Sherwood Anderson's Correspondence
Sherwood Anderson's handwriting takes some getting used to before one can read it easily. Initally, the plan was to select items that were readable for the exhibit--in other words, items created on his typewriter. Ulitmately, though, the focus was on how Anderson spoke of his work, whether it was fiction, non-fiction, or the local newspapers in Marion, Virginia. Handwritten items in this section contain links in the captions to the complete item with transcripts.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to J. J. Lankes, January 10, 1928, discussing small town life, and a request for a mast head design.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to J. J. Lankes, April 12, 1928, discussing Anderson's business activities in Marion.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to J. J. Lankes, June 23, 1930. A transcript of this items is available with the digital object, but in Anderson had invited Lankes to visit, comments on the local pollen, his upcoming trips, and his sons.
Sherwood Anderson to J. J. Lankes, June 26, 1931, in which Anderson write about receiving a recent proof. Based on the timing and commentary, this was probably Lankes' cover image for Anderson's Perhaps Women, or the proof of the book itself.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to J. J. Lankes, October 7, 1931. A transcript of this letter is available with the digital object, but Anderson does comment on the positive reception of Perhaps Women.
Correspondence with J. J. Lankes
Between 1927 and 1941, Sherwood Anderson and J. J. Lankes traded hundreds of letters. The two were friends, colleagues, and professional collaborators. The Welford D. Taylor Collection on Sherwood Anderson, 1918-2006, n.d. (Ms2015-020) contains a small group of these letters, highlights of which appear here. The early letters from 1928, like many others, combine both personal (Anderson commenting on Lankes' concerns) and professional (Anderson requesting a mast head design for one of the two newspapers he had recently acquired, the Smyth County News and the Marion Democrat). The later letters include content on Anderson's project at the time, Perhaps Women. In addition, all of Anderson's letters provide some insight into his small town life in Marion, Virginia.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to Llewellyn Jones, July 27, 1916. Anderson writes about who might be responsible for reviewing his novel (Windy McPherson's Son).
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to Llewellyn Jones, September 9, 1916. Anderson thanks Jones for the reviews (of Windy McPherson's Son). A transcript of this letter is available online.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to Llewellyn Jones, April 26, 1918. Anderson thanks Jones for his comments, presumably published, on Mid-American Chants, Anderson's first collection of poetry. A transcript of this item is available online.
Letter, Sherwood Anderson to Llewellyn Jones, July 22, 1924. Anderson had recently discovered Jones' review of the previous year's Many Marriages. He writes about why he has stopped reading reviews. A transcript of this letter is available online.
Correspondence with Llewellyn Jones
Llewellyn Jones was an American editor and author. From 1914-1932, he was the literary editor for the Chicago Evening Post. This collection contains eight letters written by Anderson to Jones between 1916 and 1924. The correspondence primarily discusses the reviews of Anderson's works by Jones and other critics.
This entire collection has been digitized and can be viewed online.