Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Session 7.10 (Archives) The Pearl S. Buck Manuscripts Collection: A Collaboration to Promote one of America’s Foremost Authors
Session Abstract or Summary
Pearl S. Buck embodies the idea of “Many Mountains, Many Musics” on a global scale. A prolific author and noted humanitarian, Buck championed civil rights and advocated for children throughout her lifetime. Born in West Virginia in 1892, Buck lived in China with her missionary family for the first 40 years of her life. The plight of Chinese peasants inspired her novel The Good Earth for which she won a Pulitzer Prize in 1934. Four year later she received the Nobel Prize in Literature for her genuine portrayals of the Chinese as well as her biographical works about her parents and their Appalachian roots. Buck was also internationally renowned for her humanitarian efforts. Pearl S. Buck International, a charitable organization founded by Buck, carries on her legacy of cultural appreciation, commitment to service, and support for children.
Through a collaboration by the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation, West Virginia Wesleyan College, and West Virginia University, the literary manuscripts of this leading American author are now open for research at the West Virginia and Regional History Center at West Virginia University Libraries. This session will discuss Buck’s life, the history of her literary manuscripts collection, the partnership to make the papers accessible, and the collection’s research potential. Buck fostered the “Many Mountains, Many Musics” of the entire world, but she always considered herself a West Virginian. Scholars and researchers will now have greater opportunity to explore Buck and her Appalachian roots through her personal written record.
Presentation #1 Title
The Pearl S. Buck Manuscripts Collection and the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace preserves the birthplace home of the author Pearl S. Buck and interprets her life from its humble origins in the Appalachian town of Hillsboro, West Virginia to her rise to international recognition as a Nobel Prize winning author. The house museum educates visitors on the early experiences of Pearl's life that helped shape some of the major characters and plotlines of her books. The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace is also a cultural asset for the Hillsboro community, providing opportunities for education, recreation and economic development. This presentation will provide a brief history of the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation, the Birthplace Museum, and how the PSBBF came to be the owners and stewards of Ms. Buck’s original manuscript collection. The talk will present Ms. Buck’s views on her place of birth and her stated desires for the manuscript collection and the Birthplace to become “…a gateway to new thoughts and dreams and ways of life!”
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Lori Hostuttler is the Digital Projects and Outreach Archivist at the West Virginia and Regional History Center at West Virginia University Libraries. Lori holds degrees in social studies education, history, and library science and has worked for WVU Libraries for over ten years. She worked extensively on West Virginia History OnView, the West Virginia and Regional History Center’s online photographs archive.
Presentation #2 Title
The Pearl S. Buck Manuscripts Collection and West Virginia Wesleyan College
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
The Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library at West Virginia Wesleyan College played an important role in the preservation of Pearl S. Buck’s literary manuscripts. From 1974 until 2014, West Virginia Wesleyan served as the custodian of the manuscript collection on behalf of the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation. This panel presentation will address the history of West Virginia Wesleyan’s efforts in safeguarding the manuscripts as well as highlight the work done to organize and preserve the manuscript collection over the last 40 years. The presentation will also discuss the origins of the current collaborative agreement to open up the collection in partnership with West Virginia University. West Virginia Wesleyan College is located in Buckhannon, West Virginia, and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library is committed to empowering students and other users for advanced and lifelong learning.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
John A. Cuthbert is Curator and Director of the West Virginia and Regional History Center and Special Collections at West Virginia University Libraries. A graduate of Worcester State University, the University of Massachusetts and West Virginia University, he has written extensively on many topics in West Virginia history. Cuthbert is a WVU Claude Worthington Benedum Distinguished Scholar and recipient of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s Charles H. Daugherty Award.
Presentation #3 Title
The Pearl S. Buck Manuscripts Collection and the West Virginia and Regional History Collection at West Virginia University Libraries
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
As the leading manuscripts repository in West Virginia, the West Virginia and Regional History Center at West Virginia University Libraries was selected by the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation in 2014 to serve as the permanent depository for the Pearl S. Buck Manuscripts. The WVRHC is the foremost collection of historical and cultural resources relating to West Virginia. The Center is widely noted for its literary manuscripts collection which includes those of authors including David Hunter Strother, Melville Davisson Post, Breece DJ Pancake, Louise McNeill Pease, Irene McKinney, Denise Giardina and Maggie Anderson. This presentation will focus on the history, development and goals of the new collaborative effort to open up and promote the collection, as well as opportunities for scholarly research.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Kirk Judd was a member of the Appalachian Literary League, a founding member and lifetime adviser of West Virginia Writers, Inc., and is a founding member of and director of Allegheny Echoes, Inc. Author of 3 collections of poetry and a co-editor of the widely acclaimed anthology, “Wild, Sweet Notes – 50 Years of West Virginia Poetry 1950 – 1999,” Kirk currently sits on the board of the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Brett T. Miller serves as the archivist, coordinator of records management, and music librarian at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he received his undergraduate degree. In addition, Miller holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He has had professional experience in the Archives Center at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and serves as part-time archivist for the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The Pearl S. Buck Manuscripts Collection and the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation
The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace preserves the birthplace home of the author Pearl S. Buck and interprets her life from its humble origins in the Appalachian town of Hillsboro, West Virginia to her rise to international recognition as a Nobel Prize winning author. The house museum educates visitors on the early experiences of Pearl's life that helped shape some of the major characters and plotlines of her books. The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace is also a cultural asset for the Hillsboro community, providing opportunities for education, recreation and economic development. This presentation will provide a brief history of the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation, the Birthplace Museum, and how the PSBBF came to be the owners and stewards of Ms. Buck’s original manuscript collection. The talk will present Ms. Buck’s views on her place of birth and her stated desires for the manuscript collection and the Birthplace to become “…a gateway to new thoughts and dreams and ways of life!”
