Flannery O'Connor collection

This artificial collection of Flannery O'Connor letters, manuscripts, audio recordings, and printed items has been assembled from various sources (gifts and purchases) over many years. The earliest two items (circa 1937) relate to a childhood trip to Atlanta. The Dora Byron accession (3 items) relates to a proposed television appearance which O'Connor declined and to a reading she delivered at an adult evening course at Emory University around 1956. Also present are two photocopies of letters to Frank Daniel, letters to and from Marvin Whiting regarding a class visit to O'Connor's home, and two manuscripts of talks O'Connor delivered on the subject "How the Writer Writes" and "the problem of the southern writer." Also present is correspondence exchanged between David Estes (former Head of Special Collections) and O'Connor regarding her own personal papers.

In a series of eight letters to Joel Wells of the Critic magazine O'Connor discusses her own writing, the writing of others (James Gould Cozzens and J.F. Powers), an interview of O'Connor that appeared in the Critic, and other subjects. O'Connor's letters to Fred Darsey discuss a wide range of subjects from Darsey's flight from the hospital in Milledgeville, her own religious faith, Darsey's writing, her work, health, and daily farm life.

The collection also includes a series of letters between Robert Jiras, Flannery O'Connor, Regina O'Connor, and various film agents and producers (1956-1971) regarding a proposed film adaptation by Robert Jiras of O'Connor's short story "The River." This grouping also contains Jiras' story outline, a rough draft of the screenplay and a final copy of the screenplay.

O'Connor's letters to Mrs. Frank H. "Bobbie" Gafford, fellow Catholic, schoolteacher, graduate student in English literature of Birmingham, Alabama, date from 1958-1964. The letters mention day-to-day aspects of her life as a writer including speaking engagements and regularly address religious matters and the relationship between literature and belief. In addition, she offers encouragement to Gafford who is writing her thesis on O'Connor. The letters also contain passing references to other writers, including Caroline Gordon, Eudora Welty, John Ciardi, Connor Cruise O'Brien, Jack Hawkes, and Carson McCullars.

The Flannery O'Connor collection also contains some printed material including numerous clippings related to O'Connor's life and work and her freshman yearbook from Georgia State College for Women. The photographs include an early image of O'Connor at age five or six reading a book, a portrait of O'Connor later in life, and a portrait of Regina O'Connor. Also included is a photograph of Andalusia, O'Connor's home in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Further additions are listed in the container list.