Jeffrey Bailey collection of James Leo Herlihy papers

The Jeffrey Bailey collection of James Leo Herlihy papers is a combination of correspondence and personal papers originated by American author and actor James Leo Herlihy (1927-1993) and literary papers belonging to Herlihy’s long-time friend and literary executor, American author Jeffrey Bailey.

In 1976, Bailey interviewed Herlihy, which resulted in a lifelong friendship. The interview, subsequently published in the August 25, 1976, issue of the Advocate, was followed by an intimate and substantial correspondence which continued until Herlihy’s death in 1993.

The arrangement of this collection reflects the two distinct segments of the papers, Series I. James Leo Herlihy, and Series II. Jeffrey Bailey. The first series comprises material related to Herlihy’s acting and writing careers, his correspondence with Bailey and with American author Paul Bowles, and personal papers such as diaries, photographs, and artwork.

Herlihy, who is best remembered for his writing, particularly, Midnight Cowboy (1965), was also an actor and an artist. In addition to programs from his roles in plays at the Pasadena Playhouse and in New York City theaters, photographs and programs document two highlights of Herlihy's theatrical career: his role in Edward Albee's Zoo Story (which he performed in Paris and Boston in 1963) and his character in the motion picture Four Friends (1982). New York photographer Arnold Weissberger captured scenes from Herlihy's Zoo Story stage performance, along with fellow actors Tallulah Bankhead and Joan Blondell, for a photograph album which he gave to Herlihy.

Dating from his days at Black Mountain College in 1948, until his death in 1993, Herlihy sketched and painted. Herlihy’s pencil and charcoal drawings, watercolors, and pastels offer several self-portraits, as well as portraits of others, including one of Marlene Dietrich. Individual works of art and Herlihy’s sketching in some of his diaries (particularly as he traveled), sample his artistic talent.

Programs, reviews, posters, and publicity represent Herlihy’s published work. The few manuscripts found in this collection are untitled stories, a manuscript for what Herlihy described as "The Great Dream," and a folder of miscellaneous writing labeled as his "last creative writing."

The correspondence between Herlihy and Bailey reflects the close friendship that the two men shared for seventeen years. Herlihy and Bailey exchanged news of daily life, as well as accounts of writing projects, such as Bailey's novel "Angel Skin," for which Herlihy offered extensive comment. They reported information about friends, such as James Broughton, James Kirkwood, Lyle Bongé, and Paul Bowles; and shared their personal struggles, whether due to health issues, the deaths of family and/or friends, or just the vagaries of life.

In Herlihy's letters one sees a man who struggled to age gracefully, difficult for a man for whom personal appearance was important, but also a man who displayed great compassion for his friends and family and an ability to be brutally introspective. These strikingly honest and sometimes humorous letters deliver details of travels, critiques of movies and books, and critical reflections on his life and career.

The seven diaries/notebooks, kept by Herlihy between 1982 and 1993 further document the introspective quality of his personality. Herlihy wrote detailed accounts of his dreams and his subsequent analyses of their meaning, ruminations on his relationships and writing, and in October 1993, his final words. Herlihy's diaries also record itineraries and calendars for travels, drafts of letters to friends (such as M. C. Richards), sketches and portraits, quotations from notable persons and personal friends, his belief in the information gained with Ouija boards, recipes, and on one occasion, a record of his thoughts while on drugs.

The Jeffrey Bailey series has two subseries: the first, correspondence, and the second, his writing. Best known for his published interviews with Paul Bowles, Anaïs Nin, and James Leo Herlihy, Bailey has also written a teleplay of Herlihy’s Stop, You’re Killing Me, and was, according to correspondence, working on a novel. Drafts of the Nin and Bowles interviews and the teleplay are available in this small sample of Bailey's writing.

Jeffrey Bailey began corresponding with American author Paul Bowles (1910-1999) in 1976, to schedule a visit to Tangier, Morocco, in order to interview him. Following the interview, Bowles's letters to Bailey focused on correcting the manuscripts from the interview and on responding to Bailey's additional questions. His letters occasionally mentioned mutual friends, such as Gavin Lambert, Herlihy, Christopher Isherwood, and Mohammed Mrabet.

In the early 1980s, Bowles wrote of the political turbulence in Morocco and was adamant that the interview avoid commenting on sexuality in Morocco because of possible consequences. Because Paul Bowles was blacklisted following the publication of Love With a Few Hairs , he worried that he might be refused permission to continue living in the country.

Jeffrey Bailey also sought interviews with a number of other literary notables. Letters from Maya Angelou, Lawrence Durrell, Christopher Isherwood, Gavin Lambert, Anaïs Nin, and James Kirkwood offer varying responses to Bailey's requests. One letter from American actor Charlton Heston was followed by a series of fan club newsletters and photographs of Heston.

The Jeffrey Bailey collection of James Leo Herlihy papers complements the existing collections of Herlihy's papers found in the Manuscript and Archives Department of the University of Delaware Library. The correspondence, diaries, photographs and artwork in this collection make accessible his acting and artistic career and the introspective quality of his personality, as well as adding to an understanding of what motivated his writing.