Tom Coffin oral history interview (part 1), March 4, 2016

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: CoffinT_L2016-07

Staff Only

Tom Coffin oral history

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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.

Dates

Creation: March 4, 2016

Creator

Coffin, Tom (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note:

Tom Coffin was born on September 1, 1943 in Dearborn, Michigan. After college, Coffin married and moved to Atlanta, where he attended graduate school at Emory University. He developed an interest in the anti-Vietnam War movement and became fascinated with the idea of creating a newspaper. It wasn't long before Coffin and other students at Emory came together to put his vision into reality. He left Emory to work towards publishing a paper. He received support and contributions from different people and professors, and later published The Great Speckled Bird.