Coffin, Tom

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Andrew Reisinger. In this interview, Tom Coffin goes in depth about himself and the relationship he had with the making of The Great Speckled Bird. He shares what it was like growing up in Soap Lake, Washington, and discusses some of the people who influenced him the most. He reveals what went into publishing The Bird and the important people who made it possible. He discusses The Bird's evolving staff dynamics and his eventual departure from the staff.

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Andrew Reisinger. om Coffin returns for a followup interview discussing his vision for the Great Speckled Bird and the relationships among the staff. He goes into detail about how his interest in tree climbing impacted his career and led him to study at the University of Georgia Forestry School. Later in the interview, Coffin talks about his recent involvements within his community, the various organizations he is affiliated with, and his current family and social life.

Scope and Content of the Papers The Tom Coffin papers, spanning 1979-2005, consist of articles, charts, correspondence, notes and reference materials that belonged to Coffin while he was a Part-Time Instructor (PTI) at GSU. These papers revolve around Coffin's opposition to the decision by Dr. Ahmed Abdelal, then Dean of the GSU School of Arts and Sciences, to move away from Part-Time Instructors to a Visiting Professor model. The papers include reference materials from the Ad-Hoc Committee on Working Conditions of...