Doug Smith collection of Mark Harris correspondence, manuscripts, and ephemera
Scope and Contents
American author Mark Harris (1922-2007) wrote approximately 34 letters to close friend sportswriter Doug Smith between 1996 and 2007, in which he included details about his daily life and reflections on his own writing. The correspondence includes some of Doug Smith's outgoing letters to Mark and Josephine Harris, and most of the notes and greeting cards dating between 2005 and 2007 were written by Josephine Harris. The collection also includes an undated typescript of The Girl With Greatest Legs with minor autograph corrections, as well as biographical information, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, information on Harris's final illness, and a t-shirt from Harris's memorial service, an event at which Smith spoke.
The collection reflects a warm and playful correspondence and close friendship between Harris and Doug and Pauline (Polly) Smith, evidenced by the details Harris shared about his life, his family, and his final illness.
The Girl With Greatest Legs is an apparently unpublished novel by Harris, to which he refers throughout the correspondence.
Dates
- Creation: 1996-2007
Creator
- Harris, Mark, 1922-2007 (Person)
- Smith, Doug, 1942- (Correspondent, Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/
Biographical / Historical
American novelist and journalist Mark Harris (1922-2007) is perhaps best known for his novel Bang the Drum Slowly (1956), the second volume in his trilogy devoted to the fictional baseball player, Henry Wiggen. Harris also adapted Bang the Drum Slowly into a screenplay for the 1973 movie of the same name. In addition to his work as a novelist, Mark Harris has had a productive career in a variety of other literary genres, including literary criticism, biography, and autobiography. Harris remained an active journalist throughout his lifetime.
Extent
.6 linear foot
Abstract
American author Mark Harris (1922-2007) wrote approximately 34 letters to close friend sportswriter Doug Smith between 1996 and 2007, in which he included details about his daily life and reflections on his own writing.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Doug Smith, February 2016.
Shelving Summary
Box 1: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons (6 inches)
Box 2: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize boxes (17 inches)
Processing Information
Processed and encoded by Sarah Iuli, March 2016.
Subject
- Harris, Mark, 1922-2007 (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for Doug Smith collection of Mark Harris correspondence, manuscripts, and ephemera
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Date
- 2016 March 18
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Delaware Library Special Collections Repository