T H E K E Y S T O N E THE WITTLIFF COLLECTIONS SUMMER 2009 | SOUTHWESTERN WRITERS COLLECTION | SOUTHWESTERN & MEXICAN PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTION ® UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS A member of The Texas State University System from the CURATOR america’s (right) Connie Todd, ¡Saludos! (left) Jim Hightower, 2008, Ave Bonar #1 populist JIM speaking as the Texas In May, the national literary com - served and that they can always find him at the Collec tions Agriculture Com mis - munity was diminished by the he championed. sioner; he served two SUMMERLEE death of our long-time friend Bud Scholars are arriving on our doorstep from all over the HIGHTOWER terms from 1983 to 1991 FOUNDATION Shrake, who, years ago when he world now that the Cormac McCarthy papers are available SUPPORTS WINN MURAL heard Bill Wittliff’s idea for the for research. Katie Salzmann, our lead archivist, having gifts his archive RESTORATION Southwestern Writers Collection, processed the materials, is making appointments for those Our great apprecia - was one of the very first to donate who request access. We accommodate three at a time—with 32 ,400 tion goes to the his papers. And what a precious two staff present—so that we can offer congenial but watch - is the approximate Summerlee gift they comprise. ful service. number of paper clips Foun dation for a Inventoried and processed, I’m reminded of the old C&W song, “How Can I Miss and staples removed as $10,000 grant to Bud’s manuscripts, correspon - You if You Won’t Go Away” as we await completion of the one of the first steps in preserving the “Com - support the Buck dence, notes, clippings, sketches, new facilities. Our events have gone away and we miss them men tary Files” portion Winn mural proj - photographs, and miscellaneous very much indeed. Fortunately, it looks as though the wait ect: http://thewittliffcol - of the recent Jim High - wonders are here and open for business. And that means will be over in mid-August, and we here at the Wittliff will lections.txstate.edu/spec- tower donation. His Bud’s here, too. He leaves behind hundreds who mourn him, be delighted to see you again and share new discoveries in a coll/buckwinn.htm . The popular radio show # funds will help restore but who can take comfort knowing that his legacy is pre - beautiful, much larger, setting. —Connie Todd commentaries make up and display one of our the majority of the three 6' x 28' panels. audio / visual portion of This grant brings the the Hightower acces - amount raised up to sion, and they consist $50,000—a total of CORM AC M cCARTHY archive opened May 18 of 4,139 standard cas - $80,000 is needed for sette tapes, standard and mini digital audio each panel. Dallas phi - tions .txstate .edu/ swwc/ archives/ writers/ cormac .htm . NATIONAL RADIO COMMENTATOR, syndicated political right), which are expected to reach approximately 200 linear lanthropist Annie Lee tapes, compact discs, Dianne Luce, President of the Cormac McCarthy Society columnist, public speaker, and New York Times best-selling feet once everything is re-housed in archival boxes and the Roberts created the VHS tapes, as well as and one of the first to work with the author’s papers, author JIM HIGHTOWER has donated his archive to the inventory process is complete. Items have been well organ - Summerlee Foundation over 130 reel-to-reel remarked, “The opening of the Cormac McCarthy archive is Wittliff Collections, which he’s designated as the official ized by Hightower and his assistant, Melody Byrd, and sepa - in 1988 to support pro - tapes. Each of the radio grams in animal protec - an unparalleled boon for those of us who study his work. repository for his legacy. rated into categories such as Commentary Files, Show Files, commentaries is filed tion and Texas history. These papers will be a lodestone for scholars and a keystone Branded “America’s #1 Populist,” Hightower’s work Show Tapes, Book Files, Lowdowns , Promotional Items, by year and date, and The 1951 Buck Winn for McCarthy scholarship. I’ve been immensely impressed advances his belief that the true political spectrum is not Speeches, Videos, and Travel. Various posters and memora - each file includes High - mural—depicting the with the scope of the collection, the detail of the Guide, and right-to-left but bottom-to-top, and he is dedicated to bat - bilia from his populist ventures are also included. tower’s handwritten first story of Texas cattle the helpfulness of the staff.” tling the powers-that-be on behalf of—in his words—the Also of note are approximately 600 photographs his staff draft and edits, backup ranching—is a testa - Access to the McCarthy Papers is by appointment. The “powers-that-ought-to-be”: consumers, working families, are currently digitizing. Among these are shots of Hightower research plus fact ment to the region’s request form for scheduling is online: http://www .library .tx farmers, environmentalists, small business owners, and “just speaking, politicking, and attending various events, as well checks for each com - mentary, the final script, cultural and historical THIS SPRING THE ex cite ment and anticipation surround - state.edu/ about/ departments/ swwc/ research-req-form.html .