Robert Flynn Papers

Robert Flynn is one of Texas's most distinguished writers and the recipient of a"Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Texas Institute of Letters. Flynn began donating his papers to the Southwestern Writers Collection/The Wittliff Collections in 1989.

For more information about Robert Flynn visit his website at: www.robert-flynn.net

Flynn’s wife, Jean Flynn, is also a writer with archives at the Southwestern Writers Collection/The Wittliff Collections.

Listed below is an archival inventory of the Robert Flynn 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 Robert Flynn Collection.

Initial inventory

Robert Flynn

Papers, 1950-1971

4 boxes (2 linear feet)

Acquisition: donated by Robert Flynn from 1989 through 1993. Note: Contact the SWWC for information about additional materials from this writer that have not yet been fully processed.

Access: Open for Research.

Processed by: Gwynedd Cannan, July 1995

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.

Robert Flynn was born April 12, 1932, in Chillicothe, Texas. He graduated with a degree in drama from Baylor University in 1954. After teaching speech and drama for two years at Gardner-Webb College in North Carolina, Flynn returned to Baylor as an assistant professor in the Drama Department. When the Baptist university closed down the 1962 production of Long Days Journey Into Night, Flynn followed the entire drama faculty, headed by department chair Paul Baker, to Trinity University, where Flynn became a writer-in-residence in the English Department and is now professor emeritus.

In 1964, Flynn adapted William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying to the stage in a play entitled Journey to Jefferson. The Dallas Theater Center Production directed by Paul Baker won a Special Jury Award at the Theater of Nations in Paris in 1964.

In 1967, Knopf published Flynn's first novel, North to Yesterday, a hilarious trail-driving adventure that is "at the same time . . . an ungentle satire on the foolishness of those who live in the past as well as the blindness of those who turn their backs on it." (Garfield 38) This was followed by two other works published by Knopf In the House of the Lord (1969), The Sounds of Rescue, the Signs of Hope (1970). Flynn’s subsequent novels include Wanderer Springs (1987), The Last Klick (1994), The Devil's Tiger (2000, with Dan Klepper), and Tie-Fast Country (2001).

Flynn has also published two collections of short stories: Seasonal Rain and Other Stories (1986) and Living with the Hyenas (1995.) His nonfiction work includes A Personal War in Vietnam (1989), When I Was Just Your Age (1992, with Susan Russell), Growing up a Sullen Baptist and Other Lies (2001), Paul Baker and the Integration of Abilities (2003, co-edited with Eugene McKinney), and Slouching toward Zion and More Lies (2004). Flynn also contributes to The Door: "The World’s Pretty Much Only Magazine of Religious Satire."

As a college student in the 1950s, Flynn temporarily dropped out of school to serve two years with the Marines during the Korean War. In 1970 after many years in academia, he sought out a position as a war correspondent to Vietnam, eventually getting his credentials through True Magazine. Flynn spent two months in Vietnam and was profoundly affected by the experience. He ultimately wrote a memoir, A Personal War in Vietnam, published in 1989 and a novel, The Last Klick, published in 1994.

Flynn has received several awards during his career: His first novel, North to Yesterday, received awards from the Texas Institute of Letters and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the New York Times. Wanderer Springs won a Spur Award from Western Writers of America. Two stories in Seasonal Rain were winners in the NEA/PEN Syndicated Fiction Project and Seasonal Rain was co-winner of the Texas Literary Festival Award. Living With the Hyenas received a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Flynn’s work has been translated into German, Spanish, Dutch, Afrikaans, Malayalam, Arabic, Tamil, Hindi, Kanada, and Vietnamese. In 1998, he received the Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement. from the Texas Institute of Letters.

