Series 17: One Writer's Beginnings, Eudora Welty Collection (Z/0301)

Series 17: One Writer's Beginnings.

Dates: 1982-1986; n.d.
Size: 4.70 cubic ft.

Note on the arrangement and description:

Approximately two cubic feet of materials related to One Writer's Beginnings were originally donated to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History by Eudora Welty. A considerable number of drafts, correspondence, and related material have been added to the original donation by subsequent gifts during Welty's lifetime, and by the bequest of her Estate. These materials have now been integrated into the existing sequence for the materials of the original donation and are described in this finding aid.

In order to distinguish them from the materials donated prior to 1988 and ordered by Welty herself, the later donations appear in bold font, while the materials from the original donation are listed in regular font. The original materials were described by Welty scholar Suzanne Marrs in The Welty Collection: A Guide to the Eudora Welty Manuscripts and Documents at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (Jackson and London: University Press of Mississippi), 1988. The descriptions by Marrs form the basis of this finding aid, and appear below in regular font. Small changes have been made for this finding aid: abbreviations (ts, ms) have been replaced by the full terms (typescript, manuscript); specialized terms such as "holograph" have been replaced by more common ones such as "handwritten;" the original divisions of the work established by Marrs have been arranged as subseries; and references to the numeration of the drafts used by Marrs in her book have been replaced by the appropriate new box numbers.

All the additional materials of the subsequent gifts have been ordered and described by the archivists in consultation with Suzanne Marrs, and the sequence in which the drafts have been arranged and described reflects her guidance. Within each individual draft or folder of material, the archivists have attempted to respect any original order Welty may have given her work. Pages appear in the order in which they were found at the time of processing, even if this is not indicated by the page numbers given them by Welty. (Thus, if page "17" appeared before page "15," it has been left in that sequence). Where groups of pages were found clipped together, they have been foldered together to preserve that grouping. Pages found loose are so indicated. Where Welty kept folders of mixed correspondence and proofs, the materials have been kept together in their original order.

Furthermore, because Welty's pagination in her manuscript drafts is reflective of her creative process, and may include duplicate, variant, or even unnumbered pages, the manuscript drafts have been assigned page numbers by the archivists. These numbers always appear in brackets. They have sometimes been placed in the upper or lower right corners of the manuscript pages as space permitted, but more frequently may be found on the verso of the documents, in order to avoid confusion with Welty's pagination.

The page numbers assigned by the archivists also reflect the unit in which the papers were divided. If, for example, a draft was already divided into separate folders for Part I, Part II, and Part III, separate pagination will be established for each part: Part I, pp. 1-20; Part II, pp. 1-30, etc. If, however, all parts of a draft were originally found in one envelope or folder, continuous pagination will reflect this, even if that folder has been divided by the archivists for ease of handling. Thus a manuscript found as one unit will be paginated as: Part I, pp. 1-20, Part I, pp. 21-30, Part II, pp. 31-50, and so forth. Since much of the original donation was already divided into separate parts, that arrangement has been respected and each part has been numbered separately.

In order to avoid confusion in this finding aid, the archivists' pagination has been used to locate the materials in the lists following the description of each draft. Welty's page numbering will appear primarily in the descriptive paragraphs for each draft, particularly in those created by Marrs for the original donation. Where, rarely, Marrs herself uses a number in brackets, a correspondence from her numbering to that of the archivists will be established.

A guide to locating the drafts donated before 1988:

In her published guide to the Eudora Welty Collection, Marrs assigned a system of numbers to the different drafts of One Writer's Beginnings and to the other works of Welty. To avoid confusion, these numbers do not appear with the descriptions of the drafts in this finding aid. However, for those accustomed to locating the manuscript drafts through the guide by Suzanne Marrs, or to using the old box numbers, the following table has been provided to help locate the materials of the original donation that have been re-boxed:

Subseries 17.1: Lectures

William E. Massey Sr. Lectures in the History of American Civilization, Harvard University

Subseries 17.1: Typescript Part I with handwritten corrections. Apparently material prepared for the lectures and for the most part not used.
[1982] 8 pieces.

