Back to TopDescriptive Summary
- Repository
-
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
- Creator
-
Godwin, Gail.
- Title
- Gail Godwin Papers, 1913-2006
- Call Number
- 5055
- Language of Materials
- Materials in
English
- Extent
-
- Items: About 15,000
- Linear Feet: 51.0
Abstract
Author Gail Godwin was born in Birmingham, Ala.; grew up in Asheville, N.C.; was graduated in 1959 from the University of
North Carolina with a B.A. in journalism; and studied at the Iowa Writers Workshop, earning an M.A. in creative writing and
Ph.D. in English literature. She has published ten novels and taught in various colleges and universities. Godwin lives in
Woodstock, N.Y.
The collection includes literary material, chiefly typescript drafts and stages of proofs, notes, background research, correspondence,
and marketing and financial materials related to Godwin's published and unpublished books, book reviews, essays, excerpts,
libretti, novellas, and short stories. There are also publicity materials, including correspondence, clippings, texts of speeches,
and audiocassettes and videotapes, that document appearances, speaking engagements, honors, awards, interviews, book reviews,
and articles about Godwin and her work. Personal materials include correspondence with family members, friends, fans, and
other literary figures, including John Irving, Kurt Vonnegut, and Joyce Carol Oates. Family correspondence pertains to members
of the Cole, Godwin, Krahenbuhl, Rogers, and Zeigler families, but the bulk documents Godwin's relationships with her mother,
Kathleen Cole, and with her grandmother, Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl. Family materials also include research and writings by Kathleen
Cole; early writings by Gail Godwin; and personal items belonging to family members. Other materials include writing notebooks;
notes on writing and teaching; photographs; research notes; a small amount of family history materials; scholarly writing
about Godwin; drawings; materials related to St. Hilda's Press; and writings by others. Dream diaries and journals have been
added to the collection beginning with the 2006 addition.
Back to TopAdministrative Information
- Restrictions to Access
- This collection has restrictions to access. Please see details below or contact the Manuscripts Department for more information.
- Usage Restrictions
- Use of audiotapes and videocassettes may require production of listening or viewing copies.
- For reasons of security or confidentiality, some materials in folder 1222 are CLOSED to researchers until the author's death.
- This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state
right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable
living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g.,
a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are
published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill assumes no responsibility.
- Acquisitions Information
- Purchased from Gail Godwin in April 2001 (Acc. 98921). Addition received in June 2006 (Acc. 100438).
- Processing Information
- Processed by: Nancy Kaiser, December 2001
- Encoded by: Nancy Kaiser, December 2001
- Finding aid updated in January 2007 by Nancy Kaiser because of addition.
- Preferred Citation
- [Identification of item], in the Gail Godwin Papers #5055, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Copyright Notice
- Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright
law.
Back to TopOnline Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
- American fiction--North Carolina--Women authors.
- Authors, American--20th century--Correspondence.
- Authors, American--20th century--Diaries.
- Authors, American--20th century--Family relationships.
- Authors, American--North Carolina--20th century.
- Cole family.
- Cole, Kathleen, 1912-1989.
- Creative writing--Study and teaching.
- Diaries.
- Domestic fiction, American.
- Dream interpretation.
- Dreams.
- Family--North Carolina--Social life and customs.
- Goodwin family.
- Godwin, Gail.
- Iowa Writers' Workshop.
- Irving, John, 1942-
- Krahenbuhl, Edna Rogers, 1882-1972.
- Krähenbühl family.
- Mothers and daughters.
- North Carolina--Fiction.
- Novelists, American--20th century--Family relationships.
- Novelists, American--North Carolina--20th century.
- Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938-
- Rogers family.
- Short stories, American--Women authors.
- Southern States--Fiction.
- St. Hilda's Press.
- Vonnegut, Kurt.
- Women authors, American--20th century.
- Women authors, American--Diaries.
- Women authors, American--Family relationships.
- Women authors, American--North Carolina--20th century.
- Ziegler family.
Back to TopBiographical Note
Gail Godwin (1937- ) was born in Birmingham, Ala., to Mose W. Godwin and Kathleen Krahenbuhl Godwin (later Cole). Her parents
divorced when she was a child and she was raised by her mother and maternal grandmother, Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl. Kathleen
was both parent and friend to Gail, and the close relationship between mother and daughter would be lifelong.
Kathleen (1912-1989) grew up in western North Carolina with her parents, Tom Krahenbuhl and Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl. She attended
Greenville Womans College and then transferred to Furman University to finish her B.A. In 1935 she earned an M.A. in English
from the University of North Carolina. Kathleen married Mose W. Godwin in 1936 and gave birth to Gail the following year.
The marriage was shortlived. After the divorce, Kathleen supported her daughter and mother by teaching college English, reporting
for the Asheville Citizen Times, and writing romance fictions under the names Kathleen Godwin and Charlotte Ashe. In 1948, she married Frank Cole and with
him had three more children: Franchelle Cole, Tommy Cole, and Rebel Cole. Kathleen returned to creative writing after her
children were grown, although not for financial gain. She also divorced Frank Cole and became active in local Episcopal churches
and in the volunteer community of Asheville, N.C. Kathleen Cole died in 1989.
Kathleen's influence in her daughter's life is particularly evident in Gail's educational training and career path as a writer.
