Warren Fine, Literature Papers
Title: Warren Fine,
Literature Papers
Creator: Fine,
Warren, 1943-1987
Dates: 1960-1987
Quantity: 23 boxes (11.0 linear
feet)
Collection Number: RG 12-10-51
Language: English
Restrictions: Materials to, from, or about Ethel LaGalle, Ethel Fine, and Charlotte LaGalle may
not be published without Ethel LaGalle's permission. They may be viewed in the
Archives & Special Collections reading room.
Access and Use: For information on access or copyright, please see our guidelines
or email archives@unl.edu.
Historical Records Statement: Please see our statement on historical records and materials.
Preferred Citation: Warren Fine, Literature Papers (RG 12-10-51). Archives & Special Collections,
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
Biography:
Warren Fine was born January 24, 1943 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Growing up in southwest
Kansas, he began writing stories and selling them for a penny apiece when he was
eight years old. From his teen years onward, Fine considered writing his vocation.
In 1965 he left the University of Kansas to finish his first novel, The Artificial Traveler. He moved to St. Louis in 1966
and remained there until 1968. He received his master's degree in fiction writing
from Johns Hopkins University in 1970.
Fine's career included teaching as well as writing in various formats. He taught in
the English department at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee, from 1970-1974 and
the following year at Colorado State before joining the University of
Nebraska--Lincoln's faculty in 1976. At UNL he taught fiction writing and
contemporary literature and administered the graduate writing program. His work as a
writer included four published novels, more than 40 published poems, six published
essays, and scripts for plays, film, and television. The plains and prairies of his
childhood home in Kansas frequently served as the settings of his stories, and his
writing recreated the language of oral storytelling. In a Lincoln Star article from April 22, 1979, Fine referred to himself as
"the foremost unpopular American novelist." He
died August 20, 1987 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Scope and Content:
Warren Fine's professional life as a writer and teacher and his personal life are
both represented in collection materials. Manuscripts written by Fine comprise
nearly half of the collection. The remainder consists primarily of his notes and
journals and his correspondence, all of which provide additional insights about his
work as a writer. Also included are collected clippings, manuscripts, and
publications; teaching materials; and personal records relating to Fine's health and
finances. Throughout the collection, folder titles in quotation marks indicate the
labels under which the materials were originally filed.
Subjects:
Fine, Warren, 1943-1987
American literature
Authors
Diabetes
Diabetics
Essays
Fiction--20th century
Fiction--20th century--Stories, plots, etc.
Fiction--Authorship
Poetry
Poets
Series Description:
Series 1: Biographical materials, Box 1The series includes curriculum vitae, grant applications, and interviews
containing information about Fine's life and career. These materials serve
as a helpful guide to Fine's work and have been placed foremost in the
collection.
Series 2: Manuscripts and Typescripts, Box 2-Box 12The series consists of poems, non-fiction, novels, short stories, and scripts
written by Warren Fine. Most are edited typescripts. The poetry includes
multiple drafts of poems. In the original order, the poetry manuscripts and
typescripts were found in groups of a few poems mingled within the other
manuscript materials. Each group of poems thus found has been contained in a
distinct folder. Fine's essays, articles, and reviews comprise six folders.
In a 1968 interview with the Missouri Library
Association Quarterly, Warren Fine explained, "All my work is interdependent." With this in
mind, his fiction manuscripts and scripts were organized according to their
interconnections. For example, The Education of
Maxwell Cane, The Madonna of the Ferris
Wheel, The Novelty Factory, The Donor, and To the
Monastery are all shorter works which contributed to or grew from
his published novel The Artificial Traveler.
Likewise, Her Father's Death and Thirst were created as separate novels, then
comprised in a larger work, American
Confession, and finally broken into the two original novels. Names of
characters, settings, and other elements of individual manuscripts as well
as Fine's notes and CVs were used to identify particular works or determine
connections between them.
Some manuscript pages contain different works on each side. When such sheets
were found within a large run of pages from a particular manuscript, they
were considered part of that manuscript. When the primary manuscript was not
clear, the folder was labeled with the titles of both manuscripts.
Series 3: Notes and journals, Box 13-Box 15Warren Fine's notes and notebooks often contain journal-like entries, and his
journals often contain thoughts about and notes for his work. For this
reason, notes and journals have been kept together and arranged
chronologically rather than divided into distinct series or separated from
one another within the series. Undated materials precede those with dates.
Appointment reminders, personal thoughts, research, snippets of writing,
outlines, to-do lists, budgets, and contact lists are typical of the
information found in this series.
Series 4: Correspondence, Box 16-Box 18, Folder 14The series' first five folders are labeled and compiled as they were
originally found and include rejection letters. The remainder of the series
is arranged chronologically, with undated materials preceding those with
dates. The series consists of both personal and business letters. Because
most of the letters are incoming rather than written by Fine, the
correspondence has been arranged after manuscripts and notes, which Fine
himself created and which, together, comprise most of the collection.
