Descriptive Summary
Duncan, David James
David James Duncan
Papers,
1959-2002 and undated
Papers of author David
James Duncan from 1959-2002 and undated.
R15.1
Southwest Collection/Special Collections
Library, Texas Tech University
9 boxes (7.8 linear
feet)
English.
Biographical Sketch
David James Duncan, born in Portland, Oregon in 1952, is a writer whose works include
My Story as Told by Water,
The Brothers K, The River Why, and River Teeth.
His work deals with environmental issues, spiritual problems and fly-fishing. My Story as Told by Water,
which was nominated for a National Book Award, expresses his concern about the possible extinction of the Pacific Northwest’s wild salmon.
The River Why and The Brothers K received the Pacific Northwest Booksellers award.
The Brothers K was also named a New York Times Notable Book in
1992 and won a Best Books Award from the American Library Association. Duncan currently lives in Montana.
A list of his publications include:
- Duncan, David James. The Brothers K.
New York: Bantam, 1993.
- Duncan, David James. River Teeth: Stories
and Writings. New York: Doubleday, 1995.
- Duncan, David James. The River Why.
San Francisco: Sierra Club Books; [Berkeley]: Distributed by University of
California Press, 2002.
- Duncan, David James. My Story as Told by
Water. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 2001.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes business and fan correspondence,
manuscripts to published books and articles, reviews, some artifacts, miscellaneous publications,
and lecture notes concerning David James Duncan’s writing career. Correspondents include Barry Lopez, Pattiann Rogers, Bill McKibben, William Kittredge,
Sherman Alexie and Robert Michael Pyle.
The collection is in good condition and is part of the James Sowell
Family Collection in Literature, Community and the Natural World.
Organization
The collection is organized by types of materials such as
correspondence, literary production, and printed materials.
Index Terms
The subject headings used by the Southwest Collection/Special
Collections Library are derived from the Library of Congress and/or locally
developed.
Subjects (Persons)
Duncan, David
James
Duncan, David James-
--Archives
Duncan, David James-
--Correspondence
Duncan, David James-
--Manuscripts
Duncan, David James-
--My Story as Told By Water
Duncan, David James-
--The Brothers K
Duncan, David James-
--The River Why
Duncan, David James-
--River Teeth
Subjects
Natural history--Northwest, Pacific
Fly fishing
Novelists, American
Salmon--Effects of dams on
Collection accession #(s):
2003-0009-X
Purchase, 2002
Access Restrictions
Open for research. Copyright is retained by the authors of items in
this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by U.S. copyright law.
Processed by
Abel Ramirez, 2000
Preferred Citation
David James Duncan Papers, 1959-2002 and undated, Southwest
Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University, Lubbock,
Texas
For related materials located in the Southwest Collection/Special
Collections Library, see the following collections:
- David James Duncan Artifact Collection
- David James Duncan Oversized Items
- Rick Bass Papers, 1958-2001 and undated
- Bill McKibben Papers, 1971-2001 and undated
- Barry Lopez Papers, 1864-2001 and undated
- Barry Lopez Audio Video Collection
- Barry Lopez Photograph Collection
- Barry Lopez Photograph Collection: Apológia
- Doug Peacock Papers, 1950-2000 and undated
- David Quammen Papers, 1956-1999 and undated