As a child, Gail attended St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines Academy, a school run by Roman Catholic nuns in Asheville, N.C. She was
graduated from high school in 1955 in Portsmouth, Va., and enrolled in Peace Junior College in Raleigh, N.C. She continued
her studies at the University of North Carolina, where she was graduated in 1959 with a B.A. in journalism. While at the University
of North Carolina, Gail wrote columns and feature articles for the student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel.
After college, Gail moved to Florida to take a job as a reporter for the Miami Herald. A year later, she was fired by the bureau chief, who felt they had both failed to develop Gail's writing ability into good
reporting. Frustrated by this setback in her writing career, she married Miami Herald photographer Doug Kennedy. The union, which lasted only three months, is described in her unpublished first novel, "Gull Key." Upon dissolution of her marriage, Gail returned briefly to western North Carolina, then embarked on an open-ended trip to
Europe. She stayed six years. For most of that time, she worked for the U.S. Travel Service at the American Embassy in London
and wrote novels and short stories in her spare time. In 1965, she married Ian Marshall, an English psychiatrist she met in
a creative writing class. This marriage also proved to be brief, though it provided her with material for her first published
novel, The Perfectionists.
After six years abroad, Godwin returned to the United States and enrolled in the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she earned
an M.A. in creative writing and a Ph.D. in English literature. The Perfectionists (1970) would serve as her dissertation. While at the Writers' Workshop, Gail studied creative writing under Kurt Vonnegut
and with John Irving. Both would remain good friends of Godwin's, and the latter a regular correspondent and friendly critic.
After leaving Iowa City, Godwin accepted a fellowship at the University of Illinois, spent time at the Yaddo artist community
in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and occasionally taught writing courses at various New York schools, including Vassar College and
Columbia University. In 1976, Godwin settled in Woodstock, N.Y., with composer Robert Starer, her companion until his death
in April 2001.
In the course of her more than 30 years of full-time writing, Godwin has published twelve novels, two collections of short
fiction, a work of non-fiction, and an edited version of her early journals. In addition, dozens of her short stories and
essays have been published in journals, magazines, and newspapers, and she and Starer collaborated on ten musical works. Godwin's
body of work has garnered many honors, including three National Book Award nominations, a Guggenheim Fellowship, National
Endowment for the Arts grants for both fiction and libretto writing, and the Award in Literature from the American Academy
and Institute of Arts and Letters. Five of her novels have been on the New York Times best seller list.
Godwin lives and writes in Woodstock, N.Y.
Back to TopCollection Overview
The collection consists of published and unpublished literary materials, correspondence, and other materials related to Gail
Godwin's life as a writer. The collection remains largely in the order as received.
Series 1 includes fiction and non-fiction books, book reviews, essays, excerpts, libretti, novellas, short stories, and other
materials related to writing and publishing. For some published materials, there is only one draft; for others, there are
several versions, which may range from typescript rough drafts to page proofs. In addition, for many of the published books,
there are dust jackets; correspondence with publishers, editors, and other literary figures; plot, character, and theme notes;
background research materials; draft folders with illustrations and writing timelines; reviews; and marketing and financial
materials. The unpublished and abandoned writings often include partial drafts, but sometimes constitute no more than background
research.
Other materials related to writing and publishing are located in Series 2 Projects. Included are writing notebooks; notes
on writing and teaching; and research files with background material for "Mountain City," a fictional town created by the author that appears in some of her writings. Also included in this series are publicity files
and scrapbooks that document appearances, speaking engagements, awards, honors, and newspaper clippings of interviews and
feature articles about the author and her writing. Texts for some of the speeches given at appearances and speaking engagements
are available. In addition, some of the appearances, speaking engagements, and interviews are also documented in the audio-visual
materials series. A few of the publicity-related audio-visual materials are in Swedish. Separate subseries exist for scholarly
writing about the author and for book reviews, some of which duplicate those collected in the scrapbooks. There is some material
related to the establishment of St. Hilda's Press, formed by the Episcopal diocese of western North Carolina and interested
individuals and funded by Gail Godwin. Miscellaneous materials in the projects series include drawings that may be related
to the author's writing and photograph albums documenting the construction of her home in Woodstock, N.Y.
Many of the writing- and publishing-related series and subseries contain correspondence, but the vast majority of letters
can be found in Series 3 and 4.1. The bulk of the correspondence in Series 3 consists of incoming letters from literary figures,
including John Irving, Joyce Carol Oates, and Kurt Vonnegut; Godwin's agent, John Hawkins; her spiritual mentor, Gale Webbe;
fans; family members; and friends. Topics include both personal and professional concerns. Friendships, family, the creative
life, writing, and life events are often discussed. Family correspondence in Series 4.1 documents in great detail Godwin's
relationships with her mother, Kathleen Cole, and with her grandmother, Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl, and the relationship between
her mother and grandmother. Letters discuss home and school life, family news, money, love, and writing. There is some miscellaneous
correspondence of Cole, Godwin, Krahenbuhl, and Zeigler family members, and some early correspondence of Gail Godwin.
Other materials in the family series include writing and research materials of Kathleen Cole; early writing of Gail Godwin,
from childhood through her time at the Iowa Writers' Workshop; a small amount of family history materials; photographs; and
miscellaneous personal items belonging to Gail Godwin, Kathleen Cole, Tommy Cole, and Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl, including calendars,
school mementos, teenage scrapbooks, notebooks, drawings, a yearbook, diary, address book, and some financial materials. Materials
created by non-family members, including Godwin's second husband, Ian Marshall, and her companion, Robert Starer, are located
in the miscellaneous materials series.
