Papers of Elizabeth C. Winship, 1965-2006 (inclusive), 1983-2002 (bulk)

The collection consists primarily of letters from pre-teen and teenage readers, most from around the U.S. and some from abroad, seeking advice from Winship through her syndicated column Ask Beth. There are also numerous letters, often accompanied by copies of the column, largely from adult readers criticizing or commenting on her responses. There are a few copies of letters from Winship to readers, as well as reader letters that she has annotated.

Letter topics cover a wide range of problems and concerns faced by pre-teens and teenagers, as well as adults, including many sexual issues, among them dating; sex education; sexual, emotional, and physical abuse; incest; sexual harassment and rape; marital affairs; transvestism; and gender and sexual identity. Health issues are also covered extensively, including HIV/AIDS; sexually transmitted diseases; drugs and addiction; eating disorders; physical disabilities; birth control and pregnancy; scoliosis; Down Syndrome; Toxic Shock Syndrome; cancer; male circumcision; menstruation; and weight problems.

Additional questions and concerns from readers include relationship issues with parents and friends; school-related problems such as fitting in and academic achievement; dynamics of divorced and blended families; teenage suicide; celebrity crushes; bed wetting; insecurities regarding one's looks; and the pros and cons of wearing underwear.

Of note are numerous reader letters addressing issues that were highly controversial, such as masturbation; homosexuality; abortion vs. adoption; abstinence vs. birth control; and AIDS prevention. "Beth's" advice attracted many critical reader responses with arguments often framed in religious terminology. There are also a few letters from 1990 regarding the pros and cons of using the designation "Ms."

In the first 12 boxes, in general, letters are filed chronologically followed by letters grouped by topic. Folder headings in quotation marks indicate groupings that were created and described by Winship. The "sample letters," "letters answered in columns," and other folders identified by topic (including "freaks" folders, which contain letters by readers obsessed with certain issues), are Winship's selection of typical letters. However, similar letters appear throughout the collection. Folder headings that are not in quotes were assigned by the archivist.

Letters that remain interfiled in the chronological set include inquiries regarding republishing columns; requests for posters or books; letters from agencies advocating their services or resources or thanking Beth for including information about them in her columns; and letters from authors promoting their books or asking Beth for comments. Some letters of a personal nature or from acquaintances and friends, from the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, and from individuals inviting Winship to attend meetings or speaking engagements have been filed separately. Five folders containing mainly printed materials (clippings, newsletters, etc.) and several professional letters are grouped at the end of the collection as kept and labeled by Winship.

The few photographs in the collection were sent in by readers. As noted in the folder headings, they will remain "uncataloged," since they are not of sufficient research interest to warrant cataloging and are simply treated as part of the documents they accompany. Most of them are taped or stapled to the corresponding letters. They are marked either on the back or on the letter they are attached to with an asterisk in square brackets [*].

Where necessary, letters in the first 12 boxes have been photocopied and names redacted to protect privacy. Reference copies are interfiled in the collection; originals have been removed and are closed until January 1, 2070.

Cartons 13 and 14 contain papers donated by Peg Winship in 2009, and were added to the collection in June 2013. They are listed at the end of the inventory. These materials were found in folders and were not physically processed or further arranged by the processor. Any original folder titles have been maintained and any titles created by the processor appear in brackets. The processor numbered the folders in both cartons sequentially in the order they were found, and divided particularly large folders. Please note that some original folder titles by topic reflect rough groupings and some of the contents of the folder may not fully correspond to the topic.

All the contents of cartons 13 and 14 have been digitized and any identifying information, such as personal names or addresses, has been redacted to protect individual privacy. These digitally redacted versions are available for use in the reading room at the Schlesinger Library; unredacted originals are closed until January 1, 2087. The digitized letters are searchable through a database, which contains information including original folder title, date of letter, and age and gender of the writer, if available. Archivists recorded subject terms for some of the letters, as well. The contents of these cartons also consist primarily of letters to the "Ask Beth" column, as well as letters from professional organizations, notes, articles, and columns. Also included are drafts of answers for the column; stock answers; responses from readers to specific columns; correspondence between Elizabeth Winship and her daughter and collaborator, Peg Winship; and print-outs of messages to "Ask Beth" through the Internet provider Prodigy, which sometimes includes Winship's annotations or answers. Peg Winship was also a participant in school workshops or functions focusing on gay and lesbian awareness and coping with the trauma of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Included are lists of questions and comments submitted by students at these workshops as well as Peg Winship's responses and notes.