Subseries 17.1: Typescript; Part I, pages 1-42, plus 2A, 10A, 10B; Part II, pages 1-26, 28-[32], plus photocopies of pages 22-[32] and a variant page 10; Part III, pages 1-29; a handwritten page identifying this typescript and the typescript in box 223 below; pages 28 & 29 in Part I are one sheet; lectures given at Harvard University and later revised and published as One Writer's Beginnings; handwritten revisions and corrections; many pages with additions or revisions pinned or pasted on; some photocopied pages.
1983. 118 pieces.

Note: The original and photocopy of page [32] above are paginated by the archivist as [pp. 42-43].

Subseries 17.1: Photocopy of lectures, corrected typescript, described by Welty as "Xerox of a corrected manuscript at some stage One Writer's Beginnings."
n.d. 122 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Drafts of Book

Subseries 17.2: "III. Development in Writing with examples." Part III of One Writer's Beginnings, photocopy of typescript. Work on transforming the lectures into a book.
[Summer 1983]. 59 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: A draft consisting of materials contained in a folder marked only with the ink drawing of a star and the word "Out." Among these are handwritten notes, including ones on scraps of paper, printed material, and envelopes; typescript pages with handwritten corrections; and photocopies of typescript pages.
[Summer 1983]. 84 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Part III. Typescript and photocopied pages, with handwritten corrections.
n.d. 50 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Part I. Photocopied and a few original typescript pages, with a few handwritten corrections. One page [p.2] is marked "Xerox of paste copy." Information on original folder is struck through.
n.d. 37 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Miscellaneous pages: one page from Part III, one labeled as from Part II but apparently not in the published version.
[Summer 1983]. 2 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: "Pages omitted from A Writer's Beginnings notes and tryouts."
[Summer 1983]. 39 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Typescript, incomplete; Part I, pages 1-40; Part II, pages 1-30, plus section title page and page 8A; Part III, 23 pages; pages 8, 9, 10, and 11 in Part I are one sheet as are pages 21 & 22; paste copy for retyping; some photocopied pages; handwritten revisions.
[1983]. 91 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Typescript; 135 pages, including 3 preliminary pages, pages 1-88 (Parts I and II), page 12A, an unnumbered title page for Part II, pages 1-42 (Part III), an unnumbered title page (Part III), and page 15A (Part III); pages 4&5 (Parts I and II) are actually one page as are pp. 53&54 (Parts I and II); handwritten revisions throughout, typically involving a word or phrase; a few large deletions; some paste-overs.
[1983]. 135 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Typescript, photocopy; incomplete; pages 1-34; photocopy of the typescript in box 224 above; a few handwritten revisions and corrections.
[1983]. 34 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: "II. Learning to See." Photocopy of typescript.
[post-lecture, Summer 1983]. 33 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Photocopy of typescript of Parts I and II, with handwritten description by Welty on envelope, "I & II in short (lecture) form later expanded and revised."
[1983]. 62 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Photocopy of typescript in a folder entitled by Welty "II Xerox, Ribbon Copy (revised) Learning to See II" One yellow sheet [p. 33] contains handwritten notes for the "Henry" story.
[1983]. 61 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Photocopy of typescript, in folder entitled by Welty, "III Ribbon Copy." With handwritten corrections and notes. The original draft was divided into many small sections grouped by paper clips. The division and labeling of the folders reflects the arrangement of the clipped sections.
n.d. 96 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Loose typescript pages from Parts I and II.
n.d. 2 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Typescript, photocopy; 135 pages, including prologue, pages 1-53, 55-130, 12A, 40A, 44A, and duplicates of pages 43, 44, 44A; pages 4 & 5 are one sheet; primarily a photocopy of the typescript in box 224 above, but some ribbon and carbon pages; two pages not included in the version in box 224; handwritten revisions and corrections; transposition of material.
[1983]. 135 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Typescript, photocopy; 129 pages including pages 1-130, 44A, and a page of prologue; pages 4&5, 34&35, 53&54, 56&57 are single pages; an additional page 92; primarily a photocopy of the photocopy in box 228 above, but there are some variations.
[1983]. 129 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Photocopy of typescript. This photocopy is almost identical to the one in box 229, but there are variations in Part I. This photocopy includes a p. 12a, a p. 34 that is separate from p. 35, and a p. 40a. This version has handwritten corrections that are not contained in the photocopy in box 229, but lacks others present in that version.
n.d. 131 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Photocopy of typescript described by Welty as "Lecture pages + notes for One Writer's Beginnings." It was enclosed in an envelope from William Maxwell, postmarked in 1983. Included are an unsigned typewritten comment [p. 1] and unsigned typewritten notes [p. 70], apparently by Maxwell. There are also some page numbers added in Welty's handwriting.
[1983]. 133 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Photocopy of typescript apparently returned to Welty by Mary Louise Aswell. Substantively the same as the version sent to Maxwell, this photocopy is accompanied by a typed and corrected title page, has multiple copies of Welty's page 17 (or I. 14), and has page 7 placed in a different sequence. Handwritten page numbers occasionally appear.
n.d. 134 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Boxed photocopy of typescript, incomplete. The box is labeled by Welty "Incomplete carbon corrected along with copy-edited ms." A note enclosed with the manuscript dated only "Sept. 2" mentions that some pages are lacking or in a different order. There are numerous handwritten corrections, partial pages, and handwritten page numbers or corrections to Welty's pagination. Some pages bear only handwritten notes. Three pages [pp. 139, 140, 141] are inverted and reversed.
n.d. 170 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Part I, two versions consisting of photocopies of typescripts from a folder labeled by Welty as "I." The versions have been designated "A" and "B" by the archivist. Preceding the two versions are a note [Note I] and a list of corrections by Welty [Note II]. Version A contains a few handwritten corrections by Welty on its last pages, but lacks those numbered by Welty as 43-48. These are present in Version B.
n.d. 106 pieces.

Subseries 17.2: Draft pages. [ca. 1983]. 4 pieces.
Of these four pages of photocopied typescript, three have handwritten additions and corrections. Pages [1-3] are draft pages from the first section of One Writer's Beginnings, "Listening," concerning evangelists Billy Sunday and Gypsy Smith. The photocopied text of these three pages is identical to the text of the typescript of Part I, in box 224, folder 4. Page [1] is a partial copy of page 43; page [2] a photocopy of that entire page, with several phrases added and the final two sentences of the first paragraph struck out. The third page, concerning Gypsy Smith, bears numerous handwritten changes and additions to the photocopied text, and varies from both page "44" in Part I, box 224, folder 4, and from the published version. The fourth draft page, again a partial one, consists of a photocopy of the paragraph on the page marked "46" in Part I, box 224, folder 5, beginning "She wouldn't call one of us a fool…" It has photocopied changes, as well as handwritten comments, and one written addition which did not appear in the published version.

Subseries 17.3: Typescript Setting Copy of Book

Subseries 17.3: Typescript, photocopy; 8 preliminary pages, pages 1- 131 as numbered by stamp; pages 45, 65, 66, 73, 105 are ribbon pages; pages 77 and 82 are paste copies with ribbon and photocopied material; pages 1, 2, 71 are also paste copies; numerous handwritten revisions, typically of a word or phrase; many authorial and editorial corrections, queries, and responses to queries.
[1983]. 139 pieces.

Subseries 17.3: Page 44a, with corrections, including changes to ribbon copy and handwritten revisions, some by Joyce Backman.
n.d. 1 piece.

Subseries 17.3: Typescript, photocopy; pages 1-37, 39-132 plus pp. 1A, 12A, 44A (two copies),66A, 71 supplement, 82 supplement, and additional copies of pages 34, 66, 73, 77, 106; there is no page 38; pages 4&5, 53&54, 90&91 are single pages; comments by Welty and by copy editor, queries and answers from each are part of this photocopy of the typescript setting copy in box 236, though printer's instructions are not; handwritten label on box containing this typescript reads "Xerox of Copy-Edited MS., One Writer's Beginnings, '83."
1983. 141 pieces.

Subseries 17.4: Page Proof.

Subseries 17.4: Master proof; pages 1, 3-39, 41, 43-69, 71, 73-104, plus nine preliminary pages, a cover sheet dated 11.07.1983, and a photocopy of page 41; typeset on 10.03.1983 and 10.20.1983; there are no pages 2, 40, 42, 70, 72 because these are blank pages; Welty's handwritten corrections and revisions; corrections in an editorial hand; substantial revisions on page 20.
1983. 111 pieces.

