Jane Merchant Literary Manuscripts Collection
The Jane Merchant literary manuscript collection contains the copyedited, typewritten manuscripts of eight Merchant publications, both poetry and non-fiction, published by Abingdon Press. Available titles include Blessed Are You, Halfway Up the Sky, The Mercies of God, and Petals of Light.
Dates
- 1954 September 7-1968
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite, and a minimum of 2 business days are needed to retrieve these items for use. Researchers interested in consulting any of the collections are advised to contact Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact Special Collections.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 half box)
Abstract
The Jane Merchant literary manuscript collection contains the copyedited, typewritten manuscripts of eight Merchant publications, both poetry and non-fiction, published by Abingdon Press. Available titles include Blessed Are You, Halfway Up the Sky, The Mercies of God, and Petals of Light.
Biographical/Historical Note
Jane Hess Merchant was born in 1919 in Inskip, Tennessee. She was confined to her bed at the age of twelve from the congenital bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which also caused her to go deaf at the age of twenty-three. From her bedroom, Merchant was able to write more than 3,000 poems, more than 2,000 letters, dozens of prose pieces, and to publish ten collections of her poetry. In addition to her published works, she also maintained continual correspondence with friends and fans throughout her life. Merchant died in 1972.
Previous Citation
Portions of this collection were previously listed as MS.0389 and MS.0683.
Acquisition Note
This collection was a gift from Jane Merchant.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository