Wright Morris, Papers
Scope and Contents
The Morris papers include correspondence to his friends, colleagues, editors and publishers, and many other people who admired his published work. The manuscript materials include typescripts, editing galleys, and other documents associated with the publication of his novels, short stories, or criticism. There are also photographs of Morris, though no photograph material created by Morris.
Dates
- 1948-2002
Creator
- Morris, Wright, 1910-1998 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The papers are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the University of Nebraska. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the papers or their designees. For permission to reproduce or to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
Biographical / Historical
Noted as a gifted author, Wright Morris wrote over thirty-three books, comprised of essays, fiction, memoirs, photo-texts, and short stories. His novel, The Field of Vision, won the National Book Award in 1957. Three of his other novels were finalists for this award. The novel Plains Song: For Female Voices won the 1981 American Book Award for Fiction. In 1982, he was awarded the Common Wealth Award for distinguished service in literature. In 1985, he received the Whiting Writers Award. He received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He taught English at San Francisco State College for a period of about ten years, until 1974.
Wright Marion Morris was born in Central City, Nebraska, on January 6, 1910 to Ethel Grace Osborn and William Henry Morris. His mother passed away several days after his birth. Morris married twice. He and his second wife, Josephine Rossler Morris, made their home in Mill Valley, California. Wright Morris and his first wife, Mary Ellen Finfrock, were married in 1934 and divorced in November 1961. Morris died on April 25, 1998 and Jo Morris died in 2002.
Extent
48 Linear Feet (123 boxes, 1 OS box)
Language of Materials
English
Italian
- Essayist Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fiction - 20th century - History and criticism Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- Novelist Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Novelists, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- Photographers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries Repository
Archives & Special Collections
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
P.O. Box 884100
Lincoln NE 68588-4100 United States
402-472-2531
archives@unl.edu
