So We Beat On: The Great Gatsby's Centennial

Do you remember the first time you read The Great Gatsby? What about the first time you saw the iconic blue cover with its two sad eyes peering out from a midnight sky? It’s hard to believe that when F. Scott Fitzgerald published his now famous work in 1925, it sank to the bottom of the Long Island Sound, met with critical and commercial apathy. It wasn’t until World War II that the book found success, soaring into the public consciousness and taking its place among the “great American novels.” To celebrate the centennial anniversary of this great work, visit Special Collections for a private tour of the library’s extensive collection of Great Gatsby related material including the original, handwritten manuscript, Fitzgerald’s own copy of the first edition, letters between F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and more.

Meet the Facilitator: Emma Sarconi is the Reference and Outreach Specialist for Special Collections. Find her at Firestone library helping researchers in the Reading Room, planning outreach events and across campus talking about how great Special Collections is. At present, Dan Linke is the acting head of special collections. He started working at the Princeton University Library in 1994 as an assistant archivist at the Mudd Manuscript Library, and in 2002, he was promoted to University Archivist and Curator of Public Policy Papers. In April 2020, he was promoted to University Archivist and Deputy Head of Special Collections. In his current role, he continues to be responsible for the Princeton University Archives and the Public Policy Papers.

What to Expect: Mini workshop (90 mins total)

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