Writings by others are collected in Series 6. Gail Godwin often served as critic to other writers with whom she had long friendships,
including Robb Forman Dew, John Irving, and Gale Webbe.
The addition of 2006 follows the arrangement order of the original deposit, with new subseries for subsequent publications.
Series 8 and Series 9 have been created for Godwin's dream diaries and journals.
As there is considerable overlap among series, researchers are advised to check all possible locations for materials of interest.
Researchers should also note that various surnames are associated with the author, including Godwin, Cole, Kennedy, and Marshall.
Likewise, there are several surnames associated with her mother Kathleen, including Krahenbuhl, Godwin, and Cole.
Back to TopArrangement of Collection
Series 1. Writings and Related Materials
Subseries 1.1. Books
Subseries 1.1.1. The Perfectionists
Subseries 1.1.2. Glass People
Subseries 1.1.3. The Odd Woman
Subseries 1.1.4. Dream Children
Subseries 1.1.5. Violet Clay
Subseries 1.1.6. A Mother and Two Daughters
Subseries 1.1.7. Mr. Bedford and the Muses
Subseries 1.1.8. The Finishing School
Subseries 1.1.9. A Southern Family
Subseries 1.1.12. Evensong
Subseries 1.1.13. Heart
Subseries 1.2. Other Published Writings
Subseries 1.2.1. Book Reviews
Subseries 1.2.2. Essays
Subseries 1.2.3. Excerpted Novels and Short Story Collections
Subseries 1.2.4. Libretti
Subseries 1.2.5. Short Stories
Subseries 1.3. Unpublished and Abandoned Writings
Subseries 1.3.1. Novels
Subseries 1.3.2. Novellas
Subseries 1.3.3. Short Stories
Subseries 1.4. Financial Materials
Subseries 1.5. Miscellaneous Writings and Other Publishing Related Materials
Series 2. Project Files
Subseries 2.1. Writing Notebooks
Subseries 2.2. Notes on Writing and Teaching
Subseries 2.3. Publicity
Subseries 2.3.1. Appearances and Speaking Engagements
Subseries 2.3.2. Awards and Honors
Subseries 2.3.3. Clippings
Subseries 2.3.4. Other Publicity Materials
Subseries 2.4. Book Reviews
Subseries 2.5. Scrapbooks
Subseries 2.6. Photograph Albums
Subseries 2.7. Research Notes
Subseries 2.8. Family History
Subseries 2.9. Scholarly Writings on Gail Godwin
Subseries 2.10. Drawings
Subseries 2.11. St. Hilda's Press
Series 3. Correspondence and Related Materials
Subseries 3.1. Personal Correspondence
Subseries 3.2. Fan Mail
Series 4. Family Materials
Subseries 4.1. Family Correspondence
Subseries 4.1.1. Kathleen Cole and Gail Godwin
Subseries 4.1.2. Kathleen Cole and Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl
Subseries 4.1.3. Gail Godwin and Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl
Subseries 4.1.4. Other Family Correspondence
Subseries 4.2. Kathleen Cole Writings and Research Notes
Subseries 4.3. Early Gail Godwin Writings
Subseries 4.4. Photographs
Subseries 4.5. Miscellaneous Family Materials
Subseries 4.5.1. Kathleen Cole
Subseries 4.5.2. Tommy Cole
Subseries 4.5.3. Gail Godwin
Subseries 4.5.4. Edna Rogers Krahenbuhl
Subseries 4.5.5. Clippings
Series 5. Audio-Visual Materials
Subseries 5.1. Audiocassettes
Subseries 5.2. Videotapes
Series 6. Other Writers
Subseries 6.1. Robb Forman Dew
Subseries 6.2. John Irving
Subseries 6.3. Gale Webbe
Series 7. Miscellaneous Materials
Addition of 2006
Subseries 1.1.10. Father Melancholy's Daughter
Subseries 1.1.11. The Good Husband
Subseries 1.1.13. Heart
Subseries 1.1.14. Evenings at Five
Subseries 1.1.15. Queen of the Underworld
Subseries 1.1.16. The Making of a Writer
Subseries 1.5. Miscellaneous Writings and Other Publishing Related Materials
Subseries 2.3.2. Awards and Honors
Subseries 3.1. Personal Correspondence
Subseries 3.2. Fan Mail
Subseries 3.3. Email
Subseries 4.4. Photographs
Series 7. Miscellaneous Materials
Series 8. Dream Diaries and Notes
Series 9. Journals
Closed Materials
Back to TopItems Separated
Photographs (P-5055/1-19)
Oversize papers (OP-5055/1-2)
Scrapbooks (PA-5055/1-11)
Audiocassettes (C-5055/1-22)
Videotapes (VT-5055/1-12)
Audio Compact Disc (CD-5055/1)
Detailed Description of the Collection
1. Writings and Related Materials, 1962-2001.
About 4000 items.
Published and unpublished books, book reviews, essays, excerpts, libretti, novellas, short stories, and materials related
to writing and publishing, including correspondence, financial materials, notes, research, and marketing materials.
Back to Top
1.1. Published Books, 1967-2001.
About 3000 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly typescript drafts and related materials, including notes on characters, plot, and themes; background research; the
author's draft folders with illustrations and writing time lines; correspondence; and some publicity materials. Where possible,
drafts have been arranged in chronological order.
Back to Top
1.1.1. The Perfectionists, 1967-1971 and undated.
About 65 items.
Published in 1970. Originally called "The Beautiful French Family." Includes the short story version submitted to a writing workshop taught by Kurt Vonnegut; subsequent typescript drafts and the thesis version; notes; book reviews; the dust jacket; letters from the publisher; and
congratulatory notes. See also Series 2.4 for additional book reviews.
Folder
1
Short story, 1967
Folder
2-4
Draft, May 1967
Folder
5-8
Draft, undated
Folder
9
Thesis, 1971: submitted to the University of Iowa in partial fulfillment of a doctorate in English literature
Folder
10
Notes, 1967-1969 and undated
Folder
11
Dust jacket: see also Series 1.5 for dust jacket to a subsequent edition
Folder
12
Letters, 1968-1971
Back to Top
1.1.2. Glass People, 1972.
10 items.
Published in 1972. Comprised of letters relating to book publicity and reviews. Includes a letter from Kurt Vonnegut. See also Series 1.5 for dust jacket and Series 2.4 for additional reviews.
Folder
13
Letters, 1972
Back to Top
1.1.3. The Odd Woman, 1972-1984 and undated.
75 items.
Published in 1974. Includes various undated typescript drafts and proof stages of the manuscript; notes; and publicity. Correspondence
with the editor and other staff members at Knopf Publishing relates to publication of the novel and includes some reviews. Other correspondence includes an exchange with Nina Baym, upon whom the character of Sonia Marks is based, and a few writers who received publicity copies. See also Series 1.5 for
dust jacket; Series 2.4 for additional book reviews; and Series 2.5 for fan letters, related publicity materials, and additional
book reviews.
Folder
14-16
First draft
Folder
17a-b
Early draft: 1905 section
Folder
18
Late draft: chapter one
Folder
19-27
Setting manuscript
Folder
28
Uncorrected proof
Folder
29
Printer's proof
Folder
30-32
Blues corrections
Folder
33-34
Notes, 1972-1973 and undated
Folder
35
Correspondence, 1974-1984
Back to Top
1.1.4. Dream Children, 1976.
3 items.
Published in 1976. Includes a contract for international publication and the jacket copy. See also Series 1.2.5 for stories
included in this collection that were published individually and Series 2.4 for reviews.
Folder
36
Contract, 1976
Folder
37
Jacket copy
Back to Top
1.1.5. Violet Clay, 1975-1978 and undated.
About 200 items.
Published in 1978. Earlier titles include "Children of Romantics" and "The Last Gothic Heroine." Materials include various undated typescript drafts and an uncorrected proof; notes on characterization, symbolism, and themes;
and background research on travel, art, and artist motivations. Correspondence relates to manuscript changes; solicitation
of reviews of the manuscript; attempts to sell excerpts to magazines; and discussion of possible titles. See also Series 2.4
for additional book reviews and Series 2.5 for fan mail, articles, other marketing materials, and additional reviews.
Folder
38
First draft
Folder
39
Second draft, October-December 1975
Folder
40
Other early drafts
Folder
41-47
Semi-final draft
Folder
48-56
Final draft
Folder
57
Draft fragments
Folder
58
Uncorrected proof, 1978
Folder
59-64
Notes
Folder
65-66
Research
Folder
67
Correspondence, 1977-1978
Back to Top
1.1.6. A Mother and Two Daughters, 1979-1994 and undated.
About 300 items.
Published in 1982. Includes various undated typescript draft stages and an uncorrected proof; notes on character and themes;
research on breast cancer, stroke, fire, measles, World War I military service, North Carolina beaches, apocalyptic events,
television directors, bankers, pesticides, and feminism; and a publicity file with introductions to be read at book readings
and signings. Correspondence with publisher relates to author's decision to be published by Viking Press. See also Series 2.1 for a writing notebook with related notes; Series 2.4 for reviews; Series 2.5 for related articles,
fan mail, publicity materials, and additional reveiws; and Series 4.1.1 for research-related correspondence with Kathleen Cole, regarding the "old guard" of Asheville, N.C.
Folder
68
First draft, undated: short story
Folder
69
Second draft, spring 1979: short story
Folder
70-72
First draft
Folder
73
Early draft fragments
Folder
74
Draft: Ocracoke section
Folder
75-84
Final draft
Folder
85
Unrevised and unpublished proof, 1982
Folder
86-87
Notes: includes a 1979 notebook with chronology of events of the story
Folder
88-96
Research
Folder
97
Publicity
Folder
98
Correspondence, 1980-1982; 1994
Back to Top
1.1.7. Mr. Bedford and the Muses, ca. 1983.
5 items.
Published in 1983. Includes undated typescript drafts and various stages of proofs. See also Series 1.2.5 for drafts of individual
stories; Series 2.4 for reviews; and Series 2.5 for reviews, notes, and correspondence with publisher and agent.
Folder
99-100
Semi-final draft
Folder
101-102
Final draft
Folder
103-106
Setting manuscript
Folder
107-108
Galley proofs
Folder
109
Unrevised and unpublished proofs
Back to Top
1.1.8. The Finishing School, ca. 1983-1998 and undated.
About 400 items.
Published in 1984. Includes several undated typescript drafts (one with comments from Robb Forman Dew) and stages of proofs; notes on plot, characterization, themes, and motivations; research, including notes and notebooks
with information about plot, themes, scenes, and descriptions of characters; information on France, IBM, life in wartime London,
American volunteers, child evacuation, convoys, music in Argentina, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and houseboats; and
publicity materials. Correspondence pertains to publication of the novel. See also Series 1.5 for dust jacket; Series 2.4
for book reviews; and Series 2.5 for fan letters, marketing materials, a published excerpt of the novel, and additional book
reviews.
