urn:taro:utexas.hrc.00228 Robert Raynolds: A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Center Finding aid created by Ransom Center Staff Harry Ransom Center, 2003 Text converted by SPI Content Sciences Inc., 2003. Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Robert Raynolds Papers 1925-1972 Manuscript Collection MS-03421 27 cartons, 1 oversize box (osb), 1 oversize folder (osf), 8 galley folders (gf) (30 linear feet) Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin Raynolds, Robert 1902-1965 The collection includes Raynolds' published and unpublished novels, plays, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction writings, including handwritten and typescript drafts of Raynolds's ten published novels, as well as correspondence and publication material. In addition there are drafts of his produced and unproduced plays, two published volumes of essays, articles, books reviews, letters to the editor, additional essays, and lectures. English Acquisition:

Purchase and gifts, 1968-1972 (R3947)

 Access:

Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials. Part or all of this collection is housed off-site and may require up to three business days’ notice for access in the Ransom Center’s Reading and Viewing Room. Please contact the Center before requesting this material: reference@hrc.utexas.edu

 Processed by:

Sean Castilla and Liz Murray, 2003; Kevin O’Sullivan, 2010

Scope and Contents

American author Robert Raynolds is best known for his novels, although his last book, published posthumously in 1965 by the University of Texas Press, is a memoir of his friendship with novelist Thomas Wolfe. Other literary forms in his papers include plays, short stories, poetry, book reviews, essays, and lectures.

The collection is organized in five series: I. Works; II. Correspondence, 1925-1972; III. Career-Related and Personal, IV. Materials from Card Catalog, and V. Oversized Materials.

The largest series, Works, contains published and unpublished novels, plays, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction writings. Subseries A. includes handwritten and typescript drafts of Raynolds's ten published novels, along with correspondence and publication material. His novel, Brothers in the West, received the 1931 Harper's Prize, and The Sinner of Saint Ambrose was selected for the Book of the Month Club in 1952. Settings for Raynolds's novels range from the American west and Mexico to the Roman Empire. Numerous unpublished novels, novel "starts," and his Thomas Wolfe memoir are also present.

Drafts of Raynolds's produced and unproduced plays are found in Subseries B, along with associated production material and correspondence. Numerous short stories are arranged by title in Subseries C and poetry in Subseries D. Two published volumes of essays, The Choice to Love and In Praise of Gratitude, are included in Subseries E, along with articles, books reviews, letters to the editor, additional essays, and lectures. The Works series concludes with general notes and research materials in Subseries F.

The correspondence series consists primarily of letters from Raynolds's wife, Marguerite. Editors, agents, and publishers such as Harold Ober Associates, Harper & Row, Adrienne Morrison, Russell and Volkening, and William Morrow are also included. Additional correspondence has been cataloged individually and is described in the Ransom Center's card catalog.

Series III contains both personal and career-related material such as information about Raynolds, his community activities and memberships, political involvement, personal and financial papers, and lectureships at Columbia University.

Series IV is made up of materials acquired between 1968-1972, previously only listed in the card catalog. Primarily correspondence with various people including Thomas Wolfe, these materials also contain manuscripts by unidentified authors.

Series V consists of oversize scrapbooks.

