December 12, 2013, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Film, Research + TeachingFellows Find: Gloria Swanson biographer discovers rich material in Ransom Center’s archive “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille,” says Norma Desmond in the famous end scene of Sunset Boulevard. Gloria Swanson, the actress who portrayed Desmond, is ready, as well. Bowdoin Professor Tricia Welsch received fellowships, which were funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowment, to conduct research in the… read more
December 10, 2013, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Film, Research + TeachingBiographer Stephen Michael Shearer uses Gloria Swanson collection to paint a more in-depth portrait of the star in new biography Although best known for her role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1950), Gloria Swanson was a legendary actress even before then. She starred in countless silent films, working with celebrities Cecil DeMille and Charlie Chaplin. Vivacious and enigmatic, Swanson was known for her extravagant clothing, spending, and love life.… read more
November 22, 2013, Filed Under: Books + ManuscriptsNotes in Norman Mailer archive shed light on Lee Harvey Oswald The assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas shook America’s understanding of trust, security, and rational behavior. In the five decades following, a multitude of historians and writers have been moved to study the event, many with particular interest in the assassin himself, Lee… read more