Folder
110-112
Early drafts
Folder
113-116
Semi-final draft
Folder
117-119
Draft: with Robb Forman Dew's comments
Folder
120-126
Final draft
Folder
127
Unrevised and unpublished proof
Folder
128
Uncorrected book proof
Folder
129-132
Notes
Folder
133-145
Research
Folder
146-147
Publicity
Folder
148
Correspondence, ca. 1983; 1998
Back to Top
1.1.9. A Southern Family, 1985-1988 and undated.
100 items.
Published in 1987. Includes various undated typescript drafts and stages of proofs; notes and notebooks on character, themes,
and copyediting; a plan for writing the novel; research materials on forestry and teaching history; folders for early drafts
of chapters, with timelines for pages written. Correspondence relates to domestic and international publishing of novel; attempts
to sell excerpts of novel to magazines; cover art; advertising, publicity materials, and marketing plans; and reader responses.
See also Series 1.5 for dust jacket; Series 2.4 for reviews; Series 2.5 for marketing materials, some correspondence, articles,
and additional reviews; and Series 4.5.2 for additional research materials on Tommy Cole, upon whom the character of Theo Quick is based.
Folder
149-163
Draft
Folder
164-173
Setting manuscript
Folder
174-180
Author's galleys
Folder
181-186
Editor's galleys
Folder
187-193
Final proof
Folder
194
Final corrections
Folder
195-210
Notes
Folder
211
Plan for writing
Folder
212
Research
Folder
213
folders
Folder
214
Correspondence, 1985-1988 and undated
Back to Top
1.1.10. Father Melancholy's Daughter, 1990-1999 and undated.
About 110 items.
Published in 1991. First called "Vinca." Includes various undated typescript drafts and stages of proofs; notes on character, plot, themes, and sentence drafts, with
a plan for the novel and "blue papers," or reports, on what the author knew about her characters; research on women in theater, scenic design, and religion; sketches;
and folders, some decorated, with time lines of pages written. Correspondence relates to publication, reviews, advertising,
and cover design. There are some letters from fans, including clergy. See also Series 1.5 for dust jacket; Series 2.1 for
a writing notebook with related notes; Series 2.4 for additional book reviews; and Series 2.5 for marketing materials, related
correspondence, and additional reviews.
Folder
215-220
Early drafts ("Vinca"): Prologue
Folder
221-227
Early draft
Folder
228-240
Final draft
Folder
241-247
Setting manuscript
Folder
248-251
Authors galleys
Folder
252-255
Master proof
Folder
256-267
Notes
Folder
268-272
Research
Folder
273
Sketches
Folder
274-276
folders
Folder
277-278
Correspondence, 1990-1991
Folder
279
Fan mail, 1991-1995: received from clergy
Folder
280
Fan mail, 1991-1999 and undated
Folder
281
Book tour
Back to Top
1.1.11. The Good Husband, 1993-1997 and undated.
About 400 items.
Published in 1994. First called "Misericord." Includes various typescript drafts and stages of proofs; notes on themes and characters, including comments from Robert Starer; research on monastic life, seminaries, misericords, parenting of gay and lesbian children, cancers, and illiteracy; and
draft folders, decorated with misericords, with time lines of writing for each chapter. Correspondence pertains to the dedications,
cover art, editing, and marketing materials; feedback from editor, publisher, and John Irving; and a letter from "Alice," who served as inspiration for the character in the novel. In addition, there are fan letters; media materials used in preparation
for book tour and interviews; book tour materials, including notes, itineraries, and a journal with a record of impressions
of her agent, interviews, hotels, meals, travel, conversations, readings and signings, and fans; and reviews. See also Series
2.1 for a writing notebook with related notes; Series 2.4 for additional reviews; and Series 3.2 for more fan mail.
Folder
282
Early drafts (incomplete)
Folder
283-285
Early drafts ("Misericord")
Folder
286-293
Unrevised manuscript
Folder
294-302
Master copy
Folder
303-312
Final I
Folder
313-321
Final II
Folder
322-323
Uncorrected proof
Folder
324-325
Notes
Folder
326-333
Research
Folder
334-338
folders
Folder
339
Correspondence, August 1993-January 1994
Folder
340
Correspondence, February 1994-May 1995
Folder
341
Fan letters, 1994-1997
Folder
342
Media blitz
Folder
343
Book tour: includes itineraries and notes
Folder
344
Book tour journal
Folder
345-347
Reviews
Back to Top
1.1.12. Evensong, 1996-2000 and undated.
about 550 items.
Published in 1999. First called "Vespertide," then "An Evening Gone." Includes various typescript drafts; notes on character, theme, chapter organization, and notepads with sentence and phrase
drafts; background research materials on St. Mary's parish, the history of Asheville, N.C., spirituality and religious beliefs, Cloisters, England, music, General Theological Seminary, Holy Week, burial instructions, and other ministerial materials; Advent journal of
The Reverend Janet Vincent-Scaringe; folders decorated for each chapter draft; and book reviews. Personal and professional correspondence pertains to publication
of the book and includes some publicity materials. In addition, there is fan mail. See also Series 1.5 for dust jacket; Series
2.4 for additional book reviews; and Series 2.3.1 for materials related to the book tour.
