Nelson Algren-Matthew J. Bruccoli papers

Finding Aid

Prepared for the WWW by Barbara Bass, February 7, 2002; Last Updated April 2020

Inclusive Dates: 1960-1985
Extent: .33 cubic foot (1 document case)
Physical Location: 11th floor

Biographical Sketch: Nelson Algren (1909-1981) was best known for The Man With the Golden Arm (1949), which won the first National Book Award, and A Walk on the Wild Side (1956), which was a re-writing of his less-successful first book, Somebody in Boots (1935). Algren grew up in a poor neighborhood of Chicago which influenced his writing and provided background for some of his books. His characters were typically the poorest of the poor, and in his prose he bitterly depicted the hostile environment such people find themselves in, unafraid to lay blame at the feet of the capitalist society which both gave rise to this hostility and insisted on glossing over it. In the 1960s and 1970s, Algren produced a number of less noteworthy anthologies, and fell back into journalism (as he had been trained), covering the Vietnam war. He also taught writing at numerous universities, lectured, and wrote book reviews. His last novel, The Devil's Stocking, was published posthumously in 1983.

Scope and Content: The Nelson Algren-Matthew J. Bruccoli Papers consist of correspondence by and about Algren gathered by bibliographer Matthew J. Bruccoli for his Algren bibliography. The musical score for A Walk on the Wild Side and a typescript of the Bruccoli bibliography are also included. Folders are in order by date.

Box 1
Folder -- Contents

1. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew : July 23, 1958
2. A Walk on the Wild Side: musical score: 1960 [The world premier of the musical was performed in 1960.]
3. Algren, Nelson to DeFano, Donald: May 3, 1965
4. Bruccoli, Matthew J.: Notes on a meeting with Nelson Algren: July 8, 1965 [Describes visit ot Algren's home on July 8, 1965 and discussion over possible purchase of manuscripts; tells of Algren's appearance and details about his apartment.]
5. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: Sept. 5, 1965
6. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: June, 1966
7. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: June 15, 1967
8. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: June 30, 1967
9. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: Dec., 1967
10. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: Mar. 28, 1968
11. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: Apr. 17, 1968
12. Algren, Nelson to Bruccoli, Matthew: July 31, 1969
13. Bruccoli, Matthew J. to Flanders, Jane: Mar. 14, 1985
14. Bruccoli, Matthew: Nelson Algren: A Descriptive Bibliography, typescript: folder 1: 1985
15. Bruccoli, Matthew: Nelson Algren: A Descriptive Bibliography, typescript: folder 2: 1985
16. Bruccoli, Matthew: Nelson Algren: A Descriptive Bibliography, page proofs with corrections: folder 1: 1985
17. Bruccoli, Matthew: Nelson Algren: A Descriptive Bibliography, page proofs with corrections: folder 2: 1985
18. Bruccoli, Matthew: Nelson Algren: A Descriptive Bibliography, page proofs with corrections: folder 3: 1985