Carla Emery papers, 1957-2000

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Emery, Carla
Title
Carla Emery papers
Dates
1957-2000 (inclusive)
1971-1993 (bulk)
Quantity
4.0 cubic feet
Collection Number
MG 419
Summary
Carla Emery was a believer in self-sufficiency and the “back to the land” philosophy. Her papers include correspondence, manuscripts, videocassettes, various editions of her book Old Fashioned Recipe Book, and class schedules of the School of Country Living, which she opened in Kendrick, Idaho in 1976.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Access Restrictions

The manuscript group is open to the public. Researchers must use the collection in accordance with the policies of the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives.

Languages
This collection is in English.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Carla (Carlotta Louise Harshbarger) Emery was born on January 19, 1939 in Los Angeles and died in Odessa, Texas, on October 11, 2005. Her family moved to a farm in Montana while she was still an infant. Carla became a firm believer in self-sufficiency and the “back to the land” philosophy. Throughout her life, she tried to live by a creed of organic gardening and old style homesteading skills.

In 1970, she began distributing segments of herself-published book, An Old Fashioned Recipe Book, which went through several editions throughout the 1970s. Her notoriety took her on the road where she distributed copies of her book and was featured on “Good Morning America,” "The Mike Douglas Show,” and “The Tonight Show.” Bantam Books eventually published her book in 1977, then in its 7th edition.

Carla Emery opened the “School for Country Living” with her first husband Mike on property purchased in Kendrick, Idaho in 1976. Within a two-year period, the school became victim of a devastating flood, washing out the property and most of the outbuildings. Her first marriage ended in divorce in 1985. Carla married Donald DeLong in 2000 and moved to Arizona. She remained active in spite of health concerns and toured the country speaking about gardening, raising livestock, and environmental issues. She continued to write profusely, producing manuscripts, publishing articles and another book in 1998, Secret, Don’t Tell: The Encyclopedia of Hypnotism.

On her webpage, Carla wrote down how she would like to be remembered: “She was responsible. She loved a job. She loved being a wife, a mother, and a writer. She worked hard and did her best.”

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of Carla Emery span the years 1957 to 2000, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1971 to 1993.

Included in the records are correspondence, manuscripts, videocassettes, various editions of her Old Fashioned Recipe Book, and School of Country Living class schedules.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Consult Head of Special Collections and Archives on permission for use.

Preferred Citation

Carla Emery papers, MG 419. Special Collections and Archives, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Series I: Correspondence; Series II: School of Country Living; Series III: Publications, Manuscripts, Film, and Audio tapes; Series IV: Personal/Legal

Acquisition Information

Carla Emery donated her papers to the University of Idaho Library between 1988 and 2000.

Processing Note

Marilyn Sandmeyer processed the papers in March 2007.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I:  CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
1 1
Biographical histories, 2005-2006
1 2
Family, 1981-1982
1 3-4
Family, 1982
1 5
Family, friends, publishers, 1982, 1988, 1990

Series II:  School of Country LivingReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
1 6
Form letters, class schedules, projects, 1976-1977
1 7
Newsletters, 1976
1 8
Old Fashioned Recipe Book – index, form letters, ordering information, 1971-1974

Series III:  Publications, Manuscripts, Film and AudiotapesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
1 9
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, 1971
1 10
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, 1974
1 11
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, 1976
1 12
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, 1981
1 13
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, 1993
2 14
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, draft of 5th edition index, undated
2 15
Old Fashioned Recipe Book, additional chapters, 1971
2 16
Bantam Books contract, correspondence, and schedules, 1974-1987
2 17
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Part 1 (video cassette), undated
2 18
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Part 2 (video cassette), undated
2 19
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Master (video cassette), undated
2 20
Carla Emery masters of video cassettes(2), 1994
2 21
Manuscript for “The Right One,” undated
2 22
Manuscript for “In the End there’s a Beginning,” 1990
2 23
Manuscript for “A Woman’s Life,” 1990
2 24
Manuscript for “Journey I: The Lady In the Tower," undated
2 25
Manuscript for “Part I: The Lady In the Tower,” 1992
2 26
Manuscript for “Darker Than You Think,” 1980-1989
2 27
Manuscript for “The Address of Pi(e?),” 1989
2 28
Manuscript for “Darker Than You Think” (folder 1), 1991
3 29
Manuscript for “Darker Than You Think” (folder 2), 1991
3 30
“A Writer: The 3-in-1 Being,” undated
3 31-32
Handwritten journals, undated
3 33
List of manuscripts/journals by Emery, undated
3 34
Articles and publications, 1989, 1991, 1993
3 35
Micro cassettes (5), undated
3 36
Audiotape “Pit Battle,” undated
3 37
Photocopy of “Antisocial or Criminal Acts and Hypnosis” by Paul Reitter, 1958
3 38
Photocopy of “Hypnotism and Crime” by Dr. Heinz Hammerschlag, 1957
3 39
Photocopy of “Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control” by John Marks, 1979
3 40
Photocopy of “Operation Mind Control” by Walter Bowart, 1978
3 41
Photocopy of “The Control of Candy Jones” by Donald Bain, 1976
3 42
Manuscript for “Darker Than You Think,” 1991
3 43
Psychology class papers, undated
3 44
Hypnotherapy office and letters of support, 1990
3 45
Charles Tebbetts Hypnotism Training Institute, Inc., 1990
3 46
Cassette tape sets: “How To Prepare for the Year 2000,” 1998
3 47
Cassette tape sets: “The Writing Workshop,” undated
3 48
Cassette tape: ”The Stories of My Life,” undated
3 49
Cassette tape: “Trends In the Nation’s Food Supply,” undated
3 50
Cassette tape: “How To Grow the Greatest Garden of Your Life,” undated
3 51
Video cassette: “Trends In the Nation’s Food Supply,” undated
3 52
Video cassette: ”The Stories of My Life,” undated
3 53
Video cassette: “How To Grow the Greatest Garden of Your Life,” undated
3 54
Video cassette: “Master Writing Workshop,” undated
3 55
Video cassette: “Therapy Aspects of Criminal Hypnosis,” undated
4 56
Compact videos (7), 2000
4 57
Book: Secret, Don’t Tell: The Encyclopedia of Hypnotism (2 copies), 1998

Series IV:  Personal/LegalReturn to Top

Container(s) Description
Box Folder
4 58
Family tree, will, drawings, negatives, and transcripts, 1956-1992
4 59
Newsclippings, legal papers, and conference material, 1987-1993
4 60
Copies of photographs and prints, undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Home economics.

Corporate Names

  • School for Country Living.