 Robert Raynolds Papers--Folder List Series I. Works Subseries A. Books Brothers in the West (1931) 1 1-4 Typescript drafts 1 5 Page proofs, incomplete gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 1 6 Correspondence 1 7 Publicity 1 8-9 Reviews 1 10-11 Scrapbooks, Harper's Prize 1 12 From Paragraph to Novel, drafts and published excerpts, talk for Writer's Club at Columbia regarding writing of novel 1 13 Play and opera adaptations by Raynolds and Helen Gholson Kittredge 1 14-15 Cuckoo Furioso, typescript drafts 1 16-17 Discovering Solitude, drafts Enchanted Wine 1 18 Notes 2 1 Handwritten draft 2 2 Typescript draft 2 3-4 Typescript drafts, revised 2 5-6 Drafts and fragments Far Flight of Love (1957) Note cards [removed to box 25] 2 7 Outline 2 8-10 Handwritten drafts 2 11-12 Typescript draft 2 13 Typescript draft fragment 2 14 Pageant Press, publisher's file 2 15-17 Correspondence, 1948-1965 2 18 Mailing and review lists 2 19 Publicity and promotion 3 1 Publicity and promotion, continued 3 2 Reviews Articles by Raynolds about Far Flight of Love 3 3 A Challenge in Free Enterprise 3 4 My War for Love: A Scandal in Publishing 3 5 Toward a Grand Decency in Literature 3 6 The Uncorrupted Word Fortune (1935) 3 7 Notes 3 8-12 Handwritten drafts 3 13-17 Handwritten and typescript drafts 4 1-3 Typescript drafts 4 4-5 Draft fragments 4 6 Correspondence 4 7 Reviews Joy Unconfined 4 8 Notes and handwritten draft 4 9-10 Typescript drafts May Bretton (1944) 4 11 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] osf Outline [removed to oversize folder] 4 12-14 Handwritten draft 4 15-16 Typescript draft 5 1-9 Typescript draft, continued gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 5 10 Correspondence 5 11 Reviews [scrapbook removed to oversize box 28] 5 12 Murder Without Remorse, typescript draft My Brother Julian 5 13 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] 5 14 Preliminary sketch 5 15 Handwritten draft 5 16 Correspondence Night Boss 5 17 Notes 6 1-2 Handwritten draft 6 3-4 Typescript drafts 6 5 A Number of Men, typescript draft The Obscure Enemy (1945) 6 6-7 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] 6 8 Research materials 6 9 Handwritten draft fragments 6 10 Handwritten draft 6 11-12 Typescript drafts 6 13 Preface draft and jacket copy gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 6 14 Correspondence 6 15 Reviews Once, on the Prairie 6 16 Handwritten draft 6 17 Typescript draft and correspondence 6 18 Typescript synopsis of play adaptation Paquita (1947) 7 1 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] 7 2-4 Handwritten draft 7 5-7 Typescript draft 7 8-9 Typescript draft revisions 7 10-12 Typescript draft 7 13 Setting copy 8 1-2 Setting copy, continued gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 8 3 Correspondence 8 4 Publicity The Quality of Quiros (1955) 8 5-7 Notes 8 8-9 Handwritten draft 8 10-17 Typescript draft 8 18 Draft revisions gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 8 19 Correspondence 9 1 Publicity and reviews [scrapbook removed to oversize box 28] Saunders Oak (1933) 9 2 Notes 9 3-4 Handwritten draft 9 5 Typescript draft, first carbon 9 6 Setting copy 9 7 Page proofs, incomplete gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 9 8 Reviews 9 9 Life Catches Up, play adaptation The Sinner of Saint Ambrose (1952) 9 10-11 Notes and research material [note cards removed to box 25] 9 12-21 Drafts and revisions 10 1-8 Drafts and revisions, continued 10 9-11 Setting copy 10 12-13 Page proofs 10 14 Correspondence 10 15 Publicity 11 1-3 Reviews [scrapbook removed to oversize box 28] 11 4 Associated visual materials 11 5 Newspaper serialization Story Song (1962) 11 6 Notes 11 7-8 Songs, drafts 11 9 Handwritten draft 11 10-15 Typescript drafts 11 16 Correspondence 11 17 Version titled Shepherd Song and Evening Star 11 18 Wonderful Campfire Night, selected and adapted from Story Song 11 19 Publicity pieces by Raynolds Thomas Wolfe: Memoir of a Friendship (1965) 