Scope & Content
This collection contains correspondence and drafts by western author Frank James Calkins. Most of the letters are responses to his books from general readers and also from his publishing company, Alfred A. Knopf. In addition, the collection contains letters addressed to his wife, Rodello Hunter, who also is a western author specializing primarily in Mormon history. The drafts included are for the novels The Tan Faced Children (1983), Riley's Last Hunt (1987), and the short story "Modern Humor."
* See also MSS #29
Biographical Note
Frank James Calkins was born in Portland, Oregon (1932), but moved to Utah while in his teens. Calkins graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in English. After serving as a commissioned officer in the Navy, he completed a master's degree in Wildlife Management at Utah State University. Calkins worked as a warden for the state of Utah for several years and also edited Utah Fish and Game magazine before moving to Star Valley, Wyoming to become a freelance writer. As a conservationist, his writings concern western land issues and environmental politics.
USU libraries have three of Calkins books (Rocky Mountain Warden (1971), Jackson Hole (1973), and Riley's Last Hunt (1987)), his thesis Farmer's Reaction Toward Upland Bird Hunting in two Utah Counties, 1957 (1963), and a taped interview with Calkins and his wife Rodello Hunter, who is also a western author (1973). (Rodello Hunter's papers are in MSS #28.)
Inventory
Box 1: Manuscript, "The Last Divide" Later Titled "The Tan Faced
Children," Original First Draft And Revisions.
Fd 1-5: Original first draft of Chapters 1-5 (with revisions)
Fd 6-7: Revisions of Chapter 1
Fd 8: Revisions of Chapter 2
Fd 9: Revisions of Chapter 3
Fd 10: Revisions of Chapter 4
Fd 11: Revisions of Chapter 5
Fd 12-16: Clean Draft of Chapters 1-5, including Title Page and Synopsis, addressed to Paul K. Reynolds, Inc.
Fd 17-18: Carbon of Clean Draft, Chapters 1-5, Title Page, and Synopsis
Box 2: Second And Third Draft, the Tan-faced children
Fd 1-15: Chapters 1-15 and Epilogue, Second Draft
Fd 16-28: Chapters 1-15 and Epilogue, Third Draft
Box 3: Fourth And Fifth Draft, the Tan-faced children
Fd 1-15: Introductory Pages, Chapters 1-15, Fourth Draft
Fd 16-23: Introductory Pages, Chapters 1-15, Fifth Draft
Box 4: Final Draft With Editors Corrections And Changes
Fd 1: Style Sheet, Title Page, Verso, Dedication, other Introduction Pages, Chapter 1
Fd 2-16: Chapters 2-16 and Epilogue
Fd 17-22: Carbon Copy of Final Draft (without edior's changes) Introductory Pages, Title Page, Chapters 1-16, and Epilogue
Box 5: Miscellaneous
Fd 1: Letter (from Nels Johnson) with items in following folders, also memo enclosed--items sent from Doubleday and Company Inc. to Frank Calkins
Fd 2: Readers Galleys-"The Tan Faced Children"
Fd 3: Page Proofs the Tan-faced children
Fd 4: Short Story "Modern Humor"
Box 6: Correspondence
Fd 1: Rodello Hunter Calkins incoming correspondence A-L.
Fd 2: Rodello Hunter Calkins incoming correspondence M-Z.
Fd 3: Rodello Hunter Calkins incoming correspondence miscellaneous without last name.
Fd 4: Frank James Calkins incoming correspondence (alphabetic).
Fd 5: Frank James (Jim) and Rodello Hunter Calkins incoming correspondence (alphabetic).
Fd 6: Miscellaneous correspondence related to Frank James Calkins and Rodello Hunter Calkins.
Box 7 Folder 1- Correspondence from author Frank Calkins to Bradford Cole, manuscripts librarian at Utah State University. The letter accompanied this collection at time of donation. Folders 2-17- First draft of the novel Riley's last hunt. Chapters 1-16. Folders 18-33-Second draft of the novel Riley's last hunt. Chapters 1-16 Folders 34-44-Third draft of the novel Riley's last hunt. Chapters 1-11.
Box 8 Folders 1-5- Third draft of the novel Riley's last hunt. Chapters 12-16. Folder 6- Style sheet for the novel Riley's last hunt. Sent to the author with the editors' galley sheets for the book from Doubleday and Company, Inc. Folder 7- Editors Galley copy of the novel Riley's last hunt. Chapters 1-16. Folder 8- Autographed copy of the published book Riley's last hunt. Folder 9- Letter dated Jan. 6, 1987 from Frank Calkins. This accompanied the donation of the larqe print edition proofreading galleys for the novel Riley's last hunt. Folder 10- First edition Large Print proofreaders galley copy of the novel Riley's last hunt, Title page to page 182. Folder 11- First edition Large Print proofreaders galley copy of the novel Riley's last hunt, pages 183-353.
Register Updated by: Allyson Mower
Register Update Completed: April 27, 2000