Folder
348
Early draft ("Vespertide")
Folder
349-352
Early draft fragments
Folder
353-358
Early draft
Folder
359-366
Pre-edited draft
Folder
367-381
Corrected manuscript
Folder
382-389
Notes
Folder
390-409
Research
Folder
410-411
Working copy of Father Melancholy's Daughter
Folder
412-418
folders
Folder
419-421
Reviews
Folder
422
Correspondence, December 1996-May 1998
Folder
423
Correspondence, June-December 1998
Folder
424
Correspondence, January-February 1999
Folder
425
Correspondence, March-April 1999
Folder
426
Correspondence, May 1999-July 2000 and undated
Folder
427
Fan mail, 1998-1999
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1.1.13. Heart, 2000-2001 and undated.
About 550 items.
Published in 2001. Includes various undated typescript drafts; notes for phone interviews and a marketing pamphlet; research
on cardiology and ideas about the heart; an idea journal; illustrations; publicity materials; and book reviews. Correspondence
pertains to publication and marketing of the book. See also series 1.5 for dust jacket.
Folder
428
Early draft
Folder
429-433
First draft
Folder
434
Manuscript plan
Folder
435-453
Notes and research
Folder
454
Idea journal
Folder
455
Illustrations
Folder
456
Publicity materials: see also cassette of Diane Rehm Show, March 2001, in Series 5.1
Folder
457
Reviews
Folder
458
Correspondence, April-June 2000
Folder
459
Correspondence, July-August 2000
Folder
460
Correspondence, September-December 2000
Folder
461
Correspondence, January-March 2001
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1.2. Other Published Writing, 1970-2000.
About 200 items.
Arrangement: by genre.
Materials include published book reviews, essays, excerpts of novels and novellas, libretti, and short stories, with some
related correspondence.
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1.2.1. Book Reviews, 1970-1994.
About 200 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Reviews written by Gail Godwin and published in the Chicago Tribune Book World, New Republic, New York Times, New York Times Book Review, and North American Review. Authors reviewed include James Agee, Nina Baym, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Pat Conroy, Shirley Ann Grau, Doris Lessing, Joyce Carol Oates, Walker Percy, Reynolds Price, Mary Lee Settle, Paul Theroux, Anne Tyler, John Updike, and Shirley Fay Weldon.
Folder
462
1970-1975
Folder
463
1976-1977
Folder
464
1978-1982
Folder
465
1983-1984
Folder
466
1985
Folder
467
1987-1994
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1.2.2. Essays, 1971-2000.
About 40 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Essays and incidental pieces published in magazines and journals such as Antaeus, Art and Antiques, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Gourmet, Harper's, James Joyce Quarterly, Ms., New Times, New York Times Book Review, and The Writer; as introductions to novels; in book length collections of essays; and online. It is not clear where some of the essays were
published. Includes some related correspondence.
Folder
468
"To Noble Companions,"
1973
Folder
469
"Towards a Fully Human Heroine: Some Worknotes,"
1973
Folder
470
"If She Hadn't Called Herself George Eliot, Would We Have heard of Marian Evans?"
1974
Folder
471
"The Iowa Experience,"
1974
Folder
472
"The Southern Woman: A Beguiling Stereotype,"
1974-1975
Folder
473
"Fiction in the Year 2000,"
1975
Folder
474
"Finding the Right Shape for your Story,"
1975
Folder
475
"A Diarist on Diarists,"
1975
Folder
476
"The Haunted Interior,"
1975
Folder
477
"Discovering the Form for Your Fiction,"
1976
Folder
478
"The Watcher at the Gates,"
1977
Folder
479
"Southern Men, Southern Lies,"
1977
Folder
480
"Inner and Outer Landscapes,"
1978
Folder
481
"A Writing Woman,"
1979
Folder
482
"Being on Everybody's Side,"
1979
Folder
483
"My Face,"
1981
Folder
484
"Keeping Track: Journal Excerpts: 1962-1981,"
1981
Folder
485
"God Bless You, Kurt Vonnegut,"
1982
Folder
486
"Becoming the Characters in Your Novel,"
1982
Folder
487
"Hers,"
1982: series of four essays published in the New York Times
Folder
488
"Introduction to Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses,"
1984: correspondence only
Folder
489
"Antiques Tell a Tale,"
1985
Folder
490
"A Novelist Sings A Different Tune,"
1985
Folder
491
"How I Write,"
1985
Folder
492
"Six Decades at Yaddo,"
1986
Folder
493
Untitled, 1987: on reviewing books
Folder
494
"Journals, 1982-1987,"
1987
Folder
495
"What Should the Candidates Be Reading This Summer,"
1988
Folder
496
"My Mother, the Writer: Master of a Thousand Disguises," 1989
Folder
497
Foreword to Sawdust and Incense: Worlds that Shape a Priest, 1989
Folder
498
"Angel of Revelation,"
1990
Folder
499
Introduction to You Can't Go Home Again, 1990
Folder
500
"Nightwalk,"
1992
Folder
501
"The Girl in the Basement," in Who's Writing This? Notations on the Authorial I, with Self Portraits, 1995
Folder
502
"Uncle Orphy,"
1996
Folder
503
"A Book that [Really Did] Change My Life,"
1998
Folder
504
"The Situation of American Writing, in American Literary History,"
1999
Folder
505
"A Memorable Meal of Friends and Food,"
1999
Folder
506
"Kurt Vonnegut: Waltzing with the Black Crayon,"
1999
Folder
507
"The Pleasures of Reading,"
199?
