Roughly divided into half correspondence and half
literary output, including literary manuscripts, poems, early journals and diaries
(1946-1957), an autobiography (1951), and various publications. Much of the
correspondence (1942-1957, 1961-1964) was exchanged with individuals involved with
Utah State University athletes; significant correspondents include Dick Romney, John
Holway, James Miller, Doris Taylor, and the Wright family. Also includes newspaper
clippings and other material on E.L. "Dick" Romney.
Repository:
Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Manuscript Collection
Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University 3000 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-3000 Phone: 435 797-2663 Fax: 435 797-2880 Email: scweb@usu.edu
Languages:
Material in English
Sponsor:
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
grant, 2007-2008
Biographical Note
David Lane Wright was born on May 22, 1929, in Bennington, Idaho to Conover and
Lenora Rich Wright. He was a descendent of LDS Apostle Charles C. Rich. He spent his
childhood in Bennington, and from the time he was a young man he kept copious
journals. He loved sports, especially baseball and football, and enjoyed exploring
the terrain around Bennington and Montpelier which figures prominently in his work.
When he was seven, his brother Rich, to whom he had been very close, died from an
acute appendicitis and this event continued to influence David for the rest of his
life and the character of his brother often appeared under different names in many
of his writings. In fact his most prominent piece, a play first produced in 1956
called “Still the Mountain Wind,” was about Rich's death.
Wright started attending Utah State University,(then called Utah State Agricultural
College), in 1946 at the age of seventeen on an athletic scholarship. He studied
English under the tutelage of Professors A. N. Sorensen and Ira Hayward both of whom
encouraged him to write and publish. He also was a sports writer for the student
paper. Throughout his life, his dream was to become a writer, but he also prepared
to become an English teacher. For the first three years at college he was on the
track team and played football. His final year he quit football to spend more time
writing.
After graduation Wright held many jobs as a teacher throughout Idaho. On October 22,
1950 he married Nancy Johnson, one of his students from Rexburg. He changed
positions several times and eventually ended up back his home town working at the
elementary school. He entered the Air Force and was called into active duty and
continued write, winning several Air Force story contests and producing his work,
“Still the Mountain Wind.” Also during this time he was stationed in various places
throughout the United States and the world including South Dakota, Florida, Alabama,
and Iceland.
In 1963, Wright was able to pursue his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University
of Iowa while still in the Air Force. He completed it in 1964. While stationed in
Alabama during this time, he became involved in the civil rights campaign. In 1965,
Wright was sent to Saigon, Vietnam. There he performed mostly administrative and
diplomatic duties, earning a Bronze Star and was promoted to rank of Major. When he
returned from Vietnam in December, 1966, he and Nancy divorced. Wright maintained
custody of the children. In February of 1967, he suffered a heart attack. He
recovered somewhat and was able to return to his home in Montgomery, Alabama where
he lived for the next four months. On June 26, 1967, he suffered a second heart
attack and passed away at the age of thirty-eight.
Content Description
This collection contains the letters and writings of David Lane Wright. The scope and
breadth is impressive due no doubt to Wright's compulsive saving, including letters
he received as a child. The first six boxes are devoted to Wright's correspondence
with friends, family, publishers, and the Air Force. box 1 contains outgoing mail
from 1942 to 1963. boxes 2 through 5 contain incoming mail organized either
chronologically or by addressee along the lines which Wright organized them himself.
box six contains the envelopes from these letters. box seven contains early writings
and autobiographical writings. boxes 8 through 11 contain some his writings. box 8
contains college writings and recommendations to the University of Iowa. box 9
contains mostly drafts and reviews of “Still the Mountain Wind.” box 10 contains
drafts of “River Saints,” and “Speak Ye Tenderly of Kings.” The final box, box 11,
contains various other poems and short stories. Finally, because the addendum was
too large to incorporate into this collection and since they overlap, cross
references to the addendum have been added to this register where appropriate.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Restrictions on Use :
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright
clearances.
Permission to publish material from the David Lane Wright papers must
be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections
Department Head.
Preferred Citation :
Initial Citation: David Lane Wright papers USU_COLL
MSS 002, box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University
Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 002, USUSCA.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
Arranged by subject and chronologically
Acquisition Information :
Received as a gift from Charlotte Wright Piggot, Janice Wright Ruediger, Paul David
Wright, and Gregory G. Wright--1973.
Autobiography David L. Wright. “Autobiography.” David
Lane Wright Addendum Mss Coll 39, box 12, Fd 1. Special Collections and Archives,
Utah State University Merrill Library: Logan, Utah.
Autobiography David L. Wright. “Autobiography.” David
Lane Wright Papers Mss Coll 2, , box 7, Fds 5, 6. Special Collection and Archives,
Utah State University Merrill Library: Logan, Utah.
Bibliography : Serial Publications
Discovering A Mormon Writer: David L. Wright
1929-1967 James Miller. “Discovering A Mormon Writer: David L. Wright
1929-1967.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. V(2), pp. 79-85.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I: Correspondence Sent, 1942-1963
(17 folders)
Chronological Arrangement (see also Mss Coll 39, box 9, Fds 4-8; box 10; box
10a)
Arranged Alphabetically by Addressee (see also Mss Coll 39, box 4, Fd 4 -5;
box 7, Fd 1- 2)
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
Folder
5
1
Abramson -
Brosnan, See also: Massachusetts Review; Brown, Robert; and Esquire
1962
5
2
Call - Esquire,
For Esty, Jane, see Mutiny; for Hills, Rust, see Esquire
1962
5
3
Hendricks -
Mutiny, See also Miller, James (2 Fds) For Lett, Paul, see Mutiny; for
Hills, Rust, see Esquire; for Massachusetts Review, see also Abramson,
Doris
VII: Journals, Autobiographical Accounts, Early
Writings, M. F. A. Thesis, 1940-1949
(16 folders)
(For Journals, see also Mss Coll 39, box 23 - box 27; for M. F. A. work see
also Mss Coll 39, box 21, Fd 1; for early writings see also Mss Coll 39, box
13, Fds 1-4)
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
Folder
7
1
Work Schedules (Writing)
8 leaves included day book notes
1956
7
2
Student Teaching Critiques
1949
7
3
Journal
1946
7
4
Journal
November 5, 1946 -
April 15, 1947
7
5
Autobiography
See also: "The Death of Rick", Fd 1
1950 -
1951
7
6
Autobiographical Sketch
6 typescript pages, 1st carbon Probably written as part of an application
for Paul Engle's creative writing workshop at University of Iowa
April
15, 1962
7
7
Early Writings
one notebook 38 holograph typescript leaves
1940s
7
8
Early Writings
33 typescript and holograph sheets
1940s
7
9
Early Writings
Summer,1947
7
10
Early Writings
7
11
Early Writings Notebook
7
12
Early Writings Notebook
7
13
Early Writings Notebook
7
14
Early Writings Notebook
7
15
Miscellaneous Early Papers
7
16
MFA Thesis, State University of Iowa,
"Afterward and Before: Four Stories", "Of Pleasures and Palaces", "A
Train of Events", "A Summer in the Country", "Speak Ye Tenderly of
Things"
VIII: College Notes, Athletic Papers, Romney
Correspondence, Letters Of Recommendation To State University Of Iowa, Civil
Service Forms, Early Poems By James Miller , 1936-1956
(11 folders)
(see also Mss Coll 39, box 15, Fd 3; box 21)
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
Folder
8
1
E. L. "Dick" Romney, Correspondence
in the files of David Wright 14 pieces, most dealing with USU-AAU
playoffs in 1936
1936-1949
8
2
U. S. U. Athletic Papers Notes from Romney
to Wright, Sports information prepared by Wright, and Correspondence
dealing with this
23 pieces
8
3
Class Notes, Fall Quarter
1947
8
4
Class Notes (Literary Notes)
1947 - 1948
8
5
Class Notes, Fall Quarter
1948
8
6
Class Notes, Winter Quarter
1948
8
7
Published Material, U. S. U.
8
8
Newspaper Clippings
8
9
Letters of Recommendation for the Creative
Writing Workshop at State University of Iowa
19 pieces
8
10
Civil Service Forms, Application for
position as Publications Editor/ Writer, GSll, USAF
"My Peaceful Village: An Account of my
Visit Home, October 13-29, 1964 (from my Journal, notes, and added
rememberings)" 6 typescript pages with holograph corrections and changes
The prose account written on which the poetic form of "River Saints" is
based
10
3
"My Peaceful Village ..." 26 pages
typescript Revised draft First page missing
10
4
"River Saints" Preliminary draft 52
typescript pages with holograph addenda
10
5
"River Saints" Partially revised draft
[8], 24-52pp., typescript, first carbon
10
6
"River Saints: A Mormon Chronicle" Logan,
[1969] Edited, put in final form and printed by James Miller
10
7
Notes 6 pages, holograph, 10 pages
typescript Notes in Wright's hand with typescript re-working (possibly
by James Miller) Suggests treatment of novel "Speak Ye Tenderly of
Kings" (in Deseret's Sweet Land) in the manner of River Saints
10
8
Notes 28 typescript pages (Various
numbers) from novel "Speak Ye Tenderly of Kings"
10
9
"Speak Ye Tenderly of Kings" (short story)
two items, typescript, 17 pages; reprint, pp. 23-33 considerable
variation in wording
10
10
"Speak Ye Tenderly of Kings" (play)
preliminary drafts adapted from short story by Charles W. Whitman (q. v.
in "Correspondence Received") Contains correspondence and holograph
notes by both Wright and Whitman
10
11
"Speak Ye Tenderly of Kings" A one act
play by Charles W. Whitman and David L. Wright Adapted from a short
story of the same name by David L. Wright two drafts (one with carbon
copy) and a typed page of notes from Vosco Call on production
descriptions
10
12
"Speak Ye Tenderly of Kings" 480
typescript pages with holograph notes Originally titled "In Deseret's
Sweet Land", the strongly autobiographical novel which Wright mined for
the production of short stories, including that of the same
name
(for short stories see also Mss Coll 39, boxes 13-15; for poetry see Mss Coll
39, box 16, Fds 1-6)
Container(s)
Description
Dates
Box
Folder
11
1
"The Bigger Game" 11 pages typescript,
first carbon
11
2
"A Boy and Girl and An Evening" 5 pages
typescript, 1 page typed notes, all with holograph changes
11
3
"By Thy Works" 2 pages mimeographed 2
copies
11
4
"Every Little Moment" 2 pages typed Also
titled "The Time After the First Time"; "The Argument B. C. and A. D."
11
5
"A Fisherman Among Men" 9 pages typescript
See also: "River Saints" and "The Conscience of the Village"
11
6
"Flight" 25 pages, holograph
11
7
"The Hawk" 7 pages typescript, second
carbon
11
8
"Her Third Birthday" 3 pages 2 original
typescript copies
11
9
"The Hero" 11 pages typescript
11
10
"The High Life" 10 pages, 3 drafts with
holograph corrections and notes
11
11
"Honesty is the Best Policy Except
Sometimes" 11 pages typescript two drafts included first carbon of early
draft entitled "The Making of a Citizen" and original and two carbons of
final draft holograph notes on first carbon
11
12
"Of Pleasures and Palaces" 45 typescript
pages with holograph changes Earlier titled "Amid the Alien Corn" Final
draft in MFA Thesis
11
13
"Of Pleasures and Palaces" Third draft 40
pages, original and partial carbon typescript Original with holograph
changes
11
14
"Of Pleasures and Palaces" Fourth draft 36
pages, typescript with holograph changes
11
15
"Of Pleasures and Palaces" Fifth draft 40
pages First carbon with holograph changes
11
16
"A Measure of Contentment" 11 pages
typescript together with page proofs from publication in The Humanist
11
17
"Mice Men and Principles" 7 and 8 pages
Five drafts
11
18
"Moods in Christmastime" various drafts in
typescript and ditto
11
19
"Too Small" 5 pages, 12 drafts, typescript
and carbon with holograph changes Titled through various re-workings
"The Littlest Enemy" "What Little Boys Are Made Of" "Comes The
Revolution" "The Day the Revolution Began"
11
20
"Sparkplug" 5 pages, original and first
carbon
11
21
"A Train of Events" 13 pages, Six drafts
Typescript with holograph changes, also first carbon
11
22
Poems 1 (Drafts) "A Difference in Age" -
"Hired Help"
11
23
Poems 2 (Drafts) "Inside the Outside Boy,
Down South" - "Six Years of Marriage and One Threat"
11
24
Poems 3 (Drafts) "Small Town Girl" - "Word
of Wisdom from a Friend"
11
25
Poems (Untitled)
11
26
Poems (Last revisions) Typescript by
Janice Wright from last known revisions
11
27
"Scenes From a Train Trip (to Larry
Holmes)" Poem 6 pages typescript with holograph changes
