The Reed theatre professor will celebrate the four-volume publication at a launch party Friday, July 17.
July 16, 2026
Reed Theatre Professor Kate Bredeson has received the 2026 , presented annually by the the Association for Documentary Editing for outstanding contributions to documentary publication, teaching, and service. The award honors her work on The Diaries of Judith Malina, Volumes 1–4.
Bredeson will celebrate the publication with a launch party at 6 p.m. Friday, July 17, at , 2601 NW Thurman Street in Portland.
Published this year by Northwestern University Press, the four-volume collection brings together Malina’s diaries from 1947 to 1971, including previously unpublished material. Malina was a theatre director, actor, activist, and cofounder of the influential Living Theatre. Her diaries chronicle her artistic development alongside her commitments to anarchism, pacifism, and revolutionary theatre.
The Butterfield Award recognizes Bredeson’s contributions to documentary publication, teaching, and professional service during the 11-year editorial project. In its citation, the award committee praised the edition for preserving and interpreting Malina’s work while expanding documentary editing beyond its traditional subjects and formats. The committee also recognized Bredeson’s advocacy for collaboration between editors and archivists, including her role in helping secure the preservation of Malina’s later diaries at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.
The diaries have recently been featured in and Jewish Currents. More information about the four volumes is available from .