He may have No Country, but Texas’ most famously reclusive author has found a home of sorts. Texas State University announced last week the acquisition of Cormac McCarthy’s papers for its Southwestern Writers Collection, part of the Wittliff Collections at the Alkek Library in San Marcos.
McCarthy (Blood Meridian, The Road) has long been acknowledged a contemporary American master – he’s won the National Book Award, a Pulitzer, and a MacArthur genius grant – but only recently has he migrated toward household name status. That’s due in part to the Coen brothers’ knockout adaptation of his 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men, and a June appearance on Oprah as part of her Book Club series (uneventful, but still bore the thrill of spotting Ol’ Nessie).
The spoils of the acquisition, which was brokered by another Texas heavyweight, Bill Wittliff (TV’s Lonesome Dove), include McCarthy’s notes, drafts (hand-written and typed), and proofs of each of his 11 novels, plus a draft of an unfinished early novel, and several screenplays, in addition to personal correspondence.
The Southwestern Writers Collection’s lead archivist, Katie Salzmann, is currently at work inventorying the materials; no word yet on when the collection will open to the public.
For more information about the Southwestern Writers Collection, visit www.swwc.txstate.edu.
This article appears in January 18 • 2008.
