Bland Simpson Papers Initial Inventory (#4755)
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- 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:
- Jackie Dean and Caroline Weaver
- Date Completed:
- May 1996
- Encoded by:
- Lynn Holdzkom
- Revisions:
- Finding aid updated in November 1999 by Caroline Weaver.
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Descriptive Summary Including Abstract
- Title
- Bland Simpson Papers (#4755) 1977-1993
- Creator
- Simpson, Bland.
- Extent
-
- About 25 items (1.0 linear feet)
- Repository
- Southern Historical Collection
- Abstract
- Bland Simpson was born in 1948 and grew up in Elizabeth City and Chapel Hill, N.C. He is a lecturer in creative writing in the English Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Beginning in 1987, he served as the pianist for the Red Clay Ramblers, a critically acclaimed North Carolina-based music group. Simpson collaborated on several theatrical presentations and authored several books. The collection consists of materials chiefly relating to Simpson's writings. An edited manuscript of The Great Dismal: A Carolinian's Swamp Memoir (UNC Press, 1990) is included along with materials gathered in researching the book, which discusses the Great Dismal Swamp that stretches from Elizabeth City, N.C., across the Virginia border nearly to Portsmouth, Va. The author's galleys and a manuscript copy of Simpson's novel about country music, Heart of the Country (Seaview/Putnam, 1983), are included. The collection also contains an early draft from 1977, an undated draft, and page proofs of Simpson's non-fiction novel The Mystery of Beautiful Nell Cropsey (UNC Press, 1993), an Elizabeth City, N.C., legend. There are also promotional materials from the musical King Mackerel and the Blues Are Running.
Administrative Information
- 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 Bland Simpson of Chapel Hill, N.C., in May 1995 (Acc. 95064) and September 1999 (Acc. 98447).
Online Catalog Terms
- Authors, American--North Carolina--20th century.
- Country music--Fiction.
- Cropsey, Nell, d. 1901.
- Dismal Swamp (N.C. and Va.).
- Simpson, Bland.
- Simpson, Bland. The Great Dismal : a Carolinian's swamp memoir.
- Simpson, Bland. Heart of the country.
- Simpson, Bland. King mackerel and the blues are running.
- Simpson, Bland. The mystery of beautiful Nell Cropsey.
Biographical Note
Bland Simpson was born in Elizabeth City, N.C., in 1948 and lived there until he moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., when he was ten. Simpson attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later moved to New York City to be close to the music business.
Simpson released one album before he moved back to Chapel Hill and began performing with a band known as the Southern States Fidelity Choir. Simpson collaborated with fellow band member, Jim Wann, to create the off-Broadway hit Diamond Studs, a musical about the life and death of Jesse James. Since 1987, he has been the pianist for the North Carolina-based band called the Red Clay Ramblers. He is a lecturer in creative writing in the English Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, along with several theatrical collaborations, has authored several books.
Back to TopCollection Overview
The collection consists of materials relating to the writing of three books and a small amount of other material. An edited manuscript copy of The Great Dismal: A Carolinian's Swamp Memoir is included along with materials generated in the process of researching the book. A manuscript copy and the author's galleys of Simpson's novel, Heart of the Country, are included. Finally, a manuscript copy marked "early 1977 draft" of Simpson's non-fiction novel, The Mystery of Beautiful Nell Cropsey, is included along with an undated manuscript and page proofs and promotional materials from the musical King Mackerel and the Blues Are Running.
Note that the original titles of audio tapes included in the research materials relating to The Great Dismal have been preserved and that the tapes are listed in chronological order.
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Description
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Items Separated
Items separated include pictures (P-4755/1-2) and audiotapes (T-4755/1-13).
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Related Collections
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Red Clay Ramblers Papers (#4756)