Joyce Carol Oates uses scratch paper for notes and drafts of writing projects, both handwritten and typed in her word processor. She usually turns the pages over and upside down to do so. She uses correspondance, drafts of other works, manuscript proofs, fax cover sheets and various other photocopied and printed things.
It occurred to me yesterday that she could have used the letter I handed to her in Paris in 2009 or 2010 in the same fashion. I don't know whether I'd be honored to come across it or horrified to see it had been discarded in such a way. I haven't come across it, though.
I do know for certain, however, that I've been archived for posterity. As I was leaving today, the archivist told me that they have just finished working on the printed materials they have by other people about Oates, which includes a copy of my Herne book!
1 comments:
How great to have that visceral sense of her working with whatever came to hand...and to be the first researcher in a trove!
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