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University of Texas at Austin

Alexander Altschuller:

Collection of J. M. Coetzee at the Harry Ransom Center

Creator: Altschuller, Alexander
Title: Alexander Altschuller Collection of J. M. Coetzee
Dates: 1981-2005
Extent: 2 boxes (.84 linear feet), 1 galley file (gf)
Abstract: The Alexander Altschuller Collection of J. M. Coetzee contains correspondence between Coetzee and editors at his British publisher, Secker & Warburg, and his American publisher, Viking Penguin, as well as drafts, galley proofs, setting copy, publicity photos, publishing materials, and materials used by Coetzee for public readings.
Call Number: Manuscript Collection MS-5296
Language: English
Access: Open for research


Acquisition: Purchase, 2012 (2012-11-008-G)
Processed by: Stephen Cooper, 2013
Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin


The Alexander Altschuller Collection of J. M. Coetzee contains correspondence between Coetzee and editors at his British publisher, Secker & Warburg, and his American publisher, Viking Penguin, as well as drafts, galley proofs, setting copy, publicity photos, publishing materials, and materials used by Coetzee for public readings. The collection is organized in three series: I. Works and Publishing, 1981-1996, undated; II. Publishing Correspondence, 1986-2003, undated; and III. Reading Excerpts, 1986-2005, undated.
The majority of the works in Series I., represented by handwritten drafts, proof sets, and setting copy, show some emendations by Coetzee and/or a copyeditor. Some drafts contain more extensive revisions, such as the items related to his short story “A Woman Grows Older.” These materials display Coetzee’s compositional process through a progression of six drafts, all but the last of which contain heavy revisions in Coetzee’s hand. At the top of each draft in the collection, Coetzee has noted the date and often the place at which he worked on it.
The correspondence in Series II., relating to such works as Dusklands,Foe,Life and Times of Michael K, and Waiting for the Barbarians, is predominately business related and contains discussions of his work in detail, publication elements such as preliminary pages, biographical notes, and dust jacket art, as well as routine editorial queries and responses.
Series III. consists largely of photocopied and printed excerpts used by Coetzee for readings in the United States, Hong Kong, and South Africa from 1986 to 2005. All of the texts include notes indicating starting and stopping points and minor revisions, and some texts, such as for Boyhood and Waiting for the Barbarians, contain page-long handwritten introductions.
These materials were assembled by Alexander Altschuller, a Massachusetts cardiologist and collector of modern and Russian literature.

Additional Coetzee materials at the Ransom Center are located in the J. M. Coetzee Papers.
  • As a Woman Grows Older (short story), six typescript drafts with handwritten annotations, 2003 Container 1.1
    Request entire Container 1
  • Foe Container
    • Proofs, with handwritten corrections, 1986, undated Container 1.2-1.4
    • Setting copy, 1986 Container 1.5-1.6
    • Bound proof, 1986 Container 1.7
      Request entire Container 1
  • Life and Times of Michael K, galley proof, 1983 Container gf
    Request entire Container gf
  • Boyhood: Scenes from a Provincial Life, with publicity photograph, 1996 Container 1.8
  • Dusklands, 1981-1985, undated Container 1.9
    Request entire Container 1
  • Foe, with publishing-related materials and publicity photographs, 1985-1988, undated Container 2.1-2.2
  • Life and Times of Michael K, 1983-1984, undated Container 2.3
  • Master of Petersburg, with publicity photos, 1993-1996 Container 2.4
  • Waiting for the Barbarians, 1979-1995 Container 2.5
  • White Writing: On the Culture of Letters in South Africa, 1986 Container 2.6
    Request entire Container 2
  • Age of Iron, Penguin Books Edition (1990), unidentified reading location and date Container 2.7
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  • Boyhood: Scenes from a Provincial Life Container
    • Penguin Books Edition (1997), unidentified reading location and date Container 2.8
    • Photocopies from chapters 1, 4, and 13, the University of Hong Kong, 2002 Container 2.9
    • Photocopy of pages 1-166, ABC Radio National series, undated Container 2.10
      Request entire Container 2
  • Elizabeth Costello Container
    • At the Gate, printout, University of Tulsa, 2003 Container 2.11
    • The Humanities in Africa, printout, University of Hong Kong, 2002 Container 2.12
  • Homages of a Prose Writer, printout, lecture at UC Berkeley, 1991 Container 2.13
  • Nietverloren, printout, Stanford University, 2004 Container 2.14
  • Slow Man, printout, Galway Arts Festival, Ireland, 2005 Container 2.15
  • The Virgin and the Protestants: Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa Harlowe, printout, University of Cape Town, 2001, and Stanford University, 2002 Container 2.16
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  • Waiting for the Barbarians Container
    • Printout, Canberra, Australia, 2005 Container 2.17
    • Penguin Books edition (1980), Penn State University and Gouchler College, Maryland, 1986 Container 2.18
  • Youth, printout, Brandeis University, 2002 Container 2.19
    Request entire Container 2
  • Age of Iron--2.7
  • As a Woman Grows Older--1.1
  • Boyhood: Scenes from a Provincial Life--1.8, 2.8-10
  • Dusklands--1.9
  • Elizabeth Costello--2.11-12
  • Foe--1.2-7, 2.1-2
  • Homages of a Prose Writer--2.13
  • The Life and Times of Michael K--2.3, gf
  • The Master of St. Petersburg--2.4
  • Nietverloren--2.14
  • Slow Man--2.15
  • The Virgin and the Protestants: Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa Harlowe--2.16
  • Waiting for the Barbarians--2.5, 2.17-18
  • White Writing: On the Culture of Letters in South Africa--2.6
  • Youth--2.19