- Pattiann Rogers Papers, 1960-1999 and undated
- Annick Smith Papers, 1940-2000 and undated
- William Kittredge Papers, 1954-2000 and undated
- Max Crawford Papers, 1960-2000 and undated
- Sandra Scofield Papers, 1958-2005 and undated
- Gretel Ehrlich Papers, 1923-2005 and undated
- Edward Hoagland Papers, 1953-2007 and undated
Collection Inventory
Correspondence
1
1
Sherman Alexie, includes cards, postcards, letters, e-mail, from Alexie,
his wife, and assistant, includes poetry postcards (Philip Herter, Charley George),
1993-2000 and undated
1
2
James R. Babb, editor Gray’s Sporting Journal,
2000
1
3
Kim Barnes, includes Barnes’ draft manuscript with Duncan’s holographic notes, 1 DJD letter to Barnes,
1995-2000
1
4
Rick Bass, includes postcards, letters, 2 color photos,
1993-2002 and undated
1
5
Jim Beckmann,
1994-2002
1
6
Wendell Berry,
1982 and 2000
1
7
Deb Blue, includes manuscript,
1999-2001 and undated
1
8
Frank Boyden,
1988-2001 and undated
1
9
Annie Dillard, postcards, letter,
1995-2000 and undated
1
10
Jim Dodge (includes poems, broadside),
2000-2001 and undated
1
11
Brian Doyle, includes letters, postcards, e-mail, photocopies of articles and poems,
1993-2002
1
12
Ellie Duncan (daughter) and classmates, letters and drawings,
May 31, 2000
1
13
Steve Duncan (brother), Christmas card, postcards, letters,
1996 and undated
1
14
Doug Frank (photograph appears on cover of River Teeth), includes 1 DJD letter, 1 photo,
1982-2002 and undated
1
15
Ian Frazier, 1 postcard,
Sept. 27, 2000
1
16
John Frohnmayer, includes 1 letter from DJD,
1993-1994
1
17
Dan Glick,
1995 and 2000
1
18
Jim Harrison,
1981, 2001
1
19
Stanley Hauerwas, includes 2 Hauerwas essays: “On being a Christian and an American”; “September 11, 2001: a pacifist response,”
1998-2002
1
20
Lorian Hemingway,
1994 and undated
1
21
Jane Hirschfield, includes a broadsides of poems “Button” and “The Sweetness of Apples, of Figs,”
1997-2002
1
22
Dave Hughes (fly fishing writer), includes letter from Katey Jones,
1986-1987
1
23
Teresa Jordan,
1991-2000 and undated
1
24
Greg Keeler (poet), letters, postcards, Keeler essay “A democracy of anglers,”
1992-1994 and undated
1
25
William Kittredge, 1 postcard,
undated
1
26
Ursula K. Le Guin, 1 postcard, 1 card,
1992, 1995
1
27
Craig Lesley, 1 postcard, 1 card, 2 letters,
1994-1995 and undated
1
28
Barry Lopez, letters postcards, includes Lopez essay “Natural grief” and Lopez story “The hitter,”
1991-2000
1
29
Daniel Mathews (Raven editions) letters, postcards,
1995-2001 and undated
1
30
Peter Matthiessen, letters, postcards,
2001 and undated
1
31
Tom McGuane,
1998-2001 and undated
1
32
Bill McKibben (1 letter),
1995
1
33
Stephanie Mills (1 letter),
Feb. 8, 2001
1
34
Dick Morgan,
1984-1985 and undated
1
35
Laura A. Munson, includes Munson essay “Yard sale,”
1995-2001
1
36
Pat Musick, letters and postcards,
2001-2002
1
37
Kevin Oderman, includes letters, postcards, and photocopy of Oderman story “Go back on,”
1982-1994 and undated
1
38
Chris Offutt,
1995-2000, and undated
1
39
Jayne Anne Phillips, 1 Christmas card, 1 photocopy of Phillips essay “Home after dark,”
1998
1
40
Robert Michael Pyle, letters, postcards, e-mail, copy-edited proof of DJD article on Pyle,
1999-200 and undated
1
41
Pattiann Rogers, letters, postcards, Rogers poem “On the Eve of the Hearing” and essay “ Degree and Circumstance,”
1998-2001 and undated
1
42
Benjamin Saenz, 1 letter,
undated
1
43
Scott Russell Sanders,
2001
1
44
Charles Schwenk,
1985-2000 and undated
1
45
Annick Smith, 1 letter,
Sept. 28, 1996
1
46
Gary Snyder,