11 20 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] 11 21-23 Drafts 12 1-6 Drafts, continued 12 7-9 Correspondence 12 10 Illustrations and permissions 12 11 Reviews 12 12 Newtown Library exhibition description and photographs Novel starts 12 13 A Double Life: Carol and Gordon 12 14 John Wallace: American 12 15 Marguerite 12 16 My Abominable Uncle 12 17 My Point of View 12 18 The Restoration of Love 12 19 The Story of Alice Driessler 12 20 Tom Storymaker 12 21 Research materials and notes Subseries B. Plays 12 22 Begin with Music, notes for a play Blessed Are the Debonair (Summer Song) 12 23-26 Handwritten draft 12 27-30 Typescript drafts, fragments, and revisions 12 31 Correspondence 12 32 Programs and reviews Boadicea 13 1 Notes and research material 13 2 Outline and handwritten first draft, Feb. 1938 13 3-12 Handwritten and typescript drafts 13 13-25 Typescript drafts, fragments, and revisions 13 26 Page proofs 13 27-28 Correspondence 13 29 Production notes, set design, song arrangement 14 1 Publicity and reviews 14 2 Radio adaptation Farewell, Villon 14 3 Notes 14 4-8 Handwritten and typescript drafts 14 9 Correspondence 14 10 Programs and reviews 14 11-13 Pretty Norma Heath, drafts Take All My Loves 14 14-15 Notes 14 16-17 Handwritten draft 14 18-25 Drafts, fragments, and revisions 14 26 Revision, Sept. 1937 14 27 Dramatists' Assembly, Stanford University, Etherege Award in Comedy, 1939 Thomas More 15 1 Notes 15 2-4 Typescript drafts 15 5 Correspondence The Ugly Runts 15 6-8 Notes 15 9-11 Handwritten drafts 15 12-17 Typescript drafts 15 18-19 Draft fragments and revisions 15 20 Correspondence 15 21 On Producing 'The Ugly Runts' 15 22 Reviews 15 23 Play starts, preliminary notes Subseries C. Short Stories 15 24 Abide in My Heart at Peace 15 25 Adobe Blond 15 26 Aliens 16 1 Angels Are Where You Find Them 16 2 Annunciation with Violets 16 3 Appleblossom Murder 16 4 The Barking of a Dog 16 5 Bells, Wheels and Whistles 16 6 Between Laughter and Tears 16 7 Black and White 16 8 The Bottle from Home 16 9 The Breaking Strain 16 10 Bridle Your Fury with Love 16 11 The Business Tree 16 12 But Now He Sleeps Forever 16 13 Childless Thought 16 14 A Child's Story 16 15 The Closing Episode 16 16 The Comedian 16 17 Country Fables 16 18 Cove Girl 16 19 A Dance at the Indian Woman's 16 20 The Deep Dream 21 4 Detour to Heaven 16 22 Dream Kick 16 23 Esteban 16 24 Eternal Now in Comfort 16 25 Forget It 16 26 Girl of Earth 16 27 Girl Who Went to Market 16 28 Going Down 16 29 Herman's Children 16 30 His Heart Could Have No Fortune 16 31 Horn by Night 16 32 I'd Rather Fight 16 33 In a Little Spanish Town 16 34 In a Quiet Valley 16 35 In Flight, in Hiding 16 36 In Praise of Sane Readers 16 37 In Sight of Long's Peak 16 38 An Interesting Error 16 39 Jane Dammit and the First Selectman 16 40 Johnnie's Windowlamp 16 41 The Lost Print 16 42 Mariana and the Rat 16 43 A Meeting in Omaha 16 44 Men Who Dig Coal 16 45 Mr. Dobbie 16 46 Money for Years 16 47 Montana Mischief 16 48 The Near-Dead Man 16 49 Night Story 16 50 Nocturnal Errand 16 51 Outrage My Soul 17 1 Past Middle Age 17 2 Pie and Strychnine (Buckshot) 17 3 Policeman's Daughter 17 4 Portrait of a Miner 17 5 The Price of the Picture 17 6 A Primitive Emotion 17 7 The Prodigal Father 17 8 Proletariat 17 9 Puritan Wench 17 10 The Quick and the Dead 17 11 Red Jones, the Boatswain 17 12 Remember the Blizzard? 17 13 Rudolf Bindle 17 14 Running in the Rain 17 15 Save a Man's Life (Salvatore Gaboardi) 17 16 The Soldier Was a Child 17 17 Sombrero 17 18 The Spanish Chair 17 19 The Splendid Galleon 17 20 They Saw a Star 17 21 The Thirteen 17 22 This Little Girl Went to Market 17 23 Three Women 17 24 U-Boat Bellyache 17 25 Where There Is No Vision 17 26 Winter Fire 17 27 The Witchcraft Root 17 28 Without Benefit of Freud 17 29 The Wreath on the Floor 17 30 Wyoming pastoral story with screenplay notes 17 31-35 Early stories, notes, and unfinished drafts Subseries D. Poetry 17 36 Correspondence, indexes, notes 17 37-40 General