James Salter: A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

James Salter:

A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

TEXT SIZE



	Repository:	Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin
	Creator:	Salter, James, 1925-
	Title:	James Salter Papers
	Dates:	1953-2000
	Extent:	37 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 1 galley file (15.54 linear feet)
	Abstract:	The collection contains drafts and production material for Salter's novels and correspondence with other writers, actors, agents, producers, publishers, editors, and friends.

Administrative Information

This collection of works and papers of American novelist and short story writer James Salter spans nearly fifty years of his writing career from 1953-2000. Arranged by title, the collection contains drafts and production material for his novels: The Hunters (1956), The Arm of Flesh (1961), Light Years (1975), Solo Faces (1979), A Sport and a Pastime (1980), and Cassada (2000). The screenplays include The Appointment (Omar Sharif, Anouk Aimée, and Lotte Lenya, 1969), The Blue Clown, Downhill Racer (Robert Redford and Gene Hackman, 1969), Lighthouse, Solo Faces, Three (Charlotte Rampling, Robie Porter, and Sam Waterston, directed by Salter, 1969), and Threshold (Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum, 1981). Also present is Salter's book of recollections Burning the Days (1997), Dusk and Other Stories (1990), and a play The Death Star. Correspondence is interspersed throughout, and includes writers, actors, agents, producers, publishers, editors, and friends such as Saul Bellow, Robert Creeley, Peter Coyote, Joseph Fox, Robert Fulton, Brendan Gill, Robert Emmett Ginna, Peter Glenville, Graham Greene, David Halberstam, Michael Herr, Christopher Mankiewicz, Michael Mewshaw, Edna O'Brien, Robert Parrish, George Plimpton, Martin H. Poll, Margaret Ramsay, Maxmillian Schell, Irwin Shaw, Ben Sonnenberg, Jr., and Diana Trilling.

Two books received with the manuscript collection were transferred to the HRC Library.

Additional material is expected.

Container List


I. Works

		The Appointment, screenplay
Box	Folder
1	1		Typescript of novel by Leone Antonio Viola, with JS's notes
	2		Paperback version of novel, annotated for film

			Script drafts, holograph and typescript
Box	Folder
1	3			July 1965
	4			Sept. 1965
	5			Oct. 1965
	6-8			Nov. 1967

2	1			Nov. 1967, cont'd
	2		Breakdown sheets
	3		Production material, Feb. 1968
	4		Production photographs
	5		Clippings, includes film project "Three"
	6		Correspondence, includes "Three", 1963-1969

		The Arm of Flesh, novel (1961)
Box	Folder
2	7		Original typescript and notes

3	1-3		Original typescript, cont'd
	4-5		Copy-edited typescript with author's corrections
	6		Galleys

		The Blue Clown, screenplay
Box	Folder
4	1		Film proposal based on Winston Brebner's novel "Doubting Thomas"
	1		Film breakdown [removed to oversize flat files]
			Treatments
	2			Holograph notebook, April 1967
	3			Typescript, with revisions; April 1967
	4			Typescript, revised

			Scripts
Box	Folder
4	5			Holograph notebooks, Oct. 1967
	6			Typescript, Oct. 1967
	7			April 1971
	8			July 1971

5	1			July 1971, cont'd
	2		Associated material, notes, correspondence, and clippings

		Burning the Days, Recollection (1997)
Box
5			"Pronaos"
	3			Outline and notes
	4			Drafts
			"You Must"
Box	Folder
5	5			Early draft, notes, and research
	6			Original typescript, and correspondence; Oct. 1991
				Esquire article
Box	Folder
5	7			Notes and drafts, July 1992

6	1			Typescript and photocopy of article, Dec. 1992
	2			Galleys
			"Icarus," outline and drafts, 1992-1993
			"The Captain's Wife"
Box	Folder
6	7			Original typescript and Esquire article
	8			Notes and drafts

			"A Single Daring Act"
Box	Folder
6	9			Corrected typescripts and correspondence

7	1			Air & Space article and correspondence
	2-5		"Forgotten Kings," typescript drafts, Esquire article, and file on Irwin Shaw, 1983
	6-7		"Europa," drafts and Esquire article
			"Ukiyo"
Box	Folder
7	8			First drafts

8	1-2			Corrected typescripts and notes
	3			Final corrected typescript
			"Dîners en Ville"
	4			Original corrected typescript
	5			Corrected typescript and notes
	6-8		Final typescript, Nov. 1996

9	1		Foreword, typescript drafts, and notes, April 1997
	2		Notes for galleys or copy edited manuscript, 1997
	3-4		Draft revisions, for Vintage and foreign editions; March 1998
	5		New Yorker article "Passionate Falsehoods," 1997
	6		Post-publication reviews, events, book tours, and readings
	7-8		Reviews, interviews, and articles

10	1		Post-publication comments
	2		Correspondence with Kate Medina, Random House, and others

		Cassada, novel (2000)
Box	Folder
10	3		Notes and outline
	4-5		Holograph draft, Nov. 1998
	6		Copy of "The Arm of Flesh," uncorrected
	7		Corrected first edition of "The Arm of Flesh"

11	1		Typescript with author's corrections, July 2000
	2-3		First pass page proofs, Aug. 2000
	4	Cowboys, story, typescript drafts and correspondence

		The Death Star (formerly "The General"), play
Box	Folder
11	5-6		Outline, notes, and clippings