Bibliography:

Garfield, Brian, Saturday Evening Post, July 22, 1967: 38.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:

1950-1971, 2 linear feet, Accession No. 89-124; 91-016, 067; 93-035

The Flynn papers consist of a script, programs, drafts, notes, photographs, articles, military documents and correspondence. A copy of Flynn's script Journey to Jefferson is included along with programs from the 1964 European tour of the play. There is a typescript of Flynn's first novel, North to Yesterday, with related notes and letters from the publisher covering editor's comments, suggestions for revision, title changes, foreign publication, sales and reviews. Also present are galleys and plate proofs from In the House of the Lord. Flynn had served as a Marine in Korea and he covered Vietnam in 1971 for True Magazine. This collection contains material from his tour, including a guide to Vietnam and a pamphlet on the operation of an M16 rifle; combat photographs; Flynn's marine I.D. and dogtag, his True Magazine press I. D. cards and ration card; Vietnamese money, telegrams, newsletters, reports, Flynn's handwritten notes and a camouflage uniform.

Box 260 File

Journey to Jefferson, 1960 1

Play programs, 1964-1967 2

North to Yesterday

notes 3

typescript 4-7

letters from Knopf, 1965-1967 8

Box 261 File

copyedited draft, Nov 1966 1-3

title pages 4-5

galleys 6-7

Box 262 File

Plate Proofs 1-2

Proof of excerpt for Saturday Evening Post, 1967 3

Box 263 File

In the House of Our Lord galleys and plate proofs, 1969 1-3

Vietnam memorabilia and notes, 1971 4-6

Material received in 1998: Accession 1998-079

• Wanderer Springs typescript. 554 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript. 393 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript edited. 401 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript page proofs. 357 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript page proofs. 169 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript page proofs. 46 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript page proofs. 37 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript page proofs. 9 pages.

• Wanderer Springs typescript page proofs edited. 356 pages.

• Original revised Wanderer Springs typescript. 358 pages.

• Wanderer Springs dust jacket and title page proofs. 5 pages.

• Wanderer Springs unproofed galleys. 307 pages.

• Seasonal Rain and Other Stories by Robert Flynn page proofs with notes. 89 pages.

• Seasonal Rain and Other Stories typescript edited. 167 pages.

• Seasonal Rain (collection of short stories). 89 pages.

• In the House of the Lord page proofs, dust jacket and title page proofs, correspondence.

• Saigon original typescript edited. 479 pages.

• Saigon typescript edited. 490 pages.

• As I Lay Dying corrected script by Faulkner, adapted by Flynn. 97 pages.

• As I Lay Dying script by Faulkner, adapted by Flynn, edited. 97 pages.

• As I Lay Dying typescript. 138 pages.

• Hamlet.

• Musical score, handwritten.

• A Flower for the Lady by Gene McKinney. 11 pages.

• A Flower for the Lady. 52 pages.

• This is the Answer. 48 pages.

• A Different Drummer -- Gene Mckinney.

• A Different Drummer by Gene Mckinney.

• Directions 65’ People Who Live In Glass Paperweights Can’t Throw Stones, by Gene McKinney.

• The Cross-Eyed Bear: A Comedy in Three Acts by Gene McKinney.

• The Feast of Transfiguration: a verse play by Paul Geren. 85 pages.

• The Sail, play by Ramsey Yelvington.

• A Cloud of Witnesses by Ramsey Yelvington.

• Korea by Ramsey Yelvington, edited.

• The Choir Boy: a play by Ramesy Yelvington.

• The Answer is Two.

• A Waltz in the Afternoon, a play by Jason Miller

• Drama and Leisure Time: A Report on the Two-Year General Education Board Study at Baylor University on the Integration of Dramatic Activities with Community Leisure Time Programs by Junis Eddy.

• Lonely is My Garden by Severino Montano. 94 pages.

• The Family: a play in two acts by Robert Britton. 70 pages.

• Winged Sonata by C.B. Ford.

• With One Voice -- a comedy by Brian Robertson.

• Reflection on Fairfield by Mary Anna Branson.

• Whistle in the Night by Mary Anna Branson.

• Smoke Up the Valley by Monte Barrett typescript edited. 521 pages. Pencil drawings/maps. 4 pages.

• The Last Klick a novel by Robert Flynn galley. 363 pages.

• The Sounds of Rescue, the Signs of Hope galley edited.

• The Sounds of Rescue, the Signs of Hope typescript edited. 373 pages.

• The Sounds of Rescue, the Signs of Hope typescript edited. 373 pages.

• The Sounds of Rescue Notes with photocopies of “Pilot’s Handbook...”

• Three Magazines: 2 Saturday Evening Post, 1 Panoramam 28.

• Wanderer Springs typescript edited. 401 pages.

• Wanderer Springs page proofs.

• Wanderer Springs typescript edited. 425 pages.

• Wanderer Springs page proofs.

• Notes on Survival original typescript edited. 335 pages.

• The Sounds of Rescue, the Signs of Hope page proofs.

• Wanderer Springs unproofed galleys. 307 pages.

• Wanderer Springs original first version. 554 pages.

• Dallas Theatre Center on Tour, clippings.

• Texas Reading Circuit: handwritten notes, addresses and folder.

Material received in 2000: Accession 2000-189

Miscellaneous items pertaining to Robert Flynn’s novels and plays: several pamphlets and magazine articles on flying, miscellaneous magazines, newspaper clippings, photocopies of articles in reference to zoological parks, fishing map, one photocopy of a hand written article titled Chillicothe, one annotated copy of How to Organize a Sunday School, one black and white photo of Robert Flynn.

Various short stories by Robert Flynn (some annotated)

1. “Things No One Told Me”

2. “The Perfect Gift”

3. “X-Mas”

4. “Games Children Play”

5. “A Second Chance”

6. “Living With The Hyenas”

7. “Land of the Free”

8. “A Boy and His Dog”

9. “Fraternities”

10. “Volunteers”

11. “The Reluctant Truth”

12. “The Flight to Amman”

13. “Women Don’t Know”

14. “At Play in the Sewers of the Lord”

15. “How I Won the War”

Material from Robert’s book, a collection of short stories, Living with the Hyenas

I. Annotated Transcript - 1 folder

II. Annotated Transcript - 1 folder

III. Annotated Transcript - 1 folder

Material from Robert Flynn’s book, The Devils Tiger.

I. Annotated Transcript - 2 folders

Material received in 2003: Accession 2003-149

- envelope containing; 2 page photocopy of article titled “Assisting Difficult Calving” by Floron C. Faries, Jr., 2 page photocopy of article titled “Bovine Para tuberculosis of Beef Cattle: A wasting condition, commonly called Johne’s disease” by Floron C. Faries, Jr., Allen J. Roussel, Todd R. Thrift, Ronald J. Gill and Derry D. Magee, photocopy of article titled “Cattle Vaccines” by Floron C. Faries, Jr.. Also included in envelope are three drawing on notebook paper in red ink.

- small brown notebook with Flynn written on cover. Notebook contains many handwritten notes, lists, names and addresses.

- envelope containing; various typed letters of correspondence, 18 page photocopy of syllabus titled Ranch Management Talk, various, memos, forms, directories, and applications from UPN.

- blank paper with letterhead from the Rex Hotel Saigon Tourist along with various expense and tax records

- Copy of the manuscript titled “Tie-Fast Country” by Robert Flynn

- Various incomplete annotated copies of the manuscript titled “Tie-Fast Country” by Robert Flynn

- Clean complete page proof copy of “Tie-Fast Country” by Robert Flynn

- One 39x24 poster mounted on cardboard. Poster is written in German featuring Robert L. Flynn at the Dallas Theater Center. Poster is located in the Framed Art Case row 2 in Annex A .

typescript: As I Lay Dying: A Stage Adaptation by Robert Flynn

Material received in 2006: Accession 2006-090

6 page computer print out of article by Robert Flynn titled “For the Love of Agape”, web page address for article is: http://www.somareview.com/fortheloveofagape.cfm

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