Lorna Beth McCormick Novak was born in Amarillo, Texas, on April 27, 1927. Her father
worked in advertising and Lorna enrolled in the University of Texas in 1945. Lorna
belonged
to a number of honorary societies during her stay at the University. She withdrew
from the
University in 1946 and married Gordon Shaw Novak, proprietor of Novak Construction
Company.
They lived in Amarillo, Texas, raising three children and publishing two novels, in
1963 and
in 1966. Novak died in Amarillo in 2013.
Novak's principal literary genre is the novel. Her two published works include Does It Make Into a Bed? (1963) and How Amelia Secured the Tie that Binds with a Very Loose Knot (1966).
She also wrote an original play for children, "Amorinda and the Caterpillar," as well as play adaptations on popular
children's stories that includes "Jack and the Beanstalk" and
"Sleeping Beauty," which are not represented in the collection.
Scope and Contents
The Lorna Novak papers consist of original and carbon copy typescripts, printer's
copies,
and galley proofs of her two published works.
The collection represents Lorna Novak's two creative endeavors as a novelist. Examples
of
her revision process include unpublished versions of the novels and holographic editing
of
the final drafts. Each of the drafts is identified by Novak on the title page. Early
drafts
are not dated. Drafts entitled "The Swackhammer Nose" and
"The Blight From the East" are earlier versions of Does It Make Into a Bed? "There's Nothing Else to Marry" is a first draft of Novak's second
novel, How Amelia Secured the Tie that Binds with a Very Loose Knot. All
drafts of the two novels are arranged alphabetically by title.
Index Terms
Subjects
Novelists, American--Texas
Document Types
First drafts
Galley proofs
Lorna Novak Papers--Folder List
"The Blight From the East,"n.d. carbon typescript, second version,
box 1 folder 1-3
"The Swackhammer Nose,"n.d. typescript, first version,
box 2 folder 2-5
"There's Nothing Else to Marry,"n.d. first draft with holograph revisions,