# plain folks.” as pictures with such luminaries as Cesar Chavez, Willie and a cue sheet for the evolution. James ing the CORMAC McCARTHY Papers continued to grow as So far, Wittliff staff have picked up over 100 boxes Nelson, Robert Redford, Ann Richards (see p. 14), Molly Buchanan “Buck” Winn (below) Detail of No Country for Old Men manuscript shows McCarthy broadcast. Hightower’s the Wittliff Collections finalized plans for opening the from Hightower at his office in Austin, Texas. Every aspect Ivins, Granny D, Ted Kennedy, and others. Photographs of (1905-1979) was a working out the name of Anton Chigurh, who would be portrayed on film by daily radio commen - Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s archive. At last, the first Javier Bardem of his long, prolific, and continuing career is documented, Hightower with Dan Rather, for example, capture them in painter, sculptor, inven - taries—now in their tor, muralist, and archi - researchers sat down with archival boxes May 18 (above). including his newspaper columns and radio commen - discussion during the filming of his 60 Minutes interview in seventeenth year of tectural artist called by Aside from one or two pieces the Wittliff displayed in taries, his award-winning populist newsletter, The High - the 1980s. The originals, plus the digitized files, will be broadcasting—are car - many “the Leonardo da recent exhibitions or printed in select publications, this was tower Lowdown , his speeches, political activities, and seven housed with his archive at the Wittliff Collections. ried by more than 150 Vinci of modern Texas.” the first time McCarthy’s drafts and manuscripts, which books. Peppered among it all are the many inimitable “We here at the Wittliff Collections are thrilled to have commercial and public To lend your support, comprise nearly 100 boxes, were seen by the public. “Hightowerisms” (such as “The water won’t clear up ’til we such a comprehensive archive covering Jim Hightower’s dis - stations, on the web, contact Beverly Fon - Scholars finally have a chance to study the celebrated writer’s get the hogs out of the creek”) for which he’s become tinguished and eventful career,” said Wittliff curator Connie and on Radio for Peace dren at 512.245.9058 research, note taking, and writing processes, which have famous. Todd. “J. Frank Dobie said on many occasions that good International. His syn - dicated column, distrib - or [email protected] . remained a mystery until now. “The Wittliff Collections fit me like a comfortable old writing transcends its region but never ignores its native soil. uted nationally by The author of such acclaimed novels as Blood Meridian boot,” Hightower said, “for the archives are populist in Jim’s work fully embodies this idea, and in these times of Creators Syndicate, ON THE COVER and No Country for Old Men , Cormac McCarthy was award - nature. Not only do they depict our region’s broad sweep of dynamic political activity, we look forward to showcasing his Hands of Mrs. Andrew appears in over 120 Ostermeyer, wife of a ed the Pulitzer in 2007 for The Road , which is now a major grassroots voices, but the Wittliff also knows how to present materials and his conversation as a voice distinctively south - newspapers and fea - homesteader, Miller film starring Viggo Mortensen, due in theaters October 16. its treasure trove of materials in ways that appeal to ordinary western and globally significant.” tures the text from Township, Woodbury The com plete finding aid, plus a link to the original news folks as well as scholars. It’s an honor to join the team.” Jim’s bio, a wealth of Hightowerisms, and other infor - these “Common Sense County, Iowa, 1936, # Russell Lee 2 story about the acquisition, is online: http:// thewittliff collec - Work has begun on the current materials (see sidebar, mation can be accessed at: http://www.jimhightower.com . 3 Commentaries.” listening to the WRITER’S VOICE INSTRUCTING NOT EVERY WRITER would think DESPITE CONSTRUCTION, THE tion of short stories, The Holy Tortilla (left) Carmen Tafolla & INSPIRING to cast Elvis Presley and John F. Wittliff Collections continued to pre - and a Pot of Beans. (middle) Li-Young Lee LOCAL YOUTH Kennedy as residents of an East Texas sent a full schedule of readings last War correspondent Scott Ander - Over a thousand ele- nursing home, where they battle an fall and this past spring. Alternate son, Jewish Book Award Winner OUR VISITORS mentary through high Egyptian mummy that preys on the locations did not sway the crowds— James Young, poets Ilya Kaminsky ARE SAYING..