Thomas Rogers papers

The Thomas Rogers Papers, 1943-2007, document the writing process of a twentieth-century American fiction writer and that of several of his contemporaries. Of particular note in his papers are letters from friends, many of whom were fellow writers, literary agents, and publishers. Rogers was a faithful correspondent. His papers include letters from such notables as Philip Roth and John Barth, which span decades. These letters are invaluable resources as they are letters from writers to a writer. The exchange of autobiographical information is particularly enlightening. Details include information about a writer's approach to his work; his feelings about it; the writing process and progress on specific works; comments about other writers and their works, especially that of contemporaries; and the publication and promotion of one's works. The correspondence spans the period from 1943 to 2007.

As a writer, Thomas Rogers was a meticulous craftsman. In his application for the Guggenheim Award, Rogers described his "compass points" as "plot, character, thought, and diction." To this end, he explored nuances of language, character, and plot development in the numerous working drafts he composed before he considered a work finished and ready for publication. His research, such as that on the oil industry, brought realistic details to his works.

Rogers was equally meticulous in maintaining well-ordered records of his academic life as an undergraduate and graduate student, and as a teacher and author. Among the papers he retained from his undergraduate and graduate English and humanities courses are syllabi, class and research notes, reading lists, biographies of notable authors, handouts and study questions, assigned essays, and examination questions. The papers include a copy of his undergraduate thesis "Puritan Piety and Politics," and the response to a Ph.D. examination question on Chaucer. Notes in files indicate he used some of the content to prepare lectures for his own teaching. Of particular use were Rogers' files on authors. These contained a brief biography of the author and in addition often included copies of the author's work, newspaper clippings or reviews about the author and his/her work, notes on genre, copies of Rogers' book reviews, and interviews. Rogers' early writing experiences include his first self-described novel, the handwritten, pen-and-ink illustrated "Elly and Olly at College," written in his youth. Numerous working drafts for novels, short stories, etc., with copious editing in Rogers' hand, attest to his development as a writer and his process of writing.

Series A: Correspondence

Correspondence consists of the letters Rogers received from family and friends, many of whom were fellow authors, during his lifetime. Rogers filed the correspondence he received alphabetically with a few minor exceptions. The majority of the correspondence is filed in individual folders under the name of the correspondent; less voluminous correspondence from individuals is filed in general correspondence grouped in folders labeled with alphabetic ranges. Much of the correspondence and associated materials is in French. The letters have to do with myriad subjects. Those from fellow authors, publishers, and literary agents share perspectives on the craft and marketability of writing.

Series B: Works

Works represents the majority of the collection and consists of multiple drafts and typescripts for Rogers' four novels. Many are heavily edited. Rogers worked and reworked segments, chapters, and entire typescripts of his novels. He tried different plot lines, including modifying the end of a story. For each novel, he kept associated records such as contracts and royalty statements, proofs, promotional materials, reviews, and letters regarding the work and its publication. Letters of congratulations on the publication of a novel are filed in folders by date. The Rogers papers also include a number of manuscripts for unpublished works, such as "Merciful Days" and "At School." Essays, short stories, articles, plays, and working drafts of ideas to be developed are included in this series as well. Research topics for which Rogers compiled background information for his writing include the oil industry, various places, forms of travel, and media. Works received from other authors accompanied by brief notes requesting that Rogers comment on the work or that the work was simply to be shared with him are included in this series as well. The assignment of this limited correspondence to Series II, Works, is due to the brevity of the notes and the focus on works. Folders containing these brief notes and reprints, etc., are arranged alphabetically by the author's name.

Series C: Academic notes

Academic notes consists of Rogers' undergraduate and graduate school materials from approximately 1947 to 1961, lecture notes he used in the English courses he taught, research notes for presentations, the description of his sabbatical project, and the recognition given him at the time of his retirement in 1992. The extensive notes he kept on various authors, arranged alphabetically in this series, were obviously rich resources to refer to in preparing teaching materials. There is a minute amount of correspondence in this series, and it relates to how to teach about an author.

The collection of Thomas Rogers papers includes correspondence with fellow authors, such as Philip Roth and John Barth, and manuscripts and typescripts for four novels by Rogers: The Pursuit Of Happiness, The Confession Of A Child Of The Century, At The Shores, and Jerry Engels.