poems 17 41 In Memory of a Common Man 17 42 Music Out of Earth 18 1-2 Poems, 1925-1942 18 3 War Song of the United Nations 18 4 War Town 18 5 Zilzain Subseries E. Other Writings 18 6-7 Articles, book reviews, letters to the editor, etc. Essays The Choice to Love (1959) 18 8-9 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] 18 10-15 Typescript drafts 18 16-20 Draft fragments 18 21-22 Setting copy 19 1-2 Correspondence 19 3 Publicity In Praise of Gratitude (1961) 19 4 Notes [note cards removed to box 25] 19 5 Handwritten draft 19 6-11 Typescript drafts 19 12-18 Draft fragments gf Galleys [removed to galley files] 20 1-3 Correspondence 20 4 Publicity 20 5 Reviews 20 6 Reader's Digest version 20 7 Published versions The Song of a Companion of God 20 8-9 Notes 20 10-13 Typescript drafts 20 14-32 Typescript drafts and fragments 20 33 Correspondence 21 1 Christian Higher Education Fund 21 2-4 Various essays Lectures 21 5-6 Columbia speech 21 7-8 Various subjects Subseries F. Notes and Research Materials 21 9-17 Notes, various subjects 22 1-3 Research material, clippings 22 4-7 Research material, clippings, continued Series II. Correspondence, 1925-1972 22 8 Clay, George 22 9 Contracts and copyrights 22 10 Harold Ober Associates, 1948-64 22 11 Harper & Row, 1958-65 22 12 Haydn, Hiram, 1951-64 22 13 Morrison, Adrienne (Pinker and Morrison, Inc.) 22 14 Publishers and editors Raynolds, Marguerite Gerdau, primarily to David and Robert Raynolds 22 15-17 1926 22 18-19 1928-1937 22 20 1938-1939 22 21-22 1940-1943 23 1-2 1944-1958 23 3 1962-1972 23 4 Undated 23 5 The Reader's Digest, 1957-1965 23 6 Russell and Volkening, Inc., 1941-1965 23 7 William Morrow & Co. Inc., 1931-1963 23 8 Various correspondents, 1925-1972 Series III. Career-Related and Personal 23 9 Articles about Raynolds 23 10 Autobiographical material 23 11 Chrichton, Kyle, estate papers C. H. Booth Library 23 12-13 1957-1959 23 14 1960-1962 23 15 1963-1964 23 16 1965 23 17 Club and professional memberships 23 18-19 Columbia University, lectureships, 1949-1955 23 20 The Dramatists' Guild 23 21 Family papers Financial 23 22 Business correspondence 23 23-24 Royalties 23 25 Tax returns 24 1 Tax returns, continued 24 2 Fulton, Robert (Skyhook project) 24 3 Medical records and correspondence 24 4 Obituaries 24 5 Passports and miscellaneous items 24 6 Photographs, publicity 24 7-9 Post card collection 24 10 Project in Support of Peace 24 11 Reading course, 1960 Trips 24 12 Mexico 24 13 Spain 24 14-15 Miscellaneous 24 16 Will 24 17-22 Willkie campaign 25 1-5 Note card files Series IV. Materials from Card Catalog 26 1 Works 26 2 Unidentified recipient 26 3 Davies, Mrs. Arjay 26 4 A-F 26 5 G-L 26 6 Hall, Baird 26 7 Lawrence, Barbara 26 8 M-R 26 9 Perkins, Maxwell 26 10 S-Z 26 11 Unidentified author 26 12 A-B 26 13 C 26 14 D-F 26 15-16 Davies, Mrs. Arjay 26 17 Dawson, Cleo 26 18-19 Der Harootian, Koren 26 20 G-J 26 21 Horan, Kenneth 26 22 Gerdau, Omi 26 23 Hooper, Grace 27 1 Hooper, Grace, continued 27 2-4 Hall, Baird 27 5 K-N 27 6 Nicholas, Dudley 27 7 Martin, Bernice A. 27 8 Lewis, Martin 27 9-10 Lohrke, Eugene 27 11-12 Nardi, Dorothy 27 13 O-R 27 14 Raynolds, James W. 27 15 Reiter, André 27 16 S-Z 27 17 Root, Margaret W. 27 18 Wolfe, Thomas 27 19 Unidentified author-Z Series V. Oversized Materials 28 Oversize scrapbooks BAR CODE LIST Box 1: 059188000008970 Box 2: 059188000008981 Box 3: 059188000008992 Box 4: 059188000009000 Box 5: 059188000009011 Box 6: 059188000009022 Box 7: 059188000009033 Box 8: 059188000009044 Box 9: 059188000009055 Box 10: 059188000009066 Box 11: 059188000009077 Box 12: 059188000009088 Box 13: 059188000009099 Box 14: 059188000009102 Box 15: 059188000009113 Box 16: 059188000009124 Box 17: 059188000009135 Box 18: 059188000009146 Box 19: 059188000009157 Box 20: 059188000009168 Box 21: 059188000009179 Box 22: 059188000009180 Box 23: 059188000009190 Box 24: 059188000009204 Box 25: 059188000009215 Box 26: 059188000009226 Box 27: 059188000009237 Box 28: Oversize box retained at HRC