1987-1997 and undated
1
47
Kim Stafford,
1993-2000
1
48
Mark A. Stewart,
1982-1998
1
49
Chris Van Dyck,
1983-1985
1
50
Terry Tempest Williams, 1 postcard,
July 10, 1999
1
51
Elizabeth Woody, includes two manuscript drafts,
1995-1999 and undated
1
52
Robert Wrigley,
1994-1998
1
53
Teri Zipf,
1994-1997
1
54
Sallie ______,
1992-1998
1
55
Phil A_____,
1991-2002 and undated
1
56
Keith _____,
1996 and undated
1
57
John (Henry’s TA at Harvard),
May 5, 1998
1
58
David James Duncan, copies of letters from DJD,
1981-2002 and undated
Business Correspondence
1
59
Nature Conservancy,
1994-2000
1
60
Orion Society,
1995-2002 and undated
1
61
Sierra Club,
1982-2001 and undated
1
62
Thir$ty, A Theatre Spectacle About Water,
2000
1
63
University of Portland,
1998
1
64
Business correspondence,
Jan-Aug., 2002
1
65
Business correspondence,
2001
1
66
Business correspondence,
2000
2
1
Business correspondence,
1999
2
2
Business correspondence,
1998
2
3
Business correspondence,
1997
2
4
Business correspondence,
1996
2
5
Business correspondence (includes photographs),
1990-1995
2
6
Business correspondence,
1978-1989
2
7
Business correspondence,
undated
Correspondence, Personal and reader
2
8
Correspondence, personal and reader,
2002
2
9
Correspondence, personal and reader,
Jan.-June 2001
2
10
Correspondence, personal and reader,
July-Dec. 2001
2
11
Correspondence, personal and reader,
Jan.-June 2000
2
12
Correspondence, personal and reader,
July-Dec. 2000
2
13
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1999
2
14
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1998
2
15
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1997
2
16
Correspondence, personal and reader (includes photographs),
1996
2
17
Correspondence, personal and reader (includes photographs),
Jan.-June 1995
2
18
Correspondence, personal and reader,
July-Dec. 1995
2
19
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1994
3
1
Correspondence, personal and reader (includes Limberlost Press postcard and photographs),
1993
3
2
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1992
3
3
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1990
3
4
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1986-1989
3
5
Correspondence, personal and reader,
1982-1985
3
6
Correspondence, personal and reader,
undated
Literary Production
3
7
Honduran Relief, by David Cates,
undated
3
8
“A prayer for the Salmon’s Second Coming,” typescript
pages and page proofs with corrections,
2000 and
undated
3
9
“A Short History of the Farm,” by Michael Traugot, bound
manuscript with correspondence,
1994-1999
3
10
“Bird Watching as a Blood Sport,” essay for reading with
intro. DJD gave at talk, typescript with corrections,
1998
3
11
“Blood Knot,” fishing stories by Pete Fromm, manuscript
with DJD’s notations on the text,
1997
3
12
College Writing, a four page example,
undated
3
13
“Deborha,” a copy of “From These Roots,” with David
James Duncan’s first story,
1959-1960
3
14
“DJD Blurbs,” blurbs written by David James Duncan for
other authors,
1995-2002 and
undated
3
15
“De Selby on the Godhead,” various drafts of an essay on
Irish author Flann O’ Brien,
undated
3
16
“Fearless Leader,” page proofs with some corrections,
2000
3
17
“Fight,” Typescript by DJD,
undated
3
18
“Fishing in Finnegan’s wake,” by Robert H. Boyle,
unbound manuscript with correspondence,
1999-2000
3
19
“Fishing Notes,” notes written after being in Mt. Lolo
for four months,
undated
3
20
“Hats,” an outtake from “The Brothers K,”
undated
3
21
“How Much Gold is a River Worth,” copy of “New York
