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This collection has use restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | About 3400 items (15.0 linear feet) |
| Abstract | Guy Owen (1925- ), novelist, poet, literary critic, editor, and professor of English at North Carolina State University. The collection includes writings, research material, correspondence, subject files, and other papers. More than half of the collection consists of material produced Owen during writing projects, including handwritten or typed drafts of novels, short stories, poems, and articles. Many of the drafts were never published. Correspondence, chiefly professional in nature, subject files, news clippings about Owen and his work, photographs, audiotapes comprise the rest of the collection. |
| Creator | Owen, Guy, 1925- . |
| Language | English. |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
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Related Collections
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Biographical Information
Guy Owen, Jr., was born on February 24, 1925, in Clarkton, Bladen County, North Carolina. He graduated from Clarkton High School in 1942, and worked at assorted odd jobs before joining the Army in 1943, serving in France and Germany. He returned to the United States in 1945 to attend the University of North Carolina, where he majored in English. In 1952, Owen married Dorothy Meadows Jennings of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. He received his Ph.D. in 1955.
Owen's first teaching experience was as instructor of English at Davidson College from 1949 to 1951. He also taught part-time at UNC from 1951 to 1954, while completing his dissertation, and was associate professor of English at Elon College during the 1954-1955 school year.
In 1955, Owen accepted the position of associate professor of English at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida; he taught there until 1961. During this time, he wrote his first novel, Season of Fear, which was published in 1960.
Owen became a member of the faculty at North Carolina State College in Raleigh in 1961, remaining there until his death twenty years later. While teaching American literature and creative writing courses, he completed and published three novels, two volumes of poems, and a collection of short stories. He also helped edit two anthologies of verse: New Southern Poets: Selected Poems from Southern Poetry Review, and Contemporary Poets of North Carolina.
In 1958, Owen co-founded the poetry magazine Impetus, which in 1965 became Southern Poetry Review. He was also an editor of North Carolina Folklore.
Owen died of cancer in July 1981, at age 56.
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Scope and Content
Well over half of this collection consists of material produced by Owen during his various writing projects. Many of these items are handwritten or typed drafts of novels, short stories, poems, articles, and the texts of speeches, and many of these drafts are unpublished.
Correspondence, chiefly professional in nature, subject files, news clippings about Owen and his work, photographs, and audio tapes, comprise the rest of the collection. Duplicate materials and widely available printed materials were separated and transferred or discarded during processing.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Novels, 1952-1981.
Arrangement: by novel, then by type of item.
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Subseries 1.1. Season of Fear, 1960.
Notes (7 pages); complete and partial drafts (7 items, totaling about 3000 pages); galley proofs; and reviews and promotional material (25 items). Also included is a screenplay not written by Guy Owen.
| Folder 1-11 |
Season of Fear #04287, Subseries: "1.1. Season of Fear, 1960." Folder 1-11Folder 1Folder 2Folder 3Folder 4Folder 5Folder 6Folder 7Folder 8Folder 9Folder 10Folder 11 |
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Subseries 1.2. The Ballad of the Flim Flam Man, 1965.
Research on con games (about 60 items); scattered chapters, pages, and notes (about 2000 pages); complete and partial drafts (5 items, totaling about 1400 pages); and reviews, promotional material, and correspondence about the book, movie, and television versions of BFFM (about 300 items). Also included is the script of a stage musical adaptation of BFFM not written by Owen.
| Folder 12-58 |
The Ballad of the Flim Flam Man #04287, Subseries: "1.2. The Ballad of the Flim Flam Man, 1965." Folder 12-58Folder 12Folder 13Folder 14Folder 15Folder 16Folder 17Folder 18Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21Folder 22Folder 23Folder 24Folder 25Folder 26Folder 27Folder 28Folder 29Folder 30Folder 31Folder 32Folder 33Folder 34Folder 35Folder 36Folder 37Folder 38Folder 39Folder 40Folder 41Folder 42Folder 43Folder 44Folder 45Folder 46Folder 47Folder 48Folder 49Folder 50Folder 51Folder 52Folder 53Folder 54Folder 55Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58 |
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Subseries 1.3. Journey for Joedel, 1970.
