A Guide to the Peter Taylor Letters, 1946-1948
A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 10265-d
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.
Preferred Citation
Peter Taylor Letters, Accession #10265-d , Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
Acquisition Information
These letters were purchased by the Library from Bev Chaney, Jr. Books, Ossining, New York, on March 18, 1987.
Scope and Content Information
In a series of letters from Peter Taylor to Robie Macauley, July 1946 through October 1947, Peter Taylor critiques one of Macauley's short stories and describes his own teaching opportunities, works in progress, and infatuation with playwriting. He also discusses the need for a literary magazine edited by someone under forty who can recognize new talent; his "grand revolt against impressionist dogma" and his plans to purchase and remodel the homeplace of his wife's family.
There is also a letter, 1947 December 11, Taylor, Greensboro, N.C., to Macauley mentioning speeches to be made by John Crowe Ransom, Randall Jarrell and others at the Arts Forum of the Women's College of the University of North Carolina in the spring and Robert Penn Warren's difficulty in writing an introduction to Taylor's second book.
In addition, in a letter, 1948 April 22, Taylor mentions that The Sewanee Review will be printing his first play and that he finds playwriting his best method of expression.
Arrangement
These letters are arranged in chronological order.
Contents List
He writes concerning the possible purchase of the Lilly home place in Norwood, [North Carolina ?], which he describes in great detail.
He writes concerning the dates for the Forum, and the poems and stories for a magazine representing thirteen colleges; and reports his new enthusiasm for playwriting.
He critiques McCauley's short story and urges him to place his stories in a regional setting; he also discusses the possibility of teaching at Iowa for the summer.
He describes an abrupt upturn in both his teaching and writing career, and tells McCauley that he wants to discuss his own last two or three stories, novelette, characterization, and a "grand revolt against impressionistic dogma" with him.
He writes concerning his productive winter and infatuation with playwriting, feels the need for a magazine edited by someone under forty who can recognize new talent, and speaks of purchasing a farm near Greensboro, North Carolina.
He mentions speeches by John Crowe Ransom, Isaac Rosenfeld, and Randall Jarrell at the "A.F. of W.C.U.N.C." next spring, the rewriting of his novella which he hopes to see in print as his second book, and the difficulty that "Red" [Robert Penn Warren] is having writing an introduction for Taylor's book.
He says that he writes plays because he enjoys it and feels that it is his best vehicle of expression, and mentions that The Sewanee Review is going to print his first play.