Folder
508
Introduction to Fifth Business, 2000
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1.2.3. Excerpted Novels and Short Story Collections, 1978-1981.
4 items.
Published excerpts from novels and short story collections, including "The Fate of Fleeing Maidens" (from Violet Clay); "Violet Clay" (from Violet Clay); "The Unlikely Family" (from Mr. Bedford and the Muses); and "A Mother and Two Daughters" (from A Mother and Two Daughters).
Folder
509
1978-1981
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1.2.4. Libretti, 1975-2000.
About 50 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Text and music collaborations with composer Robert Starer.
Folder
510
"The Last Lover,"
1975
Folder
511
"Journals of a Songmaker,"
1976
Folder
512
"Apollonia,"
1978-1979
Folder
513
"Remembering Felix,"
1987
Folder
514
"Gregory the Great: A Vespers Pageant,"
1996
Folder
515
"The Other Voice,"
1998
Folder
516
Miscellaneous, 1992-1993; 2000; and undated: chiefly Episcopal parish bulletins relating to performances, including "Magdalen at the Tomb"
Back to Top
1.2.5. Short Stories, 1969-1995 and undated.
About 50 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Includes drafts and tearsheets of short stories published in magazines such as Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Harpers, McCall's, Ms., Redbook, and USA Weekend. Some stories later appeared in Godwin's short story collections, Dream Children and Mr. Bedford and the Muses. A small amount of related correspondence is included.
Folder
517a
"St. George,"
1969
Folder
517b
"Liza's Leaf Tower,"
1969
Folder
518
"The Dandelion, a Hardy Soul, Far from Its Proper Home,"
ca. 1970
Folder
519
"An Intermediate Stop,"
1970: in Dream Children; republished in 1995 in Trinity News; see also Series 1.3.3 for an early version of this story
Folder
520
"A Sorrowful Woman,"
1971: published again in Dream Children
Folder
521
"For Samuel Beckett: More,"
1971
Folder
522
"Interstices,"
1972: in Dream Children
Folder
523
"My Lover, His Summer Vacation,"
1972: published again in Dream Children
Folder
524
"Layover,"
1973: in Dream Children
Folder
525
"The Woman Who Kept Her Poet,"
1973: in Dream Children
Folder
526
"False Lights,"
1975: published again in Dream Children
Folder
527
"Nobody's Home,"
1975: published again in Dream Children
Folder
528
"The Angry Year,"
1975: in Dream Children
Folder
529
"Dream Children,"
1976: in Dream Children
Folder
530
"Indulgences,"
1976, in Dream Children
Folder
531
"A Cultural Exchange,"
1978: see also Series 1.3.3 for an earlier version of this story
Folder
532
"A Tale of the Literary Life,"
1979: originally entitled "Amanuensis" (see folder 534)
Folder
533
"Over the Mountain,"
1983
Folder
534
"Amanuensis,"
ca. 1983: in Mr. Bedford and the Muses; originally published as "A Tale of the Literary Life" (see folder 532)
Folder
535
"A Father's Pleasures,"
ca. 1983: in Mr. Bedford and the Muses
Folder
536
"St. John,"
ca. 1983: in Mr. Bedford and the Muses
Folder
537
"Last Summer on Pelican Island,"
1995
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1.3. Unpublished and Abandoned Writings, 1962-1993 and undated.
About 165 items.
Arrangement: by genre.
Includes unpublished and abandoned novels, novellas, short stories, and story ideas. See also Series 4.3 for other earlier
unpublished writing.
Back to Top
1.3.1. Novels, 1962-1993.
About 150 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Includes typescript and handwritten drafts, notes and notebooks, and research for unpublished and abandoned novels.
Folder
538-539
"Gull Key,"
1962: the author's first novel and the only copy in existence; based on first marriage
Folder
540-542
"Possibilitarian,"
1966: also called "The Gift of Insight" and "The Ruptured Link"; based on author's father, Mose W. Godwin; first draft handwritten in notebook
Folder
543
"The Interviewer,"
1974: also called "Castle"; includes note to self on beginning a novel
Folder
544-546
"The Last of the Nightingales,"
1977: three notebooks containing first draft and notes of a romance story
Folder
547
"A Woman of Property,"
197?: abandoned, and then revisited in 1987 as "Castles" in a note to self
Folder
548
"Gotham,"
1983: notes for a novel not written
Folder
549
"The Very Rich Hours of Freddy Stratton,"
1988-1989: correspondence and clippings gathered for unwritten novel; Freddy Stratton first appeared as a minor character in A Southern Family and later as a character in "My Last Protégé"
Folder
550
"My Last Protégé,"
1991: draft 1
Folder
551
"My Last Protégé,"
1991: draft 2
Folder
553-555
"My Last Protégé,"
1991: two notebooks with sketches, quotes, character studies, photographs, and chapter notes; heroine Augusta Eubanks later appears
in Evensong
Folder
556-559
"My Last Protégé,"
1991: research notes on jobs for Edmund; funeral for Freddy Stratton; and architecture; includes correspondence and clippings
Folder
560-561
"My Last Protégé,"
1991: illustrated folders for drafts and writing log
Folder
562
"My Last Protégé,"
1991: clippings
Folder
563
"A Book of Hours,"
1993: notes for a novel
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1.3.2. Novellas, 1970s.
2 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Typescript drafts of unpublished novellas.
Folder
564
"Summer Suite,"
1979?
Folder
565
"Godchild,"
197?: unfinished
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1.3.3. Short Stories, 1970-1976 and undated.