Subseries 17.4: Master proof, photocopy; pages 3-39, 41, 43-69, 71, 73-104; there are no pp. 40, 42, 70, 72 because these are blank pages; handwritten title on page 3; photocopy of master proof as corrected above (box 238), though some editorial corrections remain to be made; Welty's handwritten note on torn slip of paper—"Xerox of master proof as corrected."
1983. 100 pieces.

Subseries 17.4: Master proof, photocopy; pages 1, 3-39, 41, 43-69, 71, 73-104; there are no pages 2, 40, 42, 70, 72 because these are blank pages; a handwritten comment in the upper right corner of page 1 reads, "Author's duplicate--keep."; some authorial revisions made in the master proof in box 238 have been photocopied here; other handwritten revisions by author in this set of master proof.
1983. 99 pieces.

Subseries 17.4: One uncorrected page proof, bound in green cover.
February 1984. 1 piece.

Subseries 17.4: Two unbound proofs. One has notations in pencil. The other is labeled "Second Printing."
1984. 2 pieces.

Subseries 17.4: One photocopied set of preliminary pages and captions for photographs in Master Proof; a handwritten note from editor Joyce Backman to Welty, promising that her staff will proof this material.
1983. 9 pieces.

Subseries 17.4: Typescript and photographs, photocopy; 20 pages; one photocopied page of captions for photographs; 19 photocopied pages of photographs.
n.d. 20 pieces.

Subseries 17.5: Miscellaneous Material.

Subseries 17.5: "Commitments 1983 Harvard." A folder of material concerning the Massey lectures and the publication of One Writer's Beginnings by the Harvard University Press. A note by Welty on the folder remarks that the pages in the folder are "out of order, blown by wind." The bracketed pagination by the archivist therefore reflects the page order at the time of processing. Included are originals and photocopies of correspondence between Welty and representatives of Harvard, among them David Herbert Donald, chairman of the organizing committee of the lectures, and Harvard University Press editor Joyce Backman. Also present are programs and newsclippings concerning the lectures, a memorandum concerning the editing procedures, as well as sample pages, proofs, and typescript dedicatory pages for the book.
1982-1984, n.d. 61 pieces.

Subseries 17.5: A folder of miscellaneous original and photocopied material concerning the publication, sale and reviews of One Writer's Beginnings. Included are correspondence, an original dedication page and one page of Master proof, as well as photocopied galley pages with handwritten corrections.
1983-1986, n.d. 19 pieces.

Subseries 17.5: Typescript, photocopy; prologue to text; 2 copies.
n.d. 2 pieces.

Subseries 17.5: Materials regarding the production of the limited edition.
1983-1984; n.d. 11 pieces.
This folder contains a mock-up of the statement of limitations page for the limited first edition of One Writer's Beginnings published in 1984. On that page is the handwritten number of the signed special edition limited to three hundred and fifty copies, and Welty's signature. On the verso is a photograph of Welty and her grandmother. The front of this page contains editorial/printer's directions to Welty on where to place her signature, and how to do so without indenting the photographic image on the verso. The page bears a sample signature and some scribbled letters in ink. Included too are photocopies of the galleys of the front pages, i, iii, iv, v, vii, ix, and xi; and a March 6, 1984, letter from Gayle Treadwell, promotion director of the Harvard University Press, attached to typescript drafts of the text for title page i and page iii.

Subseries 17.5: Harvard University Press correspondence. Two pieces of correspondence relating to the publicity for and sale of One Writer's Beginnings. One letter concerns plans for Welty to read at the 1985 annual meeting of university presses.
1984-1985. 2 pieces.

Subseries 17.5: Notes and cards from Harvard University Press editors and staff.
n.d. [ca. 1984]. 3 pieces.
This folder contains a business card of executive editor Aida D. Donald; a memorandum from editor Joyce Backman, directing that Welty be asked to sign a book for John Walsh of the production department; and a note from Skip Crowell [sp?], one of the mailroom staff, offering Welty directions on packaging items for mailing and congratulations on her book's success.

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