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James Purdy papers

 Collection
Identifier: D.322

Biographical / Historical note

James Purdy was a novelist, poet and amateur artist. Born in Ohio on July 17, 1923, he attended the University of Chicago and the University of Puebla in Mexico. Purdy served on the faculty of Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin from 1949-1953, and later worked as an interpreter in Latin America, France, and Spain, and spent 1982 lecturing in Europe with the United States Information Agency. He died March 13, 2009. When Purdy had difficulty publishing his short stories in American magazines, he privately published his first two books, 63: Dream Palace and Don't Call Me by My Right Name and Other Stories, in 1956. Purdy sent copies of these first two books to writers he thought highly of, including the English poet Dame Edith Sitwell. She enthusiastically recommended Purdy's work to an English publisher, Gollancz, who published and distributed Purdy's books in England. Purdy's works were launched in the United States in 1957 in one volume, Color of Darkness: Eleven Stories and a Novella. Purdy had subsequently published more than nineteen novels, including Malcolm (Farrar Straus, 1959); Cabot Wright Begins (Farrar Straus, 1964); I am Elijah Thrush (Doubleday, 1972), On Glory's Course (Viking, 1984), Candles of Your Eyes (Viking, 1986), and Out with the Stars (City Lights Books, 1992). His 1976 novel, Shallow Grave (Arbor House, 1976), was made into a film in 1988 starring Michael Biehn and Patrick Dempsey. Purdy also penned ten short story collections, and his plays have been performed in an assortment of off-Broadway theaters. Purdy received a National Institute of Arts and Letters grant in literature in 1958, followed by Guggenheim fellowships in 1958 and again in 1962. Purdy won a Ford Foundation Grant in 1961, and a P.E.N.-Faulkner Award nomination in 1985 for On Glory's Course. Most recently, he was awarded a Morten Dauwen Zabel Fiction award from the Academy of Arts and Letters in 1993. He was also the recipient of a Rockefeller grant.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of manuscripts of Purdy's plays along with actor's prompts, books and other items related to dramatic works. Also included are drawings by Purdy and correspondence. The collection was purchased from James Purdy in 1978. He donated the drawings contained in the collection to the Department in 1979. Professor William H. Riker donated a number of Purdy books to the collection in 1980. The department holds a collection of Purdy's works, which can be found by searching the Library's online catalog.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1950 - circa 1980

Language of Materials

English

Extent

2 box(es)

Access

The James Purdy Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], James Purdy Papers, D.322, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Title
James Purdy papers
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Date
undated
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA