Ms. DEACON, WILLIAM ARTHUR PAPERS Coll. 160 Boxes 1-28 Correspondence Dates of creation: 1919-1977 Extent: 5 metres of textual records (28 boxes) Scope and content: Series consist of correspondence both sent and received by William Arthur Deacon on literary subjects, particularly in regards to Canadian literature. Passive correspondence and carbon copies of active correspondence with authors, publishers, organizations and readers relates primarily to the professional activities of William Arthur Deacon, including the reviews he wrote for Saturday Night and The Mail and Empire (amalgamated as The Globe and Mail); his participation within literary organizations such as the Canadian Authors’ Association (C.A.A.); publicity for his own books; biographical information and photographs of Canadian authors. Notes: File titles are based on content of the file. Files are listed alphabetically, with some discrepancies. An asterisk * indicates a lengthy correspondence, i.e. one which spans several file folders. Envelopes for some letters are included. CORRESPONDENT DATES SCOPE / CONTENT BOX: FILE # START - END BOX 1: Acheson – Aubry Acheson, Arthur 1923 1ALS: Acheson to Deacon, 24 March 1923 1:1 re: Sending him copies of his books. 1TL: Deacon to Acheson, 24 June 1923 re: Thanking him for his books and requesting review copies of future publications. William Arthur Deacon name index Acland, Peregrine 1929 - 1930 1ANS: Acland to Deacon, 12 October 1929 1:2 Author of All Else is Folly re: Thanks for his review of All Else is Folly. (1929) 1TL: Deacon to Acland, 15 October 1929 re: Praise for his literary work All Else is Folly, with request for advance copies of his work for future references/reviews. 1ANS: Acland to Deacon, 23 October 1929 re: Thanking him for attention regarding his book. 1TLS: Acland to Deacon, 6 November 1929 re: Thanking him for interest he has taken in All Else is Folly. 1TNS: Acland to Deacon, 29 November 1929 re: McClelland & Stewart advertisements and other publishing houses such as Coward-McCann, etc. Heading of letter was “The Ralph H. Jones Company Advertising.” 1TLS: Acland to Deacon re: The Mail & Empire and the news about All Quiet being banned in Ontario. 1 Canadian Club of New York card, n.d. re: Privileges of the club tendered to Mr. Deacon at the request of Acland. Adeney, Marcus 1931 1ALS: Adeney to Deacon, August 1931 1:3 re: Personal letter; describes pleasant experience with Writers’ Club Aikins, Carroll 1928 1TLS: Aikins to Deacon, 30 March 1928 1:4 re: 500 word review (not specified) to be written for Director, Hart House Deacon. Theatre, and one of W.A.D.’s reviewers on Saturday Night [SN] Alexander, Viscount 1952 1TL: Deacon to Alexander, 17 February 1952 – 2 copies 1:5 (one rough draft and one finalized version). re: In praise of Alexander’s work as Canada’s Governor General. 2 William Arthur Deacon name index Allen, Barney 1933 1TLS: Allen to Deacon, 3 March 1933 1:6 re: Request to Deacon to publish this letter alongside his Author of A Woman’s columns, as Allen felt he was ‘misconstrued and Doctor (1933) misquoted’ by Deacon for work: A Woman’s Doctor (banned book). 1TLS: Allen to Deacon, 18 March 1935 re: Request to print defense to Deacon’s criticism of Allen’s They Have Bodies. 1TL: Deacon to Allen, 24 March 1933 re: Response to Allen’s protest, refusing to publish his letter mentioning review of A Woman’s Doctor received reprimand from Ottawa for mention of a banned book. 1TLS: Allen to Deacon, 25 March 1933 re: Response to Deacon’s letter of the 24th and a request to have his copy of A Woman’s Doctor returned to him due to Deacon’s review and the state of the book being banned. Allen, Ralph 1951 - 1958 1ANS: Allen (editor of Maclean’s Magazine) to Deacon, 31 1:7 March (year not specified) Editor, Maclean’s re: Note of thanks for understanding. Magazine 1ANS: Allen to Deacon (n.d.) re: Note of thanks for review. 1TN: Deacon to Allen, 10 November 1951 re: Letter of thanks for Pierre Berton’s piece on Vancouver. 1TNS: Allen to Deacon, 14 November 1951 re: Reply to Deacon’s letter 1TLS: Allen to Deacon, 11 June 1958 re: Response to Deacon’s “Fly Leaf” column with observations on the Canada Council. Alldrick, A.A. 1926 1TLS: Alldrick to Deacon, September 1926 1.8 re: matters concerning Alldrick’s name. Music Critic, Winnipeg Tribune 1TL: Deacon to Alldrick, 6 October 1926 re: Reply to Alldrick’s letter *Allison, William Talbot 1923- 19TL: Deacon to Allison (University of Manitoba – Dept of 1:9 English), 30 May 1923 – 21 November 1933 1874-1941, Professor of re: Allison’s review of Newfoundland Verse and ask for English, University of forgiveness for Deacon’s reference to him in “More Manitoba Whitmania” (May Boolman); rhanking Allison for review and sending him notes about Canadian essayists; thanking Allison for criticism regarding the Stringer Piece in the Literary Review; Allison’s review of Davidson’s pieces; some of the best Canadian literature; thanking Allison for contribution; reply to Allison’s letter and proposal; Deacon thanking Allison for his review of Poteen in the Calgary Herald. 