Elizabeth Evans Papers Inventory (#5025)


Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Collection Information


Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
CB#3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Phone: 919/962-1345
Fax: 919/962-3594
Email: mss@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
Processed by
John Foster
Date Completed
December 2000
Encoded by
John Foster
Revisions
Updated in August 2004 by Nancy Kaiser
Revisions
Updated in October 2007 by Joyce Chapman

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Descriptive Summary Including Abstract

Title
Elizabeth Evans Papers (#5025)1958-2007
Creator
Evans, Elizabeth, 1935- .
Extent
About 750 items (2.0 linear feet)
Repository
Southern Historical Collection
Abstract
Elizabeth Evans was born in 1935 and grew up in Statesville, N.C. She received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 and subsequently taught literature at Georgia Institute of Technology. She authored books on various writers, including Eudora Welty (1981), May Sarton (1989), Anne Tyler (1993), and Doris Betts (1997). The papers of Elizabeth Evans are letters and other materials relating to prominent women writers, including Doris Betts, Josephine Jacobsen, Maxine Kumin, Sally Fitzgerald, May Sarton, Anne Tyler, and Cecil Dawkins. There are also letters from Anne Tyler's mother, Phyllis Mahon Tyler. Letters from Doris Betts cover a wide variety of subjects. They include critical comment and advice on Evans's literary efforts, as well as discussion about day-to-day obligations of professional writers and news of mutual friends. Also included are drafts of articles about Betts, draft material from Evans's book about Betts, and correspondence with others about Betts; interviews Evans conducted with Betts; and correspondence of Betts with others, including Penelope Presley, a high school student to whom Betts wrote about creative writing. Letters from Josephine Jacobsen and her husband, Eric Jacobsen, relate mostly to personal matters. Letters from Anne Tyler discuss both personal matters and topics relating to Evans's book about Tyler's work. Letters from Phyllis Mahon Tyler also primarily relate to Evans's Tyler book. Letters from Maxine Kumin, Sally Fitzgerald, and Cecil Dawkins deal mostly with aspects of each author's career and professional development, but there is also information about their everyday activities. May Sarton letters relate primarily to Evans's book on Sarton's work. Also included are manuscripts, clippings, and photographs relating to Evans's correspondents.
Language
English.


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Administrative Information

Access
RESTRICTED: Use of correspondence between Doris Betts and Louise Hardeman Abbot requires prior written consent from Doris Betts and Louise Hardeman Abbot or their heirs. Cecil Dawkins letters are closed to research until 2014.
Usage Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Provenance
Received from Elizabeth Evans of Webster, N.C., in June 2000 (Acc. 98671), April 2002 (Acc. 99257), July 2004 (Acc. 99852 and 99853), and October 2007 (Acc. 100779).
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Online Catalog Terms

Betts, Doris.
Creative writing.
Dawkins, Cecil, 1927- .
Evans, Elizabeth, 1935- .
Fitzgerald, Sally.
Jacobsen, Eric, 1923- .
Jacobsen, Josephine.
Kumin, Maxine, 1925- .
Sarton, May, 1912- .
Tyler, Anne.
Women--United States--Social life and customs.
Women authors, American--20th century.
Women authors, American--North Carolina--20th century.
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Biographical Note

Elizabeth Evans was born in 1935 and grew up in Statesville, N.C. She received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 and subsequently taught literature at Georgia Institute of Technology. She authored books on various writers, including Eudora Welty (1981), May Sarton (1989), Anne Tyler (1993), and Doris Betts (1997).

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Collection Overview

The papers of Elizabeth Evans are letters and other materials relating to prominent women writers, including Doris Betts, Josephine Jacobsen, Maxine Kumin, Sally Fitzgerald, May Sarton, Anne Tyler, and Cecil Dawkins. There are also letters from Anne Tyler's mother, Phyllis Mahon Tyler. Letters from Doris Betts cover a wide variety of subjects. They include critical comment and advice on Evans's literary efforts, as well as discussion about day-to-day obligations of professional writers and news of mutual friends. Also included are drafts of articles about Betts, draft material from Evans's book about Betts, and correspondence with others about Betts; interviews Evans conducted with Betts; and correspondence of Betts with others, including Penelope Presley, a high school student to whom Betts wrote about creative writing. Letters from Josephine Jacobsen and her husband, Eric Jacobsen, relate mostly to personal matters. Letters from Anne Tyler discuss both personal matters and topics relating to Evans's book about Tyler's work. Letters from Phyllis Mahon Tyler also primarily relate to Evans's Tyler book. Letters from Maxine Kumin, Sally Fitzgerald, and Cecil Dawkins deal mostly with aspects of each author's career and professional development, but there is also information about their everyday activities. May Sarton letters relate primarily to Evans's book on Sarton's work. Also included are manuscripts, clippings, and photographs relating to Evans's correspondents.

