James Perkins Papers
Series I of this collection houses correspondence, book reviews, grade books, a manuscript copy of Snakes, Butterbeans, and the Discovery of Electricity, and other materials documenting James Perkins' work at Westminster College between 1979 and 2008. Of particular interest are the items showing his selection as a Fulbright Scholar and his work on Robert Penn Warren.
Series II of this collection houses research notes, publications, and other information that Perkins compiled while working on his 1972 dissertation examining the work of poet Kenneth Fearing.
Dates
- 1935-2008 (bulk 1972-2008)
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection houses correspondence, book reviews, grade books, a manuscript copy of Snakes, Butterbeans, and the Discovery of Electricity, research notes, and other materials documenting James Perkins' work at Westminster College and his 1972 dissertation on poet Kenneth Fearing.
Biographical/Historical Note
James Ashbrook Perkins was born in Covington, Kentucky on February 7, 1941. After attending Holmes High School, he obtained degrees from Centre College (1963), Miami University (1965), and the University of Tennessee (1972), where he got his PhD in English. After a year as an instructor at UTK, Perkins was hired to teach creative writing and American literature at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, where he has stayed.
Perkins has participated in four summer seminars and institutes hosted by the National Endowment for the Humanities. At a seminar under R. W. B. Lewis, Perkins was reintroduced to the work of Robert Penn Warren and has spent almost two decades researching and writing about Warren. Among these works are All the King's Men: Three Stage Versions, The Cass Mastern Material, and Selected Letters of Robert Penn Warren: Triumph and Transition, 1943-1952 (Volume 3). He is also a poet and writer of short stories. His most recent collection of stories is Snakes, Butterbeans and the Discovery of Electricity, published by Mercer University Press.
Arrangement
This collection consists of three boxes divided into two series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Professional Papers, 1979-2008 (bulk 1997-2008)
- Series II: Dissertation Research on Kenneth Fearing, 1935-1987 (bulk 1972-1987)
Acquisition Note
James A. Perkins donated these papers to the University of Tennessee's Special Collections Library on June 25, 2008.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository