John Morressy papers

Collection

Identifier: SCA-RBSC-SFWA-089

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Series I includes early research, story notes, handwritten drafts, typescripts, and galleys for Morressy's novels including the complete Iron Angel fiction series and 3 novels from the Kendrigern universe. Morressy had the habit of scrawling research and story notes on scrap paper. These scraps were made from old correspondence, surplus course syllibi, and flyers.

Series II houses drafts, typescripts, and other textual documents having to do with... Morressy's short fiction. A small number of items date back to Morressy's graduate years.

Series III is devoted to drafts, typescripts, and correspondence, as well as copies of Morressy's poetry, satire, and commentary during his early academic career. The bulk of the material is poetry.

Dates

Creation: circa 1953-1995

Creator

Morressy, John, 1930-2006 (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research under the terms of the NIU Special Collections and Archives. Photographs and photocopies of collection are prohibited.

Restrictions, where applicable, are noted at the folder level.

Conditions Governing Use

Property Rights are transferred to the University Libraries per the signed Deed of Gift Document. Literary Rights are retained by the content creator. Any copyrights so stated in the materials remain in force.

Biographical Note

John Morressy (December 8, 1930–March 20, 2006) was a science fiction and fantasy writer and a professor of English at Franklin Pierce College.

Morressy earned his BA in 1953 from St. John’s University and his graduate degree in 1961 from New York University. He was a successful Professor of English, and then Writer Emeritus, at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire from 1968.

In an authorial career that spanned 40 years, Morressy published more... than 25 novels and short story collections, as well as poetry and nonfiction, much of which has been published in several languages. His best known series, the Kedrigern Chronicles, was published between 1986 and 2003.

Morressy drew inspiration from his environment. The gritty landscapes in his earlier space opera novels were the result of his living arrangements in New York City during the late 60s and early 70s. The pastoral landscapes in his later fantasy novels came about from Morressy's relocation to rural New Hampshire.

Extent

4.47 Linear Feet : (2 record boxes; 8 archival document boxes).

Language of Materials

English

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Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 3 series.

Series I: Novels
Series II: Short fiction
Series III: Poetry, satire, and commentary

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Barbara Morressy, wife of John Morressy, on September 19, 2014.

Separated Materials

Four (4) published books were individually catalogued as part of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Collection, located in NIU Special Collections and Archives.