A Guide to the Laura Furman Papers, 1961-2001

Biographical Note

Laura Furman (1945 - ) is a novelist, essayist and short-story writer and a member of the University of Texas faculty in the Department of English. Furman has published three novels, two collections of short stories, one memoir, and an anthology, as well as dozens of short stories and essays.

Furman was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 19, 1945 and received her B.A. in English from Bennington College in Vermont in 1968. In 1978 she moved to Houston to serve as the senior editor of Houston City Magazine and since then has continued to live in Texas. In 1983 she began her career at the University of Texas at Austin Department of English as a lecturer, and is currently serving as an Associate Professor of English at the university. Furman has received many awards and grants, including residencies at the Yaddo retreat in Saratoga Springs, New York (1972-1978, 1984, 1985), the Dobie Paisano Grant from the Texas Institute of Letters and The University of Texas at Austin (1981), and the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship (1982-1983). She was also the founding editor of the literary journal American Short Fiction (1990-1994).

Scope and Contents

The papers (1961-2001) contain drafts, manuscripts and correspondence relating to the development and publication of Furman's books, essays and stories, as well as post-production materials including reviews, publicity information, and published copies of the works. The papers also include personal and professional correspondence, lecture notes, research files, and other materials.

The papers are organized into five series: General, Essays and Articles, Plays, Stories, and Books. The General Series consists of an alphabetical listing of Furman's papers that are not related to a specific writing project. The remaining series are each organized alphabetically by the title of the work, and chronologically within the title. Note that some works may have had multiple titles during the writing process. In these cases, the work will be listed under the final or published title, with early titles noted as they occur chronologically.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Some access restrictions: no photocopies or quotations from material unless authorized by Laura Furman; access to photographic negatives and computer disks is restricted.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Laura Furman Papers, 1961-2001, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin

Detailed Description of the Collection