Scattered chapters, pages and notes (about 500 pages); complete and partial drafts (2 items, totaling about 400 pages); and galley proofs, reviews, promotional material, and correspondence (about 215 items).
| Folder 59-80 |
Journey for Joedel #04287, Subseries: "1.3. Journey for Joedel, 1970." Folder 59-80Folder 59Folder 60Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67Folder 68Folder 69Folder 70Folder 71Folder 72Folder 73Folder 74Folder 75Folder 76Folder 77Folder 78Folder 79Folder 80 |
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Subseries 1.4. The Flim-Flam Man and the Apprentice Grifter,
1972.
Scattered chapters, pages, and notes (about 4000 pages); complete drafts (4 items, totaling about 1200 pages); page proofs, reviews, and promotional material (about 30 items).
| Folder 81-107 |
The Flim-Flam Man and the Apprentice Grifter #04287, Subseries: "1.4. The Flim-Flam Man and the Apprentice Grifter, 1972." Folder 81-107Folder 81Folder 82Folder 83Folder 84Folder 85Folder 86Folder 87Folder 88Folder 89Folder 90Folder 91Folder 92Folder 93Folder 94Folder 95Folder 96Folder 97Folder 98Folder 99Folder 100Folder 101Folder 102Folder 103Folder 104Folder 105Folder 106Folder 107 |
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Subseries 1.5. Joel Jarman (unpublished).
Scattered chapters, pages and notes (about 4500 pages); complete drafts (2 items, totaling about 800 pages); published chapters (8 items); and early draft material (1 item).
| Folder 108-137 |
Scattered chapters, pages and notes (about 4500 pages); complete drafts (2 items, totaling about 800 pages); published chapters (8 items) #04287, Subseries: "1.5. Joel Jarman (unpublished)." Folder 108-137Folder 108Folder 109Folder 110Folder 111Folder 112Folder 113Folder 114Folder 115Folder 116Folder 117Folder 118Folder 119Folder 120Folder 121Folder 122Folder 123Folder 124Folder 125Folder 126Folder 127Folder 128Folder 129Folder 130Folder 131Folder 132Folder 133Folder 134Folder 135Folder 136Folder 137 |
| Box 16 |
"Joel Jarman" early draft #04287, Subseries: "1.5. Joel Jarman (unpublished)." Box 16 |
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Subseries 1.6. KKK novel (unpublished), ca. 1952-1955.
Scattered chapters, pages and notes (about 500 pages) and research material (about 30 items). These items were accompanied by a note explicitly stating that this novel is not Season of Fear (1960).
| Folder 138-143 |
"KKK novel" #04287, Subseries: "1.6. KKK novel (unpublished), ca. 1952-1955." Folder 138-143Folder 138Folder 139Folder 140Folder 141Folder 142Folder 143 |
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Series 2. Short Stories, 1951-1981.
Arrangement: Subseries 2.1 and 2.2 by type of item. Subseries 2.3 largely alphabetically by title.
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Subseries 2.1. The Flim-Flam Man and Other Stories,
1980.
Notes and outlines (about 5 items); collection of 22 short stories (3-5 versions of most stories); complete draft of book (about 300 pages); and reviews (about 12 items).
| Folder 144-165 |
The Flim-Flam Man and Other Stories #04287, Subseries: "2.1. The Flim-Flam Man and Other Stories, 1980." Folder 144-165Folder 144Folder 145Folder 146Folder 147Folder 148Folder 149Folder 150Folder 151Folder 152Folder 153Folder 154Folder 155Folder 156Folder 157Folder 158Folder 159Folder 160Folder 161Folder 162Folder 163Folder 164Folder 165 |
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Subseries 2.2. The Blue Darter and Other Selected Stories,
1981.
Draft of a collection of 14 short stories, most previously published (about 200 pages).
| Folder 166 |
The Blue Darter and Other Selected Stories #04287, Subseries: "2.2. The Blue Darter and Other Selected Stories, 1981." Folder 166 |
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Subseries 2.3. Other Short Stories, 1951-1981.
Notes and outlines (about 50 items, totaling about 120 pages); and complete and partial drafts of about 40 short stories (3-5 versions of most stories).
| Folder 167-169 |
Notes and Outlines #04287, Subseries: "2.3. Other Short Stories, 1951-1981." Folder 167-169Folder 167Folder 168Folder 169 |
| Folder 170-197 |
Short Stories #04287, Subseries: "2.3. Other Short Stories, 1951-1981." Folder 170-197Folder 170Folder 171Folder 172Folder 173Folder 174Folder 175Folder 176Folder 177Folder 178Folder 179Folder 180Folder 181Folder 182Folder 183Folder 184Folder 185Folder 186Folder 187Folder 188Folder 189Folder 190Folder 191Folder 192Folder 193Folder 194Folder 195Folder 196Folder 197 |
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Series 3. Poems, ca. 1952-1981.