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Organization of Collection

1. Papers
2. Pictures
Additions
Addition of April 2002
Addition of July 2004
Addition of October 2007
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Items Separated

Separated items include photographs (P-5025).


Series Descriptions

1. Papers, 1958-2000.

About 500 items.
Arrangement: by correspondent.
The papers of Elizabeth Evans are letters and other materials relating to prominent women writers, including Doris Betts, Josephine Jacobsen, Maxine Kumin, Sally Fitzgerald, May Sarton, and Anne Tyler. There are also letters from Anne Tyler's mother, Phyllis Mahon Tyler. Letters from Doris Betts cover a wide variety of subjects. They include critical comment and advice on Evans's literary efforts, as well as discussion about day-to-day obligations of professional writers and news of mutual friends. Also included are drafts of articles about Betts, draft material from Evans's book about Betts, and correspondence with others about Betts; interviews Evans conducted with Betts; and correspondence of Betts with others, including Penelope Presley, a high school student to whom Betts wrote about creative writing. Letters from Josephine Jacobsen and her husband, Eric Jacobsen, relate mostly to personal matters. Letters from Anne Tyler discuss both personal matters and topics relating to Evans's book about Tyler's work. Letters from Phyllis Mahon Tyler also primarily relate to Evans's Tyler book. Letters from Maxine Kumin and Sally Fitzgerald deal mostly with aspects of each author's career and professional development, but there is also information about their everyday activities. May Sarton letters relate primarily to Evans's book on Sarton's work. Also included are manuscripts, clippings, and photographs relating to Evans's correspondents.
Folder 1-7
Betts, Doris: Letters, 1958-1999
Folder 8
Betts, Doris: Louise Hardeman Abbot letters (RESTRICTED)
Folder 9-10
Betts, Doris: Article drafts, undated
Folder 11
Betts, Doris: Interviews and speeches, undated
Folder 12
Betts, Doris: Book materials
Folder 13
Betts, Doris: Articles
Folder 14-15
Fitzgerald, Sally: Letters, 1982-1999
Folder 16-20
Jacobsen, Josephine: Letters, 1979-2000 and undated
Folder 21
Jacobsen, Josephine: Articles
Folder 22
Jacobsen, Eric: Letters, 1985-1995
Folder 23-25
Kumin, Maxine: Correspondence, 1985-2000
Folder 26
Kumin, Maxine: Articles
Folder 27
Sarton, May: Correspondence, 1984-1993
Folder 28-30
Sarton, May: Articles
Folder 31
Tyler, Anne: Correspondence, 1980-1999
Folder 32
Tyler, Anne: Interview and article materials
Folder 33
Tyler, Phyllis Mahon: Letters, 1990-1998

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2. Pictures, undated.

71 items.
Undated photographs of Elizabeth Evans's correspondents and others, including Doris Betts, May Sarton, Maxine Kumin, Josephine Jacobsen, Eric Jacobsen, and Anne Tyler.
Folder 1-6/P-5025
Photographs, undated

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Additions.

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Addition of April 2002 (Acc. 99257), 1962-1999.
About 150 items.
Papers include articles, reviews, short stories, and poems by Josephine Jacobsen; reviews of Jacobsen's writing; and some biographical clippings.
Folder 34
Jacobsen, Josephine: Articles, reviews, and short stories
Folder 35-36
Jacobsen, Josephine: Poems
Folder 37
Jacobsen, Josephine: Reviews of
Folder 38-39
Jacobsen, Josephine: Biographical materials
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Addition of July 2004 (Acc. 99852 and 99853), 1979-1995.
About 25 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Papers include letters, 1986-1994, from Cecil Dawkins regarding writing, professional activities, her relationship with Flannery O'Connor, and personal matters; Evans's correspondence, 1979-1981, relating to publication of Eudora Welty (1981); an obituary and a eulogy for the funeral mass of Regina Cline O'Connor by Sally Fitzgerald; a letter from Josephine Jacobsen; and a tribute speech about Josephine Jacobsen by Maxine Kumin.
Folder 40
Dawkins, Cecil: Letters, 1985-1994 (RESTRICTED)
Folder 41
Eudora Welty (1981): Correspondence, 1979-1981
Folder 42
Fitzgerald, Sally: Regina Cline O'Connor materials, 1995
Folder 43
Jacobsen, Josephine: Correspondence
Folder 44
Kumin, Maxine: Speech
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Addition of October 2007 (Acc. 100779), 1985-2007.
About 85 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
This addition consists of printed emails, letters, and greeting cards to Elizabeth Evans from Anne Tyler, 1990-2006; Maxine Kumin, 2003-2007; and Doris Betts, 2004-2007. Subjects are mostly personal, regarding family, friends, and health.
Folder 45
Betts, Doris: Correspondence, 2004-2007
Folder 46
Kumin, Maxine: Correspondence, 2003-2007
Folder 47
Tyler, Anne: Correspondence, 1985-2006

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