Texas Archival Resources Online

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Description of Series

Series 1: Books, 1988-1999, n.d.

Series II: Plays, Screenplays and Song Lyrics, 1981-1991

Series III: Articles, 1985-1999

Series IV: Correspondence, 1977-1998

Series V: Clippings, 1976-1983

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A Guide to the Gary Cartwright Papers, 1981-1999



Descriptive Summary

Creator:Cartwright, Gary, 1934-
Title:Gary Cartwright Papers
Dates:1981-1999
Abstract:The Gary Cartwright papers date from 1981 to 2000 and are organized into five series: 1.) Books, 2.) Plays, screenplays, and song lyrics, 3.) Articles, 4.) Correspondence, and 5.) Clippings. Included are handwritten notes, clippings, tear sheets, brochures, a cassette tape, drafts and galley proofs. The material describes the research and editing involved in Cartwright's writing process.
Identification:Collection 001
Extent:7 linear feet, 16 boxes
Language: Materials are written in English.
Repository:Southwestern Writers Collection, Special Collections, Alkek Library, Texas State University-San Marcos

Biographical Sketch

Gary Cartwright was born August 10, 1934 in Dallas, Texas, and raised in nearby Arlington. He received a B.A. in journalism and government from Texas Christian University in 1957. Cartwright reported the police beat for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 1956 until he was hired away in 1958 to the Fort Worth Press, where he joined Dan Jenkins and Bud Shrake in the sports department under legendary Texas sportswriter Blackie Sherrod. In 1960, Cartwright moved to the Dallas Times Herald as a sports reporter and in 1963 he joined the Dallas Morning News to write his own sports column. Cartwright's first book, a football novel entitled The Hundred Yard War, was published in 1967 at which point he left newspaper work to become a freelance writer. His work has appeared in The Texas Observer, Esquire, Saturday Review, Rolling Stone and Texas Monthly.

Cartwright has been associated with Texas Monthly magazine since its inception in 1973. His articles range over various topics--crime, notable Texans, Texas culture, travel, sports and international travel. A collection of his Texas Monthly articles can be found in Confessions of a Washed-up Sportswriter. The true-crime books Blood Will Tell and Dirty Dealing began as articles for Texas Monthly. In 1988, Cartwright had a heart attack that required quintuple-bypass surgery. A suggestion by Governor Ann Richards to document changes in his life since the injury led to his latest book, HeartWiseGuy.

Among the many honors Cartwright has received for his writing are the Texas Institute of Letters' Stanley Walker Award for Journalism for "The Endless Odyssey of Patrick Henry Polk" (Texas Monthly, May 1977) and the Press Club of Dallas Katie Award for Best Magazine News Story for "The Work of the Devil" (Texas Monthly, June 1989). Cartwright has written screenplays in collaboration with Edwin (Bud) Shrake, including J. W. Coop (1972) and Another Pair of Aces (CBS-TV, 1990).

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Scope and Content Note

The Gary Cartwright papers date from 1981 to 2000 and are organized into five series: 1.) Books, 2.) Plays, screenplays, and song lyrics, 3.) Articles, 4.) Correspondence, and 5.) Clippings. Included are handwritten notes, clippings, tear sheets, brochures, a cassette tape, drafts and galley proofs. The material describes the research and editing involved in Cartwright's writing process.

See also Accession Numbers 88-052 and 90-071 for photographs of the author taken by Bill Wittliff.

Series I: Books, 1988-1999, n.d. This series is arranged chronologically by publication, with an unpublished title at the end. The first subseries is for the book, Galveston, a History of the Island. These files contain research material and an annotated typescript for the book. The files are organized according to the author's filing system, primarily in chronological order. They contain articles, clippings, handwritten notes, newsletters, brochures and tear sheets. There is information on social life, prominent Galveston families, ethnic groups and major events such as the 1900 hurricane. See also Accession No. 92-044, 1991 galleys addressed to Bill Wittliff from Lee Goerner at Atheneum.

Material for the second book in this series, HeartWise Guy, spans 1988-1999. These files contain research material, drafts, annotated typescripts, and page proofs. The files are organized according to the author's filing system. They contain articles, clippings, handwritten notes, newsletters, brochures and tear sheets. Topics include aging, lifestyle, diet, medicine, sex, and spirituality. Also included is a letter from Larry McMurtry commenting on his long post-surgery depression following a heart attack.

Materials for Blood will Tell are limited to only correspondence and clippings. And the unpublished title, “Black Pearls,” or “Dark Pearls,” is represented by an annotated typescript.

Series II: Plays, Screenplays and Song Lyrics, 1981-1991. This series contains material on screenplays in collaboration with Bud Shrake. There are handwritten song lyrics for Shrake's "Pancho Villa's Wedding Day" and one draft and two scripts of "RIP" on which the 1991 teleplay "Another Pair of Aces" was based. Also included is a ditty hastily composed by Gary Cartwright with Larry L. King late one night in New York City

See also Accession No. 88-033, 90-059, 91-007 for other material on "RIP" in the Bud Shrake and Bill Wittliff papers and Accession No. 92-061 for a Cartwright teleplay written for the Ned Blessing series.

Series III: Articles, 1985-1999 This series is primarily composed of drafts and galley proofs for articles written for Texas Monthly. There is a good deal of research material for the 1987 article on the murder of a San Antonio policeman, "Total Hit." The articles report on crime, sports, food and prominent Texans. The files are arranged by date of publication when known.

Articles not written for Texas Monthly are arranged in the subseries, General. This set of articles includes national and international sports culture and travel, and honest and dishonest personalities in Texas culture, art, prisons, and politics. An unpublished article on whistle blowing within several large federal law enforcement agencies is also included.

Series IV: Correspondence, 1977-1998 This series contains correspondence regarding Cartwright’s writing projects and those of others. The letters are arranged alphabetically. Notable correspondents include Bill Broyles, Cartwright family members, A.C. Greene, Stephen Harrigan, Ann Richards, and Bud Shrake as well as Playboy Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Texas Monthly.

Series V: Clippings, 1976-1983 This series contains newspaper clippings related to Cartwright’s work.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open for research.

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Index Terms

Cartwright, Gary, 1934- Archives.
Galveston Island (Tex.)--History.
Texas--Social life and customs.
Audio cassettes.
Television scripts.
Shrake, Edwin.
Cartwright family--donor.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Gifts donated by Gary and Phyllis Cartwright since 1989.

Processing Information

Gwynedd Cannan, 1992, Guy Doré, 2000. [inventory revised, 2004]

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Series 1: Books, 1988-1999, n.d.

Galveston, a History of the Island, 1988-1991
BoxFolder
11-3Handwritten notes
4The Saccarappa, Galveston Historical Foundation Newsletter
5Empire Life Involuntary Petition
6Moody
7Open Beaches
8-10Galveston Mardi Gras & General
11Barrier Islands
12Karankawas & Cabeza de Vaca
BoxFolder
21Lafitte (Jean)
2Republic of Texas
3Civil War
4-5Cuney & Blacks
6-7Gilded Age (1860-1900)
8Seawall/Grade Raising
9Rabbi Cohen/Galveston Movement
BoxFolder
311880-1890
21880-1890--Albert Lasker/Jack Johnson
31900 Hurricane and lesser blows
4After 1900
5Moody, Kempner, Sealy
6Partners in Progress &Socialogical Studies
7Gambling, Whoring 1920s-1957
8Kempners
BoxFolder
41-4Moodys 1860-1960
5Blacks
6Moodys 1980s
7Interviews &Name
8Gaido &other interviews
9GHF Galveston Historical Foundation
HeartWiseGuy, 1988-1999
Research Files
BoxFolder
81Aging
2Alternatives
3American Heart Association
4Anti-Aging Therapies
5Anti-Oxidants
6Attitude / Spiritual
7Diet and Nutrition
1Aging
BoxFolder
91Dr. Blevins
2Dr. Charles Wilkins
3Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking
4Exercise
5Health / Medical
6Herbs / Medicinal
7Hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, impotence...
8Love / Sex
9Misc. Clippings
10Pacemaker
11Research
12Sex (Dr. Kaufman)
13Correspondence with Larry McMurtry
Drafts
BoxFolder
101Typescript with Dr. Blevins' edits
2-3Annotated typescript
4-5Page proofs
Blood Will Tell
BoxFolder
111Correspondence
2Clippings
Black Pearls / Dark Pearls (Unpublished)
BoxFolder
113-4Annotated typescript