Times” with David James Duncan’s Piece,
1997
3
22
“Interview,” interview by Doug Thorpe, for image
magazine, several drafts with corrections,
2001 and
undated
3
23
“Khwaja Khadir,” typescript and page proofs with
corrections,
2000 and
undated
3
24
Lecture Notes, lecture notes and manuscripts, many of
which would later become essays,
1993-2002 and
undated
3
25
Lecture Manuscripts, manuscripts for various lectures
with numerous corrections,
2001-2002 and
undated
3
26
“Living Bones and Sex-Crazed Shoes,” original version of
bone-fishing piece in L.A. Times travel magazine,
undated
3
27
“Meeting with a God,” page proofs with corrections,
2000
3
28
“My Story as Told by Water,” miscellaneous draft
sections with corrections, fine-press edition of “Strategic Withdrawal,” and
rejected cover,
2001-2002
4
1
“My Story as Told by Water,” manuscript page proofs with
some corrections,
2000-2001
4
2
“My Story as Told by Water,” manuscripts, including
reference materials and correspondence,
2001 and
undated
4
3
“My Story as Told by Water,” book reviews,
2001
4
4
“My Story as Told by Water,” final manuscript, copy
edited proofs with corrections,
2001
4
5
“My Story as Told by Water,” early bound manuscript,
rough draft bearing variant titles,
1997 and
undated
4
6
“My Story as Told by Water,” correspondence,
permissions, cover art proofs, and miscellaneous,
1998-2000
4
7
“My Story as Told by Water,” miscellaneous page proofs
with corrections,
2000-2001
4
8
“Natives,” and excerpt from “My Story as Told by Water,”
typescript with corrections,
2001
4
9
“Old Dead Christmas,” miscellaneous unsorted manuscript
pages with corrections abandoned early novel,
1974-1978 and
undated
4
10
“Old Dead Christmas,” miscellaneous unsorted manuscript
pages, with corrections, abandoned early novel,
undated
4
11
Outtakes from, “The River Why,” “Two Kinds of Nothing,”
and “An Angler’s Guide to Lord Byron,”
undated
4
12
“Postmortem of a Parodist,” essay on Duncan’s parody of
Peter Matthiessen’s “The Snow Leopard,” with parody,
undated
4
13
Quotes, notes regarding fishing, Sufism, Buddhism,
water, academic notes, etc.,
1968-2002 and
undated
4
14
“The Raven in Logan’s Body,” tearsheet from a short
fiction piece published in Orion Magazine as non-fiction,
1999
4
15
“Risa’s Hadith,” one page excerpt from the unfinished
novel, “Mahatma Gandhi’s Magic Word,” by David James Duncan,
undated
4
16
“Seven Henry Stories,” page proofs with corrections,
undated
4
17
“Song of Songs,” introduction for Judith Ernst’s “Song
of Solomon,” two versions with illustrations and correspondence,
2002
4
18
“Song of the Salmon Sylph,” excerpt from an unfinished
verse novella, with introduction,
undated
4
19
“The Brothers K,” includes research materials for
Vietnam sections of “The Brothers K,” a rejected dust cover, and interview with
veteran,
1982-1988 and
undated
4
20
“The Brothers K,” real prayer in “The Brothers K,” by
Gayle L. Saxby, academic paper,
1995
4
21
“The Brothers K,” a rationale for the use of Duncan’s
novel in senior Humanities,with a letter to Duncan,
undated
5
1
“The Brothers K,” quotations used in “The Brothers K,”
undated
5
2
“The Brothers K,” David James Duncan, early notes and
draft,
1988-1989
5
3
“The Brothers K,” copy edited manuscript, part one,
1991-1992
5
4
“The Brothers K,” copy edited manuscript, part two,
1991-1992
5
5
“The Brothers K,” revised, copy edited proofs,
1991-1992
6
1
“The Brothers K,” reviews and tearsheets re: “The
Brothers K,”
1992-1994 and
undated
6
2
“The Brothers K,” miscellaneous drafts of various
