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William Faulkner papers

 Collection 0076-LIT

William Faulkner (1897-1962) was an American author of novels, short stories, essays, poems, and dramatic works. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949, and was a two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. This collection represents an artificially assembled group of lesser-known writings by and about Faulkner in the form of manuscripts, correspondence, and clippings from literary journals, as well as items related to his life in Oxford, Mississippi, his work in Hollywood, and audio recordings of Faulkner reading his work.

Dates

  • 1925-1973
  • Majority of material found within 1925-1959

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open to the public and must be used in the Special Collections reading room. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

This collection contains audiovisual materials. Items that cannot be used in the Special Collections reading room or are too fragile for researchers require that a digital copy be made prior to use. If you would like to access these materials, please contact us prior to your visit, so we may determine the proper steps to be taken.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Extent

1.25 Linear Feet (2 Hollinger boxes, 1 LP box, 2 oversize folders) : Papers, photographs, and LP records

1 Folders (1 oversize folder) : Movie theatre poster catalogs

1 Folders (1 oversize folder) : Laminated newspapers

4 Sound Discs (LP box) : 4 LP records ; 12" diameter

Scope and Contents

The William Faulkner papers is an artificial collection assembled and organized by University of Maryland Special Collections staff. It contains materials created by Faulkner as well as materials created by others who worked with or wrote about Faulkner. Materials created by Faulkner date from 1925 to 1959, with the bulk dating from 1925 to 1931 and include manuscript poems and short stories, clippings, a broadside, and LP records of Faulkner reading his work. Materials created by others date from 1938 to 1976 and include screenplays, sheet music, and production stills of film adaptations of Faulkner’s work, in addition to essays and photographs.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series.

Series 1
Writings
Series 2
Correspondence
Series 3
Printed Matter and Ephemera
Series 4
Photographs
Series 5
Audio Recordings

Custodial History

Two manuscripts in series 1 (“Leaving Her" and Soldier’s Pay) were purchased by McKeldin Library prior to 1973; “Prophets of the New Age” and the correspondence in series 2 were purchased by McKeldin Library from a private dealer around 1975. The Oxford Eagle souvenir edition, film publicity, and audio discs were transferred to the Archives and Manuscripts Department from Marylandia and Rare Books in 1995. The origin of the remainder of the collection is unknown.

Related Materials

Special Collections and University Archives holds a first-edition of Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury (1929) in its Rare Books Collection. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Processing Information

Adam Gray arranged the collection into five series in November 2017. At that time, photographs were seperated from printed matter and rehoused in folders within a dedicated Hollinger box, and the 4 LPs were rehoused in an LP box.

Title
Guide to the William Faulkner papers
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Adam Gray.
Date
12-11-2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212