Archives West Finding Aid

The collection contains professional and personal correspondence, publications and tearsheets, diaries and ledgers, manuscripts, speeches, research materials, a radio interview, and published books.

Wilson made little use of a literary agent and thus his professional correspondence is mostly between him and editors of magazines and publishing houses, and publisher's readers who evaluated Wilson's manuscripts and suggested revisions.

Outgoing professional correspondence is organized by date (1928-1974) and includes letters to publisher's readers.

Incoming professional correspondence is organized alphabetically by last name or agency title and includes letters from editors and publishers.

Incoming personal and miscellaneous correspondence is filed by last name or agency title and includes letters from United Fruit, state agencies, family and friends.

There are fifteen volumes of diaries and ledgers that span 1936-1969.

Manuscript material includes book-length, short story, fragment, article and book proposals, speeches, research material. Book-length manuscripts often include multiple drafts, revisions, research notebooks, printer's copies, and notes. Short story manuscripts occasionally include early and final drafts.

Publications are filed by title and files include correspondence, and reader's responses and fan mail to Wilson's controversial article on Governor Orval Faubus in 1959.

Magazines, reprints, and tearsheets are organized by the article title written by Wilson.

There is also a file of book reviews and press releases, and one folder of miscellaneous material that includes a radio interview with Wilson, book jackets, and photographs.