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Series II: Plays, Screenplays and Song Lyrics, 1981-1991

Works by Cartwright
BoxFolder
410-11Pancho Villa's Wedding Day
RIP
BoxFolder
51Script
BoxFolder
146Script
7Draft
8Shooting schedule
BoxFolder
151Clippings
BoxFolder
52Songs
Works by Others (Based upon or Inspired by Cartwright's Work)
BoxFolder
152"Another Pair of Aces" by Rob Gilmer (2 typescripts)
3"Santos and Santos" by Octavio Solis

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Series III: Articles, 1985-1999

Texas MonthlyArticles, 1985-1989
BoxFolder
53H.R. Bum Bright, Austin American Statesman, July 7, 1985
3Port galley proof, 1985
4The Last Roundup, February 1985
5An Aggie's Revenge, August 1985
6The Final Gun, September 1985
7Hugh Roy Cullen's Last Hurrah, January 1986
8Range Warrior, January 1986
9The Snootiest Neighborhood in Texas, June 1986
10Touch Me, Feel Me, Heal Me, December 1986
11Total Hit, January 1987
12-14Cops (Total Hit), January 1987
BoxFolder
61-6Cops (Total Hit), January 1987
7Lifestyles, Home Ain't Where My Heart Is, March 1987
8The Longest Ride of His Life, May 1987
9Texas Primer: Clint Murchison, Jr., June 1987
BoxFolder
71The Sleaziest Man in Texas, August 1987
2Cooking: I, Piscivore, September 1987
3Paradise Lost, October 1987
4Everyone's a Victim, November 1987
5An Old Five and Dimer, February 1988
6Newspapers (unpublished)
7Search and Destroy, March 1989
8Poisoned with Love, May 1989
9The Work of the Devil, June 1989
10How George Foreman Finally Beat Muhammed Ali, October 1989
11Old Salts and Ancient Mariners, October 1989
12Mean (unpublished)
Articles, General, 1992-1999
BoxFolder
115Dawson, George, December 1998
6Diary of a Minor Mogul, June 1996
7Golfsmith / Karl Paul, 1997
8Marsh, Stanley, March 1978
BoxFolder
121Masters Tickets, February 1998
2McDuff, Kenneth, August 1992
3-4Mexican Road Race, 1999
5Moscow / National Geographic, 1999
BoxFolder
131-6Moscow / National Geographic, 1999
7Old Five and Dimer, n.d.
8The Query, 1995-1998
9Red Rock, December 1999
10TCU Press / Galveston notes / One Last Shot, 1993, 1998
BoxFolder
141Thorton, Peter, March 1999
2Wall Street Journal / The Final Four, 1997-1998

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Series IV: Correspondence, 1977-1998

BoxFolder
154A's
5Adams, Randall Dale
6Atheneum
7B's
8Broyles, Bill
9C's
10Cartwright, Marge
11Cartwright, Shea
12Chagra, Vivian
13Cinco Puntos Press, April 1998
14Covert, Jean
15Crowder, A. Don
16Donovan, C.
17Dorman, Michael
18Emert, V.
19Forbes magazine
20Francis, Kevin
21Glick, Allen
22Green, Carl H.
23Greene, A.C.
24Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
25Harrigan, Stephen
26Haessler, George
27ICM
28Jensen
29A's
30Jones, Bea
31Kessler, Denise
BoxFolder
161L's
2M's
3Marsh, Stanley
4Martin, Bill
5Mellett, Tom
6Mays, Prissy
7Mohler, Pat
8P's
9Playboy Magazine
10Progress Publishers
11R's
12"Red, Ida"
13Richards, Ann
14Rinehart, John Paul
15Rolling Stone
16S's
17Sherrick, Lew
18Shrake, Bud
19Steinberg, Jo-Ann
20Stephenson, [Tom?]
21Texas Institute of Letters
22Texas Monthly
23Texas Monthly Press
24Thompson, Leslie, 1998
25Universal Life Church
26University of Texas at Arlington
27W's
28Walk of the Stars
29Weatherholt, Monty
30Williams, Harold R.
31Wyatt, Wyatt
32Wyoming, Leo
33No last name

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Series V: Clippings, 1976-1983

BoxFolder
1634-35General

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