Dramatists

Abstract

The Sam Shepard Papers document the middle years of Sam Shepard’s literary and acting career, from 1980-1999. The collection is comprised of the following series: Plays, Novels, Short Stories, Films, Literary Criticism, Notebooks, Correspondence, Clippings, Awards, Interviews, Readings, Published Compilations, Works by Others, and Framed Posters.

Series Description From the Series: This series is divided into two subseries. The first, films for which Shepard wrote the screenplay, includes: notes, annotated drafts, dialogue rewrites, publicity, correspondence, contracts, music notes, production notes and schedules. Of the films in this subseries, Silent Tongueincludes the most information (1 linear foot), followed by Far North(.25 linear feet.), Onibaba(.25 linear feet),...

Series Description From the Series:

Arranged by genre (articles, books, sound recordings, screenplays, short stories and teleplays), most of the works in this series are based on or inspired by Shepard’s works. Authors mailed the works to Shepard for his comments, and many items include typescripts annotated by Shepard and correspondence.

Series Description Many of the short stories represented in this series were published in short story compilations Motel Chronicles(1982) and Cruising Paradise(1996). The series has been arranged by those compilation titles. Volador was a working title for Cruising Paradise; those files immediately precede the files labeled Cruising Paradise. The...

Series Description From the Series:

Drafts, manuscripts, and typescripts of Hauptman’s plays, teleplay, screenplays, short stories, poetry, novel, articles and criticism are located in this series. Titles under each genre are filed alphabetically. Related correspondence, reviews, clippings, publicity, and playbills are filed after the draft or script for each title.

Sub-Series Description

This subseries includes short stories such as “The Morning of the First Day” and “The Morning and the Evening of the First Day”. Many are complete stories, some are fragments or are in draft form. Portions of these examples of Vliet’s early prose would later be worked into the author’s novels.

Series Description From the Series: This series is divided into two subseries. The first, films for which Shepard wrote the screenplay, includes: notes, annotated drafts, dialogue rewrites, publicity, correspondence, contracts, music notes, production notes and schedules. Of the films in this subseries, Silent Tongueincludes the most information (1 linear foot), followed by Far North(.25 linear feet.), Onibaba(.25 linear feet),...

Series Description From the Series: Many of the short stories represented in this series were published in short story compilations Motel Chronicles(1982) and Cruising Paradise(1996). The series has been arranged by those compilation titles. Volador was a working title for Cruising Paradise; those files immediately precede the files labeled Cruising Paradise. The...

Series Description From the Series:

This series is comprised of material relating to Flynn’s play Journey to Jefferson. Documents include a typescript draft of the play and various play programs.

Series Description From the Series: This series is divided into two subseries. The first, films for which Shepard wrote the screenplay, includes: notes, annotated drafts, dialogue rewrites, publicity, correspondence, contracts, music notes, production notes and schedules. Of the films in this subseries, Silent Tongueincludes the most information (1 linear foot), followed by Far North(.25 linear feet.), Onibaba(.25 linear feet),...

Series Description From the Series:

The series for Plays is the largest of Shepard’s works and includes notes, annotated typescripts, playbills, programs, correspondence, sound recordings, rehearsal schedules, reviews, and publicity. This series is notable in that Shepard meticulously identified each annotated draft with the date and place (by city and state) of each revision, and there tend to be multiple drafts of each work represented.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: This subseries very clearly shows Vliet’s process of writing from preliminary research through final product. It includes extensive background research files including files by subject containing clippings from newspapers and magazines, library call slips, color and black and white photographs, and handwritten notes. Following these research files are drafts of chapters handwritten in pencil, annotated typescripts, clean typescripts, and (minimal) correspondence. Perhaps most meticulously...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

Handwritten and typed notes, clippings, and photocopies, arranged in alphabetical order by the author’s subject categories, comprise the majority of this subseries. Also included are several folders of topographical and road maps of various Texas counties and other locations.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: This subseries very clearly shows Vliet’s process of writing from preliminary research through final product. It includes extensive background research files including files by subject containing clippings from newspapers and magazines, library call slips, color and black and white photographs, and handwritten notes. Following these research files are drafts of chapters handwritten in pencil, annotated typescripts, clean typescripts, and (minimal) correspondence. Perhaps most meticulously...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

This subseries includes drafts and typescripts of four speeches which address Vliet’s writing process and influences. Also included here is the author’s acceptance speech for the 1978 Texas Institute of Letters Award received for his novel, Solitudes.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: Business correspondence relates to Vliet’s writing career, and covers such subjects as writing submissions, editing of works to be published, royalties for published works. Correspondents include various poetry and literary journals, Texas Institute of Letters, the Ford Foundation, and Vliet’s agent, Lucy Kroll, of the Lucy Kroll Agency. Two non-correspondence files were filed by the author with this business correspondence, and are located at the beginning of this group of...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: Business correspondence relates to Vliet’s writing career, and covers such subjects as writing submissions, editing of works to be published, royalties for published works. Correspondents include various poetry and literary journals, Texas Institute of Letters, the Ford Foundation, and Vliet’s agent, Lucy Kroll, of the Lucy Kroll Agency. Two non-correspondence files were filed by the author with this business correspondence, and are located at the beginning of this group of...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

One award (from Southwest Texas State University) and several items of clothing, as well as Vliet’s eyeglasses and case, are included in this subseries. The embroidered white cotton shirt worn by Vliet at his daughter’s wedding (see Series 2 : Personal, Subseries B : Photographs) can also be found here.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: Personal correspondence in this subseries includes letters to Vliet from long-time friends such as Ruth Bloom, Harry Clauss, Alan Distler, John Haag, Ralph Houston, and David Lyttle. Several letters from Vliet to Ralph Houston are also included here, presumably sent to Ann Vliet after R.G. Vliet’s death. These letters are of special interest in that they discuss Vliet’s writing and his health. Correspondence from Vliet’s family include genealogical information, and a letter from Vliet’s...

Series Description From the Series:

Arranged by genre (articles, books, sound recordings, screenplays, short stories and teleplays), most of the works in this series are based on or inspired by Shepard’s works. Authors mailed the works to Shepard for his comments, and many items include typescripts annotated by Shepard and correspondence.