Harriet Doerr papers, 1933-2002

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Summary

Creators:
Doerr, Harriet
Extent:
22 Linear Feet (49 manuscript boxes, 3 flat boxes)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item] Harriet Doerr Papers, M0668, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Background

Scope and content:

The Harriet Doerr Papers contain materials from many of her published works including Stones for Ibarra, Consider This, Señora, Under an Aztec Sun, and The Tiger in the Grass. Comments and criticisms of the stories which make up the novels, as well as manuscripts prior to publication, may also be found in the collection. Also included are many short stories which were not included in her books or remain unpublished. Many of the stories were begun as writing exercises for creative writing classes Doerr took from author and Stanford professor, John L'Heureux. His critiques and comments can be found throughout the collection. Ephemera concerning interviews, talks, and book signings by Doerr are included from her personal collections. A segment is devoted to the Hallmark TV film of Stones for Ibarra, including scripts, photographs, and reviews. Newspaper clippings and magazine articles describing her success as an author make up another large part of the collection. Several boxes in the original accession and the addition are comprised of correspondence to Doerr from individuals praising her writing and success, as well as professional correspondence concerning books and stories published. Finally, it is interesting to note that Doerr included several computer disks apparently containing drafts of stories, both in the original accession and the addition.

Biographical / historical:

Harriet Doerr (1910-2002) was born in Pasadena, California. She lived much of her life in Mexico before returning to her hometown. Educated at Smith College and Stanford University in the late 1920s, she went back to Stanford in 1977 to earn a bachelor's degree and do graduate work in fiction writing. With the help of a Wallace Stegner Fellowship at Stanford, she wrote her first novel, Stones for Ibarra, which is set in Mexico. This book won numerous awards, among them the National Book Award for a First Work of Fiction, and was adapted as a film for television. She published short stories in periodicals such as The New York Times and Atlantic. One such story, "Edie: A Life," appeared in the O. Henry Awards Prize Stories and Best American Short Stories. Harriet Doerr also published three more books, Consider This, Señora, another novel set in Mexico, and Under an Aztec Sun and The Tiger in the Grass, two collections of short stories.

Custodial history:

Gift of Harriet Doerr (1993, 1994, and 1996), and Martha Doerr Toppin (2003).

Arrangement:

The three original accessions of the Harriet Doerr Papers (93-119, 94-025, 94-038) were not organized into definitive series. However, logical organization is apparent and could possibly come under the following headings:

Missing Title
  1. Consider This, Señora
  2. Stones for Ibarra
  3. Miscellaneous Stories
  4. Albert Guerard Corrections
  5. Manuscripts and Translations
  6. Interviews and Talks
  7. Correspondence
  8. Hallmark TV Film of Stones for Ibarra
  9. Newsclippings and Magazine Articles
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Audio-visual materials must be reformatted before use. Materials must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item] Harriet Doerr Papers, M0668, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
specialcollections@stanford.edu
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