Series 5: Personal materials, Box 18, Folder 15-Box 19, Folder 8Personal materials include legal, financial, and health documents as well as
acquaintances' telephone numbers and papers related to Susan L. Jarzembski
and Becky Fine.
Series 6: Collected materials, Box 19, Folder 9-Box 20Collected materials comprise short manuscripts and publications by other
authors, a few periodicals, reviews, and news clippings. Some of the
clippings may have been research for his work, while others follow his
career.
Series 7: Teaching, Box 21-Box 22The series includes papers related to Fine's resignation from the University
of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. Among the other materials are course descriptions,
bibliographies, reading handouts, course evaluations, and student
self-evaluations.
Container List:
Series 1: Biographical materialsBox 1. Folder 1. "Account of Career as a
Writer"
Box 1. Folder 2. Fine interview, 1968
Box 1. Folder 3. Curriculum vitae
Box 1. Folder 4. Curriculum vitae, etc.
Box 1. Folder 5. Grant applications, 1970
Box 1. Folder 6. Grant applications, 1971-1972
Box 1. Folder 7. Grant applications, 1978
Box 1. Folder 8. Grant applications, 1983
Box 1. Folder 9. Grant applications, 1984
Series 2: Manuscripts and typescriptsBox 2. Folder 1. Poems, Early Love and Diabetic, typescript and copy of published
poem
Box 2. Folder 2. Poems, The Gradual of John
Sebastian, edited typescript
Box 2. Folder 3. Poems, Letter to an American Poet,
edited typescript
Box 2. Folder 4. Poems, Letter to Peter Simpson on the
Publication of his Poems in the Poetry Bag, edited
typescript
Box 2. Folder 5. Poems, Ophelia, edited
typescript
Box 2. Folder 6. Poems, Three Poems,
typescript
Box 2. Folder 7. Poems, "Poetry--current," edited
typescript
Box 2. Folder 8. Poems, "Warren's poetry," edited
typescript
Box 2. Folder 9. Poems,1961-1962, edited
typescript
Box 2. Folder 10. Poems, typescript and manuscript
Box 2. Folder 11-20. Poems, edited typescripts
Box 3. Folder 1-15. Poems, edited typescripts
Box 3. Folder 16. "Articles," edited typescripts
and copies of published articles
Box 3. Folder 17. Essays, edited typescripts
Box 3. Folder 18. The Creative Process, edited
typescript
Box 3. Folder 19. "Reply to Symposium
Questionnaire," edited typescript
Box 3. Folder 20. Review of Panama, edited
typescript
Box 3. Folder 21. Review of The Medium is the Massage,
edited typescript
Box 4. Folder 1-8. The Artificial Traveler, edited
typescript
Box 4. Folder 9. The Artificial Traveler, hand-drawn
layout for publication
Box 4. Folder 10. The Artificial Traveler, publication
announcements, dust jacket (see Fine oversize box 23, folder 1)
Box 4. Folder 11. The Education of Maxwell Cane,
edited typescript
Box 4. Folder 12-15. The Madonna of the Ferris Wheel,
edited typescript
Box 5. Folder 1-3. The Novelty Factory, edited
typescript
Box 5. Folder 4-9. The Donor, edited
typescript
Box 5. Folder 10. To the Monastery, edited
typescript
Box 5. Folder 11. "Mousechildren," edited
typescript
Box 5. Folder 12. The Mousechildren and the Famous Collector:
Musical Prescript, copy of published story
Box 6. Folder 1-14. In the Animal Kingdom, edited
typescript
Box 7. Folder 1-8. Their Family, edited
typescript
Box 7. Folder 9. Their Family, edited typescript and
manuscript
Box 8. Folder 1. The Book of the World, edited
typescript
Box 8. Folder 2-3. Our Transformations, edited
typescript
Box 8. Folder 4. The Network, edited
typescript
Box 8. Folder 5-7. Preliminary Dialogue, edited
typescript
Box 8. Folder 8-9. Dialogue, edited
typescript
Box 8. Folder 10. Margaret, manuscript
Box 8. Folder 11. Margaret Said, copy of published
story
Box 8. Folder 12-14. Margaret Said, edited
typescript
Box 8. Folder 15-21. Her Father's Death, edited
typescript
Box 9. Folder 1-3. Her Father's Death, edited
typescript
Box 9. Folder 4-7. Her Father's Death(?), edited
typescript
Box 9. Folder 8. Her Father's Death and Thirst(?), edited typescript
Box 9. Folder 9-12. Baker's Curse, edited
typescript
Box 9. Folder 13. Thirst, manuscript