12	1-2		Outline, etc., cont'd
	3		Material and clippings on medicine and doctors
	4-6		Theater-related clippings and printed material
			Scripts
Box	Folder
13	1-2			Holograph notebooks
	3			Staged reading, Nov. 1973
	4			Revised, 1974
	5			Uncorrected typescript, n.d.
	6-7		Correspondence, 1971-1975

		Downhill Racer, screenplay
Box	Folder
14	1-4		Research material
	5		Research and production-related material

15	1-2		Research, cont'd
	3		Litigation, notes, and correspondence
	4		Notes, holograph notebook
			Treatments
	5			Aug. 1967
	6-7			Sept. 1967
	8-9			Oct. 1967 and associated material
			Scripts
Box	Folder
15	10			holograph draft, June 1968

16	1			typescript, June 1968
	2-4			drafts, Sept. 1968

		Dusk and Other Stories (1990)
Box	Folder
16	5		Holograph notebooks containing drafts of "The Cinema," "Cowboys," "The Mechanical Bird," and "The Destruction of the Goetheanum"
	6		"Am Strand von Tangier [Tanger]," uncorrected holograph draft and carbon typescript
			"American Express"
Box	Folder
16	7			Typescript drafts
	8			Drafts, notes, and correspondence

17	1			"Goodbye, Bear" film script related to "American Express"
			"The Cinema"
Box	Folder
17	2			Holograph notebook
	3			Typescript drafts and correspondence
	4		"The Destruction of Goetheanum," corrected typescripts and correspondence
	5		"Via Negativa," holograph drafts, typescript, proofs, and correspondence
		The Hunters, novel (1956)
Box	Folder
17	6-7		First submitted draft, originally titled "A Patron of Tokoshi's" by John Eden (Salter pseudonym), Dec. 1953
	8		Lobby card, 1958
	9		Review of revised edition, 1997

		Light Years, novel (1975)
Box	Folder
17	10		Notes and research material
			Holograph drafts
Box	Folder
18	1-3			Jan. 1972
	4-6			Jan. 1973
	7		Final outline for "Hirâ"

19	1-3		"Hirâ" typescript
	4-6		"Mohenjodaro" typescript

20	1		Pre-publication correspondence and reader's reports
	2-4		Setting copy
	5		Blue lines
	6		Uncorrected first proof
			Galleys
Box	Folder
21	1			Master set, first pass, 11/25/74
	2			Master set, second pass, 1/22/75
	3			Final set, 2/14/75
	4		Production material and notes
	5-7		Reviews

22	1-3		Correspondence

		Lighthouse, screenplay
Box	Folder
22	4-5		Notes for script and draft, 1979
	6-7		Uncorrected scripts, "Chance"

23	1		Corrected script
	2		Uncorrected script, top copy "West Light"
	3-4	"Man Is His Own Star," article on Royal Robbins in Questwith notes drafts, typescripts, and correspondence, March-April 1978
	5	"My Lord You," [formerly "The White Dog" and "Genius"], story in Bearing Witness, 1999

		Solo Faces, screenplay and novel (1979)
Box	Folder
23	6		Research material

24	1-3		Research material, cont'd
			Screenplay
Box	Folder
24	4			Treatment drafts, 1974
	5-7			Script drafts

25	1-3			Scripts, cont'd
	4-5			Travel expenses, includes "Threshold"
			Novel
Box	Folder
26	1			Holograph outline
	2-4			Holograph draft
	5			Notes and revisions
	6-7			Typescript, first version, March 1978

27	1-2			First version, revised
	3-6			Second version, two copies, 1979?
	7-8			Setting copy
				Galleys [removed to galley files]
Box	Folder
28	1			Jacket cover and photographs
	2			Reviews
	3		Notes on film and book projects
	4-6		Correspondence, and associated material, 1976-1979
	7		"Line of Ascent," article for Esquire, June 1979

		A Sport and a Pastime, novel (1980)
Box	Folder
29	1-4		Holograph drafts, March and Oct. 1965
	5-6		Corrected typescript and notes, Dec. 1965

30	1-3		Typescripts, March 1966
	4		Correspondence, notes, and reviews

		Three, screenplay based on Irwin Shaw's short story, "Then We Were Three"
Box	Folder
30	5-7		Scripts, including notes, associated material, and Shaw's comments

31	1-3		Scripts, cont'd
	4		Italian version
	5		Holograph production notes
	6		Holograph notes for script and production
	7		Budget
	8		Car research
	9		Correspondence

32	1-4		Production material and correspondence
	5-7		Production photographs
	8		Costuming

33	1-2		Post-production reviews, correspondence, and associated material

		Threshold, (previously titled "Hearts," "Passage," and "State of the Art"), screenplay
			Scripts
Box	Folder
33	3-7			Jan.-April 1977

34	1			Script completely rewritten for Pearce & Burns, March-April 1980
	2			April 1980
	3-5			with revised pages, June 1980
	6			July 1980

35	1			July 1980, cont'd
	2-6			Aug. 1980
			Photographs
Box	Folder
36	1-2			Informal snapshots, on location
	3-7			Casting

37	1-3		Production notes and correspondence
	4	Verdun, proposed opera, never made
	5	"End of Carnival," play by Josef Topol, sent to JS for reading, not associated with his projects

Harry Ransom CenterThe University of Texas at Austin

Research

James Salter:

A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

Administrative Information

Acquisition:

Processed by:

Restrictions

Access:

Scope and Contents

Container List

I. Works