About 15 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly undated stories, probably written while Godwin was a student at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Multiple drafts exist for some items.
Folder
566
"The Illumined Moment, and Consequences,"
ca. 1970: early draft of "An Intermediate Stop," 1970, in Series 1.2.5.
Folder
567
"Summons to a Brimstone Farm,"
1970
Folder
568
"A Dollar's Worth of Hygge,"
ca. 1970: early draft of "A Cultural Exchange," 1978, in Series 1.2.5.
Folder
569
"The Man on the Sofa,"
ca. 1970
Folder
570
"A Day of Projects for the Unemployed Angel,"
ca. 1970
Folder
571
"Crackup at Chipmunk Lake,"
1976
Folder
572
"A Dream of Insurrection," undated
Folder
573
"First Love," undated
Folder
574
"Incorrigible Hearts," undated
Folder
575
"The Money Twins," undated
Folder
576
Empty
Folder
577
"Stalemate," undated
Folder
578
"Wednesday," undated
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1.4. Financial Materials, 1982-1996.
About 400 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly accounts payable notices from Gail Godwin's agent, John Hawkins, for royalties received for written works and earnings from appearances. Also included is a record of unearned advances.
Folder
579
1982-1983
Folder
580
1984
Folder
581
1985
Folder
582
1986
Folder
583
1987
Folder
584
1988
Folder
585
1989
Folder
586
1990
Folder
587
1991
Folder
588
1992
Folder
589
1993
Folder
590
1994
Folder
591
1995
Folder
592
1996
Folder
593
Unearned advances, 1984-1987
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1.5. Miscellaneous Writings and Other Publishing-Related Materials, 1974-2001.
About 30 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Materials include incidental writings and writing fragments, a collection of essays gathered for a possible book, and dust
jackets.
Folder
594
1974-1989 and undated: incidental writings and writing fragments that may or may not have been published previously. Titles include
"To Three Friends Who Died Within the Year"; "10 Sept. 1989"; "June Eighteenth"; "A Soiree in Gotham"; "What's Really Going On"; and "The Witch's Treasure"
Folder
595
1994: letter from Gail Godwin to her agent, John Hawkins, soliciting interest in marketing a collection of her previously published essays on writing; enclosures are her suggested
essays
Folder
596-597
Dust jackets: The Perfectionists, Glass People, The Odd Woman, The Finishing School, A Southern Family, Father Melancholy's Daughter, Evensong, and Heart
Back to Top
2. Project Files, 1970-2001 and undated.
About 1600 items.
Materials include writing notebooks; notes on writing and teaching; publicity materials; book reviews; scrapbooks; photograph
albums; research notes; family history; scholarly writings about Gail Godwin; drawings; and materials related to St. Hilda's Press.
Back to Top
2.1. Writing Notebooks, 1975-1994 and undated.
About 25 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly notebooks kept while traveling, with commentaries on friends visited, fellow travelers, self-esteem, notes on characters
and themes for novels, and dreams. Includes some notes and research for A Mother and Two Daughters, Father Melancholy's Daughter, and The Good Husband.
Folder
598
1975: trip to Norway; notes on diaries, diarists, and other writers
Folder
599
1979: notes on A Mother and Two Daughters
Folder
600
1981: reflections on self-esteem while visiting with family and friends in Selma, Ala., and Raleigh, N.C.
Folder
601
1983?: visiting with family in Selma, Ala.
Folder
602
1984: trip to France and Switzerland
Folder
603
June 1989: trip to England with notes for Father Melancholy's Daughter
Folder
604
July 1989: "Journey into Wholeness" at Kanuga Conference Center; reflections on personality type and archetypal images
Folder
605
1980s I: trip to Selma, Ala., and Asheville, N.C.; commentary on friends and family
Folder
606
1980s II: trip to London
Folder
607
1980s III: publicity trip to Richmond, Va.
Folder
608
1991: cruise with Book of the Month Club to British Isles; includes notes on a story idea that would become "Misericord" (The Good Husband)
Folder
609-610
May-June 1993: trip to England with Father Gale Webbe and the Reverend David Bronson; two notebooks with enclosures
Folder
611-613
Empty
Folder
614
1994: travel related to book publishing with Ballantine Books; how to present self to others
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2.2. Notes on Writing and Teaching, 1970s-1980s.
About 50 items.
Chiefly materials gathered for "Mysteries of the Writing Life," a seminar given at Manhattanville College in 1988. Includes texts and notes of lectures, presentations, and articles given
in previous appearances at Breadloaf, New York University, Mars Hill College, and other institutions; also some miscellaneous
materials accumulated while teaching. See also Series 2.3.1 for text of speech given at this seminar.
Folder
615-618
Notes on writing and teaching
Back to Top
2.3. Publicity, 1982-1996.
About 750 items.
Materials pertain to Gail Godwin's appearances and speaking engagements, awards and honors received, and interviews and articles
written about her. Includes correspondence, brochures, posters, and clippings. See also Series 5 for related audio-visual
materials.
Back to Top
2.3.1. Appearances and Speaking Engagements, 1972-1999.
About 400 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Materials include text of some speeches given at appearances and speaking engagements with related correspondence; may include
materials from award presentations and writing conferences, workshops, and lectures; some materials in Swedish.
Folder
619
1972-1978 and undated: except 1976 South American tour
Folder
620
1976: South American tour as American Specialist for the United States Information Service of the State Department
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