3 William Arthur Deacon name index 6TLS: Allison to Deacon, 20 June 1923 – 18 April 1928 re: Reply to Deacon’s letter; thanking Deacon for his notes. 3TNS: Allison to Deacon, 22 October (n.d.) – 30 December 1931 re: Commending Deacon’s work for “Saturday Night”; Reply to Deacon and offer to review of a book for Deacon’s forthcoming literary section. 4ALS: Allison to Deacon, 15 January 1926 – 5 September 1926 re: Note to Deacon, touches on (William) Bliss Carman (Canadian poet) speaking at the University of Manitoba. 1TN (postcard): Allison to Deacon, 22 December 1929 *American People’s 1951 - 1956 1TLS: Marilyn Robb (Fine Arts Editor) to Deacon, 13 1:10 Encyclopedia November 1951 re: Proposal for Deacon to evaluate Canadian literature of 1951 in terms of general trends. 1 TL: Deacon to Robb, 29 November 1951 re: Confirmation of writing review. 1TLS: Robb to Deacon, 3 December 1951 re: Thank you letter. 1TL: Deacon to Robb, 31 December 1951 re: Sending review (attached). 1TLS: Robb to Deacon, 3 January 1951-2 re: Thank you letter for submission. 1TLS: Franklin Meine (Editor-in-Chief) to Deacon, 12 June 1952 re: Informing Deacon of the release of American Peoples Encyclopedia’s YEARBOOK for 1952 (Events of 1951). 1TLS: Robb to Deacon, 30 September 1952 re: Contributing to the 1952 yearbook with analysis of how Canadian books rank of Canada’s best seller list. 1TL: Deacon to Robb, 4 October 1952 re: Acceptance of writing article. Check [sic] for Deacon as per agreement for writing article on “Canadian Literature”, 4 January 1952 1TLS: Robb to Deacon, 11 November 1952 re: Meeting with Meine, also suggestions for what to include in the 1952 survey, includes mention of Dr. W. Stewart Wallace, librarian of the University of Toronto and former editor of the Encyclopedia of Canada being chosen as the Canadian Advisory Editor. 4 William Arthur Deacon name index 1TL: Deacon to Robb, 28 December 1952 re: Informing Robb of hectic schedule. Also acknowledges Dr. Wallace. 1 copy: Inclusion of Deacon’s article, “Canadian Literature 1952”. 7TLS: Robb-Trier to Deacon, 6 January – 13 December 1953 *name change in 1953 from Marilyn Robb to Marilyn Robb Trier re: Addressing Deacon’s concerns about Wallace. Also commending Deacon for work on Canadian Literature and requesting him to complete the 1953 and 1954 survey. 4TL: Deacon to Robb-Trier, 11 January – 18 November 1953 *name change in 1953 from Marilyn Robb to Marilyn Robb Trier re: Reply to Robb’s letters; personal correspondence. 1TLS: Franklin J. Meine to Deacon, 29 January 1953 re: Miss Robb showing Meine Deacon’s letter of January 12. 1TN (card): Robb-Trier to Deacon, 1953 2TL: Deacon to Meine, 23 June 1954 – 28 September 1954 3TLS: Anthony Kerrigan (Editor for Fine Arts and Religion) to Deacon, 27 September 1954 – 8 October 1955 (?) re: Requesting that Deacon write another article for them this year on Canadian Literature. 1TL: Deacon to Kerrigan, 2 October 1954 re: Canadian Literature, 1954 1 copy: Inclusion of Deacon’s article, “Canadian Literature 1954”. 1 copy: “Canadian Literature – Year Book 1955.” *American People’s 1955 - 1961 1TLS: Meine to Deacon, 27 June 1955 1:11 Encyclopedia re: Thanking Deacon for his contribution to the editorial content of The American Peoples Encyclopedia for 1955. 1TLS: Curtis L. Johnson (Fine Arts Editor) to Deacon, 12 August 1955 re: Revising volume four of the encyclopedia and requests that Deacon revise the enclosed entry on Canadian Literature. 1TL: Deacon to Johnson, 15 August 1955 re: Edited version of Canadian Literature, volume four. 5 William Arthur Deacon name index 1 copy: Canadian Literature by W.A.D., 27 August 1955. 6TLS: Francis Squibb (Biography and Fine Arts Editor) to Deacon, 8 August 1956 – 18 June 1959 re: Thanking him for his article on Canadian Literature for the 1956 American Peoples Encyclopedia; selecting contributors for the 1958 edition; selecting contributors for the 1960 edition. 7TL: Deacon to Squibb, 14 August – 4 January 1960 re: 1956 Yearbook on Canadian Literature; Deacon’s continuous contributions to the American Peoples Encyclopedia. 1TLS: Arthur R. Green (Biography and Fine Arts Editor), 11 August 1960 re: Contributors for the 1961 edition of the American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook. 2TL: Deacon to Green, 17 August 1960 re: Reply and contribution for the 1961 Yearbook. 1TL: Deacon to Quinn, 23 August 1961 re: Canadian Literature 1961 Amy, Lacey 1931 - 1954 1TLS: Lacey to Deacon, 28 June 1931 1:12 re: Thank you letter for Deacon’s review of The Jungle Author of The Jungle Crime in the Mail and Empire.