sections, with many corrections, includes publishers dust jacket,
1990-1992 and
undated
6
3
“The Dow Jones Industrial Wildlife Refuge,” typewritten
draft with corrections, unpublished novel, with proposal and summary,
1984 and
undated
6
4
“The King of Epoxy,” multiple incomplete drafts,
undated
6
5
“The River Teeth,” early manuscript with some holograph
changes,
undated
6
6
“The River Teeth,” one page of quotes for “The River
Teeth,”
undated
6
7
“The River Teeth,” book reviews,
1994-1995
6
8
“The River Why,” original typewritten manuscript, with
authors corrections,
undated
6
9
“The River Why,” a new afterward written by DJD twenty
years later, entitled “Heart Work,”
2002 and
undated
6
10
“The River Why,” “Side Channels,” outtakes with various
cover illustrations,
1983 and
undated
6
11
“The River Why,” screen play by Thomas A. Cohen and John
Jay Osborn Jr.,
1985
7
1
“The River Why,” reviews and fan correspondence,
1982-1984
7
2
“The River Why,” reviews and tearsheets,
1983-1984
7
3
“The River Why,” reviews, tearsheets, correspondence,
and scrapbook material,
1981-1985
7
4
“The River Why,” original typewritten drafts of various
sections of “The River Why,” with corrections,
undated
7
5
“The River Why,” original typewritten drafts of various
sections of “The River Why,” with corrections,
undated
7
6
“The River Why,” original typewritten drafts of various
sections of “The River Why,” with corrections,
undated
7
7
“The River Why,” original typewritten drafts of various
sections of “The River Why,” with corrections,
undated
8
1
“The River Why,” original typewritten drafts of various
sections of “The River Why,” with corrections,
undated
8
2
“The River Why,” reviews and tearsheets,
1982-1983
8
3
“The Son Creates a World,” typescript of an abandoned
story,
undated
8
4
“The Temple on Monday,” by Tom Crawford, poetry
manuscript with Duncan’s notations,
undated
8
5
“The War for Norman’s River,” an excerpt, page proofs
with corrections,
2001
8
6
“Thoreau on Water,” with forward by David James Duncan,
2000-2001
8
7
“Toxins in the Mother Tongue,” galley’s of the L.A.
Times magazine article,
1994
8
8
“Toxins in the Mother Tongue,” page proofs,
undated
8
9
“Who Owns The West?” page proofs with corrections,
1998
8
10
“Why Write?” copy of “Northern Lights,” with David James
Duncan’s essay,
1998
8
11
“A Fertile Meadow Far from Town,” copy of Open Spaces
Magazine with John Daniels article, a response to “A Writer’s Retreat In
Oregon,” started by David Duncan and Frank Boyden,
1999-2000
Printed Material, 1978-2002 and undated
8
12
Various publications on, or about, David James Duncan
and his work,
1992-2002
9
1
“Edge Walking on The Western Rim,” anthology including
“The River Teeth,” by DJD,
1994
9
2
“Fly Fishing Tales,” copy with David James Duncan’s
story, “The Line of Light,”
1994
9
3
“His Idiots,” copy of the North American Review, with
David James Duncan’s first story,
1978
9
4
“The Miracle of The Yucatan,” copy of L.A. Times
Magazine, with David James Duncan’s article,
1995
9
5
“The River Teeth,” copy of Pacific Northwest, with David
James Duncan’s essay,
1994
9
6
“The River Teeth,” a journal of non-fiction narrative,
2001
9
7
“Salmon’s Second Coming,” a copy of Sierra, with David
James Duncan’s essay,
2000
9
8
“Toxins in the Mother Tongue,” copy of L.A. Times
Magazine with readers responses,
1994
9
9
“Toxins in the Mother Tongue,” copy of L.A. Times
Magazine with David James Duncan’s article,
1994
Scrapbook Material, undated
9
10
Notes for VHS tape on miscellaneous takes,
undated