Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm78052522
Collection material in English
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The papers of Shirley Jackson, novelist and short-story writer, were given to the Library of Congress in 1967 by Jackson's husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman. Subsequent gifts include an addition formed from material removed from the Stanley Edgar Hyman Papers, which were donated by Hyman's second wife, Phoebe Pettingell, in 1979, and a small gift of several items in 1991. Additional material was given by Virginia M. Olsen in 1991 and Jackson's daughter, Sarah Hyman Stewart, in 1997.
Part I of the papers of Shirley Jackson was arranged in described in 1969 by Grover Batts. Additional material was incorporated into the collection in 1993 by Michael McElderry with the assistance of Scott McLemee and described here as Part II. The collection was expanded and revised in 2011 and 2013.
An audiotape has been transferred to the Library's Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division where it is identified as part of these papers. Selected artifacts have also been transferred to the Smithsonian Institution.
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Shirley Jackson is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
The papers of Shirley Jackson are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Shirley Jackson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Part I of the papers of
There are approximately four hundred items in the Family Correspondence series which include letters Jackson
received from her parents,
The General
Correspondence series contains about 2,700 letters Jackson received from her
literary agents, personal friends, and the general public, and includes letters from
The greater part of the papers comprise a Literary Manuscripts series consisting of Jackson's short stories, articles, and books in the form of original manuscripts, typescripts, and printed galleys. Some of the scrapbooks relating to her published works contain correspondence as well.
The Miscellany series contains Jackson's college notebooks for the years 1937-1940 and many watercolors and drawings in pencil and ink.
Part II of the papers of Shirley Jackson covers the period from 1932 to 1991, with the bulk of the material dated between 1938 and 1965. Recognized as a master American short-story writer of the mid-twentieth century, Jackson specialized in creating tales with chilling and macabre insight into the psychological horror which she perceived to lie just beneath the surface of modern life. Part II contains material similar in nature to that which is located in Part I, provides supplementary documentation for many of the same topics evident in that segment, and is organized into the following series: Diary and Diary Notes, Family Papers, Correspondence, Literary File, Miscellany,and Addition. The papers include a diary kept by Jackson as a high-school student as well as correspondence with family and friends. Manuscripts and related papers reflecting the conception and development of many of her novels and short stories, which are highlighted in Part I, are also included in Part II. Titles listed only in Part II include
The single most significant and fully developed file in Part II consists of a series of
letters written to Jackson by her future husband, literary critic
Part II also includes a Correspondence series which reflects many of the same personal and
professional associations in Part I. Files containing Jackson's professional
correspondence with her agents and publishers, especially the publishing firm of
Jackson met many of her most trusted friends and associates among a diverse group of
young artists and writers while attending
Jackson is best known for her unsettling tales of modern Gothic horror, in particular for her classic story,
Fan letters written to Jackson are contained in both the Correspondence series and under appropriate title headings in the Literary File. Inquiries from the public seeking clarification regarding the inspiration and interpretation of her work are quite common, especially for
An Addition to Part II contains family papers, correspondence, literary files, and miscellaneous material. Although few in number, letters in family papers and correspondence reveal the seeds of Jackson's domestic narratives as she reshapes the details of everyday activities into lengthy, humorous accounts of her family's home life. Known as generous hosts and companionable guests, Jackson and her husband were friends with many contemporary literary and popular personalities, and the family papers contain casual references to Kenneth Burke, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, and Jackie Robinson as well as descriptions of performers and personality conflicts at the first Newport Folk Festival in 1959. The series further contains letters written by Jackson to her friends Virginia Olsen and William Olsen; drafts of the short stories "Famous Sally," "The Good Wife," and "The Honeymoon of Mrs. Smith"; and notes relating to Jackson's novel
The collection is arranged in two parts comprised of eleven series:
Part I:
Part II:
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm78052522
Diaries arranged chronologically.
Arranged alphabetically and chronologically thereunder.
Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.
Arranged by type of literary work (articles, short stories, books, etc.) and therein alphabetically by title.
Grouped by type of material and, where possible, arranged chronologically within the group.
A high-school diary and an undated, single-page diary fragment kept by Jackson.
Arranged chronologically.
Letters received, notes, and cards.
Organized alphabetically by family member and arranged chronologically therein.
Letters received and occasional copies of letters sent, telegrams, postcards, and miscellaneous enclosures.
Organized alphabetically by correspondent and arranged chronologically therein.
Correspondence, manuscript drafts, royalty statements, printed matter, notes, outlines, research material, screenplays, and miscellaneous items and enclosures relating to books and short stories by Jackson.
Organized alphabetically by type of material and arranged alphabetically by title or topic therein. Publication dates of books are given in parentheses.
Address and telephone books, appointment calendars, notes and notebooks, drawings and sketches, photographs, printed matter, cards and invitations, and miscellaneous items.
Organized alphabetically by type of material.
Family papers, correspondence, drafts, and notes.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material.