February 25, 2010, Filed Under: Authors, Research + TeachingJ. D. Salinger at the Harry Ransom Center When Jerome David Salinger died in January, he had been dodging fans and journalists for more than 40 years. Salinger rose to prominence in the mid-1950s, an era of media expansion in which writers became celebrities, and in which celebrity itself could shape an entire literary career. Like many young… read more
February 23, 2010, Filed Under: Research + TeachingClaude McKay and the "Making of Home to Harlem" Jamaican-born writer Claude McKay (1889–1948) is probably best-known for his poem “If We Must Die.” McKay, however, also published three novels and a collection of short stories. His most popular novel, Home to Harlem (1928), grew out of a short story of the same name. He was encouraged in his… read more
February 16, 2010, Filed Under: Film, Research + TeachingHidden Talent: The Emergence of Hollywood Agents Tom Kemper, author of Hidden Talent: The Emergence of Hollywood Agents (University of California Press, 2009), did research for his book in the Ransom Center’s film collection with funding from the Warren Skaaren Film Research Endowment. He shares some of the surprising information he discovered while working with the Myron… read more
