each week, you’ll dive into the extraordinary world of Claude Fredericks. Through this Substack, you’ll experience the depth of a journal unparalleled in its candor, scope, and detail—a life captured in over 30 million words, spanning eight decades.
What makes Extracts truly special is that most of the journal remains unpublished and largely unseen. For decades, Claude’s work has been a hidden literary treasure, preserved but untouched by public hands. By subscribing, you’ll gain rare access to selections that have never been shared before, accompanied by my reflections as someone who knew him best.
Free Subscribers Receive
Weekly journal extracts, carefully curated to highlight Claude’s most vivid, thought-provoking moments.
Insights into the life of an exceptional diarist and the historical, cultural, and literary context of his times.
Opportunities to explore the creative process, relationships, and inner world of a man whose work influenced a generation of writers, artists, and thinkers.
Paid Subscribers Receive
Upgrade for $6/month or $60/year and gain exclusive access to even more of Claude’s remarkable legacy with exclusive access to:
Additional Journal Extracts & Commentary: Subscriber-only entries, enriched with deeper context and my personal reflections.
The Full Archive: Monthly releases of extensive, unedited journal excerpts for a more immersive dive into Claude’s life across decades.
Exclusive Writings & Correspondence: Letters to and from Claude, short stories, poetry, essays, and selections from his philosophical notebooks and plays.
Audio/Visual Content: Rare video and photographs from the Claude Fredericks archives at the Getty; recordings of Claude’s classes at Bennington College, capturing his unique voice and teaching style.
Special Podcast Episodes: Intimate discussions about Claude’s life, relationships, and the creative legacy he left behind.
Engagement and Community: The opportunity to interact with me and a community of readers, post comments, and participate in discussions about Claude’s work and influence.
Founding Members Receive
Become a Founding Member for $120/year and enjoy all the benefits of paid subscription, plus exclusive invitations to virtual events and podcasts where we’ll explore Claude’s life and legacy together. These intimate gatherings will offer a chance to dive deeper into his work and connect with others who share a passion for his extraordinary world
Student Discount & Complimentary Access
Everyone deserves the chance to experience Claude’s remarkable journal. If you’re a student or unable to afford a subscription, I warmly invite you to request complimentary access. Simply fill out [this form] to apply.
Join Me On This Journey
Step into the immersive world of Claude Fredericks, where his journal reveals the depth and complexity of a life lived with intention. By subscribing, you’ll join a community that celebrates reflection, creativity, and the art of journaling.
Subscribe today to share in Claude’s reflections and uncover the timeless beauty within his words.
About Marc Harrington
Marc Harrington is a learning designer, editor, and custodian of Claude Fredericks’ literary legacy. As Claude’s partner for the final 18 years of his life and the director of the Claude Fredericks Foundation, Marc has dedicated himself to preserving and sharing Fredericks’ extraordinary journal and writings. He lives in Pawlet, Vermont, where the past and present intertwine in the home he once shared with Claude and now with his husband, Edward.
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