Guide to the Jay McInerney Papers,
1971-1989

Collection Number: 4666

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3530
Fax: (607) 255-9524
rareref@cornell.edu
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:
Phil McCray and Lisa Sasaki
Date completed:
October 1996

© 1998 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Jay McInerney papers, 1971-1989
Collection Number:
4666
Creator:
Jay McInerney
Quantity:
1.7 cubic ft.
Forms of Material:
Personal correspondence, professional and publishing correspondence, photographs, videocassettes and audiocassettes, fan mail, two scrapbooks, ephemeral items, and newsclippings.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
The Jay McInerney papers consist of personal correspondence, professional and publishing correspondence, photographs, and other papers relating chiefly to the publicity for his novel Bright Lights Big City.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Jay McInerney is the author of Bright Lights Big City, Ransom, and other novels.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The Jay McInerney papers consist of personal correspondence, professional and publishing correspondence, photographs, and other papers relating chiefly to the publicity for his novel Bright Lights Big City. The collection includes manuscripts of McInerney's other published and unpublished writing, and drafts and screenplay drafts of Bright Lights Big City. The collection also includes videocassettes and audiocassettes, fan mail, two scrapbooks (dissembled) that chronicle the personal life and professional and literary presence of Jay McInerney and Merry McInerney, ephemeral items, photographs, and newsclippings.
Personal papers include letters and notes from McInerney to his wife Merry; photographs of them and their wedding; material regarding travel, particularly in Africa; incidental diary fragments; and financial and business records. Correspondents include Raymond Carver and Tess Gallagher, McInerney's editor and friend Gary Fisketjon of Random House, and authors Richard Ford, Rust Hills, Paul Bowles, Julian Barnes, Tama Janowitz, Lorrie Moore, Tina Brown, Bill Buford, Gordon Lish, Tobias Wolff, and Mona Simpson.
SUBJECTS

Names:
McInerney, Jay
Carver, Raymond L.
Gallagher, Tess
Lish, Gordon
Moore, Lorrie
Simpson, Mona
Wolff, Tobias, 1945-
Bowles, Paul, 1910-
Brown, Tina
Buford, Bill
Barnes, Julian
Ford, Richard, 1944-
Janowitz, Tama
Hills, L. Rust
McInerney-Whiteford, Merry
Fisketjon, Gary

Subjects:
Novelists, American
Fiction--Stories, plots, etc.
Publicity
Publishers and publishing
Authors, American

Form and Genre Terms:
Scrapbooks
Photographs

Occupations:
Authors
INFORMATION FOR USERS

Restrictions on Use:
Authors retain literary rights.
Cite As:
Jay McInerney Papers, #4666. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
SERIES LIST

Series I. Personal correspondence Box 1
Series II. Professional and publishing correspondence Box 2
Series III. Manuscripts Box 3
Series IV. Writings Box 4
Series V. Scrapbooks Boxes 5-6
Series V. Ephemera Boxes 7
Series VI. Videocassettes See Container List
CONTAINER LIST

Date
Description
Container
Series I. Personal correspondence
1971-1985
Correspondence from Raymond Carver to Jay McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: February 10, 1971
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: December 17, 1980
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: July 23, 1981
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: January 13, 1983
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: July 7, 1983
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: July 15, 1983
Box 1 Folder 1
Postcard: July 19, 1983
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: July, 1983
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: March 28, 1984
Box 1 Folder 1
Postcard: May 24, 1984
Box 1 Folder 1
Postcard: June 21, 1985
Box 1 Folder 1
Letter: July 7, 1985
Box 1 Folder 1
1971-1985
Photocopies of correspondence from Carver to McInerney--Letters only
 Box 1 Folder 2
1981-1986
Correspondence from Tess Gallagher to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 3
Letter: June 4, 1981
Box 1 Folder 3
Letter: October 20, 1982
Box 1 Folder 3
Postcard: January 13, 1983
Box 1 Folder 3
Letter: August 11, 1983
Box 1 Folder 3
Postcard: 1983
Box 1 Folder 3
Letter: 1984
Box 1 Folder 3
Letter: January 21, 1985
Box 1 Folder 3
Letter: March 24, 1986
Box 1 Folder 3
Poem: 1986
Box 1 Folder 3
1982-1989
Correspondence from McInerney to Merry (Reymond) McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 4
n.d.
Correspondