Judy Alter Papers

Judy Alter began donating her papers to the Southwestern Writers Collection/The Wittliff Collections in 1993. Alter writes for both adults and young readers and she is best known for her books on women and girls of the American West. Among her many honors are “best book” awards from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Western Writers of America, and the Western Heritage (Wrangler) Awards from the National Cowboy Museum. In 1996 the Dallas Morning News named her one of 100 Women Who Have Left Their Mark on Texas. In 2005 the Western Writers of America gave Alter the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement.

For more information about Judy Alter visit her website at: www.judyalter.com

Listed below is an archival inventory of the Judy Alter holdings. Note that access to unprocessed materials is granted on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Archivist for details about access to the Judy Alter Collection.

Accession 1993-057

Research, manuscripts, correspondence and galley proofs for several works by Judy Alter, along with manuscripts for Alter’s early unpublished novels. Also included are editorial files for Larry L. King’s Golden Shadows Old West Museum, which was published in 1993 by Texas Christian University Press, where Judy Alter serves as Director.

• Luke and the Van Zandt County War, manuscripts and galleys

• Mattie research, correspondence, manuscripts, galleys

• Unfinished novel loosely based on the life of artist Rufus F. Zogbaum

• Draft for Elmer Kelton and West Texas: A Literary Relationship

• A Man in the Window—unpublished novel

• Book reviews from the El Paso Times and Dallas Morning News

• Manuscripts for Growing Up in the Old West and Great Women in the Old West

• Katie and the Recluse manuscript

• Libbie research, manuscript for this novel based on the life of Elizabeth Bacon Custer

• A Ballad for Sallie manuscripts and galley proofs

• Material for Jeanne Williams Western Writers Series pamphlet

• Clippings on Judy Alter

• So Far from Paradise—manuscript and clippings for this novel commissioned by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in conjunction with the Texas Sesquicentennial in 1986.

• Unfinished YA [young adult] novel: “My first attempt at fiction, probably 1975-76”

• Unfinished YA novel 2

• Dorothy Johnson material for Western Writers Series pamphlet

• 10 folders on the Golden Shadows Old West Museum: manuscripts and galley proofs

• Texas Folklore Society program 1993

• “unfinished 2^nd novel”

Oversize materials:

• original illustrations for Luke and the Van Zandt County War

• publisher’s paste-ups for Eli Whitney

Accession 1993-199

Typed manuscript and galleys for After Pa Was Shot published by William Morrow and Co. in 1978.

Accession 1994-045

Typed manuscript (with emendations and printer’s notes) and cover for Libbie by Judy Alter.

Accession 1996-067

• books:

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine by C. Ray Stokes & Judy Alter.

The American Osteopathic College of Radiology: A Fifty Year History by Judy Alter.

Jessie: A Novel Based on the Life of Jessie Benton Frémont by Judy Alter. (Advance Reading Copy).

• two typescript drafts (and correspondence from publisher) for Cherokee Rose, or Ride a Wild Horse by Judy Alter.

• typescript for Jessie by Judy Alter.

Accession 1996-143

Book: Libbie: A Novel of Elizabeth Bacon Custer by Judy Alter

Accession 1997-050

notes, galley proofs, typescript, proofreader copy, and letter regarding Alter’s book Rodeos: The Greatest Show on Dirt.

Accession 1999-102

One advance readers copy of Jessie: A Novel Based On the Life of Jessie Benton Fremont, accompanied by note.

Accession 2004-170

Materials pertaining to the writing career of Judy Alter.

Detailed list of items is listed below:

• typed manuscript titled Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript is a note that reads “Never published - the editor at Grober accused me of plagiarism and I never got another assignment from them. It was a trumped-up charge leveled at several other writers at the same time my lawyer wrote - it turned into quite a brouhaha.”

• incomplete untitled typed manuscript, a sequel to So Far From Paradise

• annotated typed manuscript titled The (Faithful) Fearful Heart by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript is a note that reads “My one disastrous attempt at romance, trite!”

• typed manuscript titled Potter’s Wife: A novel of Chicago by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript are rejection letters.

• typed manuscript titled Potter’s Wife by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript is a note which reads “An early version of a novel I still hope will come to something”

• annotated manuscript titled Haley Goes to Camp by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript is note that reads “This shows how far this had gone before publication was cancelled”.

• annotated untitled typed manuscript by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript is note that reads “Publisher went out of business; book was never published. I had to get my lawyer to collect the work-for-hire fee”.

• annotated page proofs for Cissie Palmer: Putting Wealth to Work by Judy Alter

• typed short story titled Prisoners, which was published in Collective Heart

• typed manuscript titled The Perfect Coed by Judy Alter. Along with manuscript are various reject letters from publishers. Also attached to manuscript is a note that reads “My first and so far only attempt at my story - still want to do it”.

• annotated typed manuscript titled I Wish I Lived in Eleanor Lee’s House a novel by Judy Alter

• typed manuscript that was never published titled I Wish I Lived in Eleanor Lee’s House a novel by Judy Alter.

• typed manuscript titled So Far From Paradise a novel by Judy Alter. Attached to manuscript is a note that reads “This novel was commissioned by the “Fort Worth Star Telegram” and ran serially as a part of their sesquicentennial features. Later submitted on request, to this development company which was booking for Disney projects I think”

• list of books, short stories, reviews, columns, and articles written by Judy Alter

Accession 2007-073

Material consists mainly of “working files for children’s books now in print”. Research material consists of newspaper clippings, information from the internet, and photocopies from various books and other sources. In a few instances, original file folders were kept because of notes or other writings that appear on them. Folder 20 has been flagged for sensitive material.

BOX # 811 folder 1

“Kemah” – notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings.

BOX # 811 folder 2

“Australia” – notes, correspondence, research material, newspaper clippings and drafts.

BOX # 811 folder 3

“Becoming American” – notes and research material.

BOX # 811 folder 4

“Devil Amongst Us” – correspondence with Eakin Press, publishing contract, newspaper clippings, notes, royalty statements, and two copies of the children’s book catalog from Eakin Press, Fall 1996.

BOX # 811 folder 5

“Etta Place” – statements from Dorchester Publishing for Sundance, Butch and Me.

BOX # 811 folder 6

“Lamar” – notes, research material, and newspaper clippings of book reviews.

BOX # 811 folder 7

“Compass Point” – correspondence, notes, and research material.

BOX # 811 folder 8

“Cissy used files” – notes and correspondence.

BOX # 811 folder 9

“Missouri” – notes, draft, and research material.

BOX # 811 folder 10

“Crystal City/Buddy Guyler” – correspondence and newspaper clippings.

BOX # 811 folder 11

“Child’s World” – correspondence.

BOX # 811 folder 12

“Ellen Temple” – correspondence from publisher.

BOX # 811 folder 13

“Susan Wallace” – 1953 letter to Lewis Wallace from Blair Taylor.

BOX # 811 folder 14

“Edom” – notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings.

BOX # 811 folder 15

“Gail Sheehy Focus Group” – correspondence.

BOX # 811 folder 16

“Spokane” – correspondence, travel material such as hotel receipts, rental car and plane information, two color photos and newspaper clippings.

BOX # 811 folder 17

“No. America” – notes and drafts, newspaper clippings, research material, and correspondence.

BOX # 811 folder 18

“Illinois” – notes, correspondence, research material and draft with notes.

BOX # 811 folder 19

“Wilder 2” – correspondence, research material, newspaper clippings, and draft with notes all relating to work on Laura Ingalls Wilder.

BOX # 811 folder 20

“Enslow Pubs” – material from publisher includes correspondence, writing agreements and research material.

BOX # 811 folder 21

“Ballad for Sallie” – invitations for book release, writing agreements, newspaper clippings, correspondence, reviews and three book covers for Ballad for Sallie.

Accession 2008-085

Material consists mainly of drafts from both “soon to be published” and unpublished material.

BOX # 1053 folder 1

“Passenger Ship” – includes handwritten notes, some pages from manuscript with editorial comments

BOX # 1053 folder 2

“Texas Women” – research material including newspaper clippings and printouts from various internet sources

BOX # 1053 folder 3

“Vaccines” – handwritten notes, research material from internet sources, and a writer’s agreement for the work

BOX # 1053 folder 4

“Women’s Rights” – handwritten notes, editorial comments, emails, and a writer’s agreement for the work

BOX # 1053 folder 5

“Dead Space” - draft Dead Space by Judy Alter with revisions 7/09/07

BOX # 1053 folder 6

Page proofs of Women’s Rights by Judy Alter

BOX # 1053 folder 7

Draft of Audie Murphy War Hero and Movie Star, with notes

BOX # 1053 folder 8

Page proofs for Surgery, Passenger Ships, and Vaccines by Judy Alter

BOX # 1053 folder 9

Dead Space by Judy Alter, marked “first draft February 2007 with handwritten notes

BOX # 1053 folder 10

Sue Ellen Learns To Dance and Other Stories by Judy Alter, with notes

BOX # 1053 folder 11

Life with Food, Books, and Kids by Judy Alter, with notes

BOX # 1053 folder 12

Manuscript of Potter’s Wife by Judy Alter, part 1 of 2

BOX # 1053 folder 13

Manuscript of Potter’s Wife by Judy Alter, part 2 of 2

BOX 1053 folder 14

Dead Space by Judy Alter, second draft 2/07

Return to the Southwestern Writers Collection/The Wittliff Collections