Arrangement: Subseries 3.1 and 3.2 by published volume, then by type of item. Subseries 3.3 by type.
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Subseries 3.1. Cape Fear Country, 1958.
Notes, draft and page proofs (about 60 items); reviews (about 6 items); orders and correspondence (about 25 items).
| Folder 198-201 |
Cape Fear Country #04287, Subseries: "3.1. Cape Fear Country, 1958." Folder 198-201Folder 198Folder 199Folder 200Folder 201 |
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Subseries 3.2. The White Stallion, 1969.
Notes, draft and page proofs (about 100 items), a copy of the published version, reviews (about 60 items), and correspondence (about 13 items).
| Folder 202-205 |
The White Stallion #04287, Subseries: "3.2. The White Stallion, 1969." Folder 202-205Folder 202Folder 203Folder 204Folder 205 |
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Subseries 3.3. Other Poems, ca. 1952-1981.
Notes (about 10 items); and complete and partial poems, including one file of about 200 items arranged, as it was received, in alphabetical order (about 300 items).
| Folder 206-210 |
Other Poems #04287, Subseries: "3.3. Other Poems, ca. 1952-1981." Folder 206-210Folder 206Folder 207Folder 208Folder 209Folder 210 |
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Series 4. Essays, Speeches, and Other Writings, ca. 1951-1981.
Arrangement: 4.1 alphabetically by title. 4.2 by type of writing.
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Subseries 4.1. Essays and Speeches.
Manuscript, typescript, and/or published versions of addresses and non-fiction writings by Guy Owen. Major topics include Southern literature and poetry, Erskine Caldwell, Thomas Wolfe, Southern speech, and Thomas Middleton (thesubject of Owen's 373-page dissertation, in folders 224-228).
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Subseries 4.2. Other Writings.
A collection of about 60 brief biographical sketches of Southern writers by Guy Owen; about 160 book reviews by Owen; a typescript of and letter about an anthology edited and introduced by Owen titled Contemporary Southern Poetry: The Post-Fugitive Era; research and draft material for a non-fiction book on North Carolina by Owen (never published); and about 20 pieces that Owen labelled "sketches and fragments."
| Folder 305 |
Biographical Notes #04287, Subseries: "4.2. Other Writings." Folder 305 |
| Folder 306-309 |
Book Reviews #04287, Subseries: "4.2. Other Writings." Folder 306-309Folder 306Folder 307Folder 308Folder 309 |
| Folder 310 |
Contemporary Southern Poetry #04287, Subseries: "4.2. Other Writings." Folder 310 |
| Folder 311-312 |
North Carolina Book #04287, Subseries: "4.2. Other Writings." Folder 311-312Folder 311Folder 312 |
| Folder 313 |
Sketches and Fragments #04287, Subseries: "4.2. Other Writings." Folder 313 |
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Series 5. Correspondence, 1960-1981.
Arrangement: alphabetical by correspondent.
Letters to Owen from friends, acquaintances, editors, and literary agents. There is very little of a personal nature; most correspondence relates to Owen's writing, or to the work of other writers. Among the more notable correspondents are Erskine Caldwell, John Ciardi, James Dickey, Paul Green, and Denise Levertov. Almost all items are letters to Owen; there are only a few copies of outgoing letters.
Separate folders are devoted to individuals represented by three or more letters and to a few others. Other correspondence follows.
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Series 6. Subject Files, 1958-1961.
Arrangement: alphabetical by topic.
Files established by Owen, relating to his activities as a teacher and a writer. They include his teaching materials for various classes; notes on Southern authors, including Erskine Caldwell and Eudora Welty, apparently as the bases for articles; and subject files on such topics as North Carolina geography, writers' conferences, and Southern folklore and folk expressions.
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Series 7. Miscellaneous Material about Guy Owen and His Work, 1960-1981.
Arrangement: chronological.
Newspaper and magazine clippings including articles about talks and readings given by Owen, interviews with him, and reviews of his work.
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Series 8. Audio-Visual Materials, ca. 1933-1980.
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Subseries 8.1. Pictures.
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Subseries 8.2. Audio Tapes.