Request Checked Items
University of Texas at Austin

Norma Patterson:

A Preliminary Inventory of Her Papers at the Harry Ransom Center

Creator: Patterson, Norma
Title: Norma Patterson Papers
Dates: 1915-1967 (bulk 1933-1952)
Extent: 11 boxes (4.62 linear feet)
Abstract: The collection includes Patterson's novels, published and unpublished short stories, correspondence with agents, editors, and publishers, scrapbooks, handwritten notebooks, and talks before a variety of audiences.
Call Number: Manuscript Collection MS-03194
Language: English
Access: Open for research


Administrative Information


Acquisition: Purchase (Reg. no. 4131 and 4709)
Processed by: Isabel Morales, 2002
Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Scope and Contents


The papers of Texas author Norma Patterson span a writing career of six decades and include her best selling romance novels published in the United States and Britain, as well as short stories published in newspapers and magazines worldwide. Patterson's novels are present, as are published and unpublished short stories, correspondence, scrapbooks, and talks before a variety of audiences.
The collection is organized in three series: Series I. Works, Series II. Correspondence, and Series II. Career-Related.
The works in Series I. are arranged in four subseries: A. Novels, B. Short Stories, C. Other Writings, and D. Unpublished Works. Both handwritten notes and typescripts are present for the novels, published in the 1930s and 1940s, some serialized in magazines. Patterson's numerous short stories appeared in magazines and newspapers published in the United States, and also England, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. She was frequently published in McCall's, Today's Housewife, Good Housekeeping, People's Home Journal and Britain's Woman's Journal. Beginning as early as the 1910s, her stories continued to be published into the 1960s. Patterson's other writings in Subseries C include a series of letters published during the war for London's Woman's Journal. Other journalism, including editorials and essays, is also present. Unpublished works in Subseries D include handwritten notebooks, a novel, and short stories.
Series II consists primarily of correspondence with agents, editors, and publishers regarding her novels and short stories. Also present are inquiries from motion picture companies expressing interest in film versions of her novels. Correspondents include W. F. Bigelow, John Farrar, Margaret Foley, Frankie McKee, Nancy Pearn, George Sessions Perry, Laurence Pollinger, Murray Pollinger, Stanley Rinehart, Constance Smith, and Rowe Wright.
The career-related material in Series III contains a small amount of biographical material for dust jacket copy, scrapbooks of publicity and reviews, and talks to student and women's club groups, as well as radio interviews.
The papers contain brittle material that should be handled with care. Otherwise, the collection is in good condition and is open for research. Copies of Patterson's novels received with the papers have been transferred to the HRC Library.

Norma Patterson Papers--Folder List