Finding-aid for the Robert Newton Linscott Papers (MSS071)

Table of Contents

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope And Contents Note

Restrictions

Administrative Information

Collection Outline

I. Correspondence, 1931-1963.

II. Miscellaneous. Inscribed photograph John Gould Fletcher.

I.1 Correspondence 1931-[1941].

I.2 Correspondence [1944]-[1945].

I.3 Correspondence 1946-1956.

I.4 Correspondence 1958-1963; N.D.

II. Miscellaneous. Photograph.

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Biographical Note

Standard biographical information on Truman Capote, Carson McCullers and Edmund Wilson may be found in vs. 7/8, 5/6 and 3 respectively of Contemporary authors, Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1968. Twentieth century authors, edited by Stanley Kunitz, 1942 and 1955 also provides biographies. Information on Annemarie Clarac-Schwarzenback, friend of Reeves and Carson McCullers, was taken from Carson McCullers, Her life and work, by Oliver Evans, London: Peter Owen, 1965. Dates for Miss McCullers' letters, largely undated, information on her family and other names used for subject headings, were also ascertained from Evans. Undated Capote and Wilson letters were dated from internal evidence, usually references to books in progress.

Robert Linscott, addressee, was from 1944 until his retirement in 1957, senior editor for Random House. From 1904 to 1944, however he was with Houghton-Mifflin, where he was editor for early Capote and McCullers works. He himself edited a number of collections for both houses, among them Best American humorous short stories, 1945; Best short stories of Bret Harte, 1947; The world's great thinkers, a Boston reader, 1948; Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, 1957; Letters and poems of Emily Dickinson, 1959. Linscott's first wife Helen R. Lothrop, who is mentioned in these letters, died in 1936; his second wife was Elizabeth Shoemaker, whom he married in 1955.

Letters originate from Columbus, Georgia; New York, Yaddo at Saratoga Springs and Wellfleet, Mass.

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Scope And Contents Note

Correspondence include Truman Capote, writing 1946-1963, discussing Yaddo, Leo Lerman, Richard Plant, his book [Other voices, other rooms], death of Newton Arvin, 3 items; Carson McCullers, writing [1940]-[1945], discussing her family, father's death, her husband, Reeves McCullers and their divorce, friend Annemarie Clarac-Schwarzenback, Truman Capote, Granville Hicks, her books, including Reflections in a golden eye, Member of the wedding, and The ballad of the sad café, 5 items; Annemarie Clarac-Schwarzenback, writing 1940, discussing her writing, Reeves McCullers, Carson McCullers' health, 1 item; Edmund Wilson, writing 1931-1962, discussing personal plans, reading work for [Apology to the Iroquois], 6 items; ts. [carbon] replies, 1931 and 1944, from Linscott to McCullers and Wilson, 3 items.

18 items.

Linscott additions:

Acc. 1083

Fletcher, John Gould. Photograph, with inscription ms. to Mr. and Mrs. Linscott, n.d., 4 3/8 × 7 1/4 mounted. Miscellany.

1 item.

Acc. 1405

MacLeish, Archibald to Robert Newton Linscott, [1933], complaining about the lack of publisher's promotion for Conquistador [collection of poems] TLS, 1 p. Interfiled.

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Restrictions

Rights, terms

Restrictions

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Administrative Information

Sources

Purchase

Processing begun

ca. Dec., 1967

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Container List

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