Box 9. Folder 14. Thirst(?), edited
typescript
Box 9. Folder 15-26. Thirst, edited
typescript
Box 10. Folder 1-11. Thirst, edited
typescript
Box 10. Folder 12. Unanswered Questions, edited
typescript
Box 10. Folder 13. A Private Investigation, edited
typescript
Box 10. Folder 14. A Private Investigation and The Girl Who Was an Owl, edited
typescript
Box 10. Folder 15-16. The Girl Who Was an Owl, edited
typescript
Box 10. Folder 17. Cristoforo Colombo, bound
typescript
Box 10. Folder 18-23. Cristoforo Colombo, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 1-2. Uncle Sam Grows a Garden, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 3. Virginia, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 4. Ancestral, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 5. The Dolorous Mansions, Part I,
edited typescript
Box 11. Folder 6. The Dolorous Mansions, Part II,
edited typescript
Box 11. Folder 7. The Elephant Child(?), edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 8. Girard and Fine, edited
transcript
Box 11. Folder 9. The Plot, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 10. Prologue and Apology, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 11. Psalm 27 (26), edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 12. The Ringer Papers, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 13. The Tale of Tajar, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 14. The Water Grandfather, edited
typescript
Box 11. Folder 15. Will Rogers, manuscript
Box 11. Folder 16-17. Unidentified, from the Book of the
World series (?), edited typescript
Box 11. Folder 18. Unidentified, detective story, edited typescript
Box 11. Folder 19-20. Unidentified, untitled "comic
story," edited typescript
Box 11. Folder 21-23. Unidentified, edited typescript
Box 12. Folder 1-7. Unidentified, edited typescript
Box 12. Folder 8. Unidentified, manuscript
Series 3: Notes and journalsBox 13. Folder 1. Character notes and maps
Box 13. Folder 2-3. In the Animal Kingdom
(?)
Box 13. Folder 4. "Clark's language"
Box 13. Folder 5. Notes, Derek Person
Box 13. Folder 6. "Literature and
misc."
Box 13. Folder 7. Outlines
Box 13. Folder 8-10. Notes, undated
Box 13. Folder 11-14. Notebooks, undated
Box 13. Folder 15. Notebook, circa 1960-1961
Box 13. Folder 16. Notebook, circa 1962-1968
Box 14. Folder 1. Notebook, circa 1964
Box 14. Folder 2. Notebook, 1964-1966
Box 14. Folder 3. Notebook, circa 1965
Box 14. Folder 4. Notebook, circa 1968
Box 14. Folder 5. Notebook, circa 1969
Box 14. Folder 6. Notebook, 1969
Box 14. Folder 7. Notebook, circa 1969-1971
Box 14. Folder 8. Notebook, 1970
Box 14. Folder 9. Notebook, 1970-1971
Box 14. Folder 10. Journal, 1970-1971
Box 14. Folder 11. Notes, circa 1971
Box 14. Folder 12. Notes, circa 1971-1974
Box 14. Folder 13. Journal, 1972
Box 14. Folder 14. Notebook, circa 1974-1975
Box 15. Folder 1. Notebook, 1976
Box 15. Folder 2. Notes, 1976
Box 15. Folder 3. Notebook, 1976-1977
Box 15. Folder 4. Notebook, 1977
Box 15. Folder 5. Notebook, 1978-1979
Box 15. Folder 6. Notebook, circa 1979
Box 15. Folder 7. Journal, 1980-1985
Box 15. Folder 8. Chess scores
Box 15. Folder 9-11. Baseball statistics
Series 4: CorrespondenceBox 16. Folder 1. "Contracts," 1970-1981
Box 16. Folder 2. "Letters from Neubecker, Kessler, and
McKnight, 1973, and from Ethel," 1973
Box 16. Folder 3. "Publishers bills," circa 1967-1973
Box 16. Folder 4. "Rejection letters from
applications," 1968-1972
Box 16. Folder 5. "Rejections"
Box 16. Folder 6. Correspondence, undated
Box 16. Folder 7. Correspondence, 1959
Box 16. Folder 8. Correspondence, 1961
Box 16. Folder 9. Correspondence, 1962
Box 16. Folder 10. Correspondence, 1963
Box 16. Folder 11. Correspondence, 1964
Box 16. Folder 12. Correspondence, 1965
Box 16. Folder 13. Correspondence, 1966, Jan.-May
Box 16. Folder 14. Correspondence, 1966, June-Aug.
Box 16. Folder 15. Correspondence, 1966, Sept.-Dec.
Box 16. Folder 16. Correspondence, 1967, Jan.-May
Box 16. Folder 17. Correspondence, 1967, June-Dec.
Box 16. Folder 18. Correspondence, 1968, Jan.
Box 16. Folder 19. Correspondence, 1968, Feb.-May
Box 16. Folder 20. Correspondence, 1968, June-July
Box 17. Folder 1. Correspondence, 1968, Aug.-Oct.
Box 17. Folder 2. Correspondence, 1968, Nov.-Dec.
Box 17. Folder 3. Correspondence, 1969, Jan.-Mar.
Box 17. Folder 4. Correspondence, 1969, Apr.
Box 17. Folder 5. Correspondence, 1969, May-June
Box 17. Folder 6. Correspondence, 1969, July-Oct.
Box 17. Folder 7. Correspondence, 1969, Nov.-Dec.
Box 17. Folder 8. Correspondence, 1970, Jan.-May
Box 17. Folder 9. Correspondence, 1970, June-Dec.
Box 17. Folder 10. Correspondence, 1971, Jan.-Apr.
Box 17. Folder 11. Correspondence, 1971, May-Dec.
Box 17. Folder 12. Correspondence, 1972
Box 17. Folder 13. Correspondence, 1973
Box 17. Folder 14. Correspondence, 1974, Jan.-May
Box 17. Folder 15. Correspondence, 1974, June-Sept.
Box 17. Folder 16. Correspondence, 1974, Oct.-Dec.
Box 17. Folder 17. Correspondence, 1975
Box 18. Folder 1. Correspondence, 1976, Jan.-May
Box 18. Folder 2. Correspondence, 1976, June-Aug.
Box 18. Folder 3. Correspondence, 1976, Sept.-Dec.
Box 18. Folder 4. Correspondence, 1977
Box 18. Folder 5. Correspondence, 1978
Box 18. Folder 6. Correspondence, 1979
Box 18. Folder 7. Correspondence, 1980
Box 18. Folder 8. Correspondence, 1981
Box 18. Folder 9. Correspondence, 1982
Box 18. Folder 10. Correspondence, 1983
Box 18. Folder 11. Correspondence, 1984
Box 18. Folder 12. Correspondence, 1985
Box 18. Folder 13. Correspondence, 1986
Box 18. Folder 14. Correspondence, Ethel LaGalle
Series 5: Personal materialsBox 18. Folder 15. "Refused," circa 1967-1968
Box 18. Folder 16. "Loans," circa 1968-1970
Box 18. Folder 17. "Bills to be
paid--Ethel," 1972-1973
Box 18. Folder 18. Financial papers, 1974
Box 18. Folder 19. Financial, insurance, and legal papers, 1975-1976
Box 19. Folder 1. "Legal documents"
Box 19. Folder 2. "Diabetes"
Box 19. Folder 3. Dental records
Box 19. Folder 4. Death certificate
Box 19. Folder 5. Becky Fine, circa 1962
Box 19. Folder 6. Susan L. Jarzembski
Box 19. Folder 7. Phone numbers
Box 19. Folder 8. Misc.
Series 6: Collected materialsBox 19. Folder 9. Cheap and Fast, 1973
Box 19. Folder 10. Modern Language Association, 1968
Box 19. Folder 11. Mill Creek Valley
Intelligencer, 1965
Box 19. Folder 12. Mill Creek Valley
Intelligencer, 1966
Box 19. Folder 13. Mill Creek Valley
Intelligencer, 1967, Jan.-June
Box 19. Folder 14. Mill Creek Valley
Intelligencer, 1967, Aug.-Dec.
Box 19. Folder 15. Mill Creek Valley
Intelligencer, 1968, Feb.-Apr.
Box 19. Folder 16. Mill Creek Valley
Intelligencer, 1968, May-Aug.
Box 20. Folder 1. The Rocky Mountain
Collegian, 1976
Box 20. Folder 2-4. "Reviews"
Box 20. Folder 5-10. Newspaper clippings
Box 20. Folder 11-12. "Stories by other authors
(originals)"
Box 20. Folder 13. Hazard Journal, Ethel
Fine
Box 20. Folder 14. The Macbeth Murder
Mystery
Box 20. Folder 15. The Orthodox Poetic
Box 20. Folder 16. "Writers on Writing"
Box 20. Folder 17. "Posters, readings at Zoo
Bar" (see Fine oversize box 23, folders 2-4)
Series 7: TeachingBox 21. Folder 1. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee
Box 21. Folder 2-4. "University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee,
resignation/living, etc."
Box 21. Folder 5. Leave request
Box 21. Folder 6. University of Nebraska--Lincoln committees
Box 21. Folder 7-8. Course descriptions
Box 21. Folder 9. Bibliographies
Box 21. Folder 10-12. Course readings
Box 21. Folder 13. Writing assignments
Box 21. Folder 14-15. Course evaluations
Box 22. Folder 1-13. Course evaluations
Box 22. Folder 14-15. Student self-evaluations
Box 22. Folder 16. Letters of recommendation for students
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