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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. |
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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. |
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The largest series, Works, contains published and unpublished novels, plays, short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 Numerous unpublished novels, novel "starts," and his Thomas Wolfe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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Series V consists of oversize scrapbooks. |
