Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All rights reserved.
© 2003 Amherst College Archives and Special Collections. All rights reserved.
Leonard Daniel Wickenden (1913-1989), known as Dan, was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania on March 24, 1913 and graduated from Amherst College in 1935. His first novel, The Running of the Deer, was published in 1937 followed by six others; among them was The Wayfarers, a Literary Guild selection for 1945. He published his last novel, The Amazing Vacation, in 1956.
In 1953, Wickenden joined Harcourt Brace & World (later Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) as associate editor. He eventually became senior editor of Harcourt's trade publications, working with notable authors such as Eudora Welty, James Gould Cozzens, and Wendell Berry. He retired in 1978 but continued to accept freelance consulting and editorial work until 1980. During this time, until 1981, he also taught writing for Fairfield University's evening education program. He died at his home in Weston, Connecticut on October 27, 1989.
The Wickenden Papers span the years 1921-1989, with the bulk falling between the 1950s and the 1970s. They primarily document Wickenden's literary and professional career. Materials include typed original manuscripts, galley proofs, correspondence to and from Dan Wickenden, literary reviews, printed materials, theatrical photographs, a small number of personal items, and a scrapbook containing newsclippings and reviews. The collection includes very little personal or family-related materials.
Most of the correspondence in the collection documents Wickenden's professional assessment of literary works and publishing recommendations while at Harcourt Brace & World. His astute assessments of the literary manuscripts are diplomatic but honest comments to the authors themselves. These papers are a valuable resource for the study of American literary history from the mid-1950s through the 1970s.
This collection is organized into seven series:
In general, there is no restriction on access to the Leonard Daniel Wickenden Papers for research use. Photocopied correspondence from Harcourt Brace & World contained in the Papers may not be duplicated without permission of the publisher.
Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archivist of the College. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
[Identification of item], in Leonard Daniel Wickenden (AC 1935) Papers [Box #, folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library
The Papers were given to Amherst College by Wickenden's widow, Hermione H. Wickenden, in 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Other significant holdings of Wickenden's works are in the University of California library system and the Atlanta Public Library.
Series 1, CORRESPONDENCE, 1947-1985, is divided into two subseries:
General Correspondence (Subseries A) contains letters exchanged between Wickenden and the many authors with whom he worked at Harcourt Brace and World. The letters are arranged alphabetically by the author's name.
Harcourt Brace & World Correspondence (Subseries B) consists of correspondence generated by Wickenden during his tenure as editor at Harcourt Brace & World. The letters are organized as a separate unit, listed alphabetically by the author's name.
Series 2, ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS AND GALLEY PROOFS, 1937-1957, is arranged by title of the published work, documents the progress of Wickenden's novels, sometimes including several drafts of the same title. Publisher's galley proofs are included for some of the works.
Series 3, CRITICAL REVIEWS OF WICKENDEN'S PUBLISHED WORK, 1935-1956, includes newsclippings, press releases, advertisements, and magazine reviews of Wickenden's work.
Series 4, LITERARY REVIEWS BY WICKENDEN OF OTHER'S WORKS, 1953-1984, represents Wickenden's years as trade book editor at Harcourt Brace & World, as well as later independent work as a consulting editor and reviewer. Most reviews are in standard memo format and are addressed to members of the review process rather than to the authors themselves (as in the correspondence).
If a work were eventually published, a press review by Wickenden is often included.
Series 5, SHORT PUBLISHED WORKS, 1934-1953, contains stories and articles contributed by Wickenden to popular magazines such as Harper's and Woman's Day. This series contains the original publications.
Series 6, PERSONAL MATERIALS, 1927-1990, contains a small number of items from Wickenden's childhood, including a copybook which contains notes, drawings, and two plays: Under the Railway Bridge and Two Little Fairies and the Bad Magician. Personal accounts and stories, some manuscript, and correspondence and class notes from his years teaching at Fairfield University in Connecticut make up most of the series. Also included are obituary materials, letters of condolence, and some theatrical photographs from Wickenden's years as an Amherst College student.
Series 7 is a SCRAPBOOK which contains additional clippings, press releases, and reviews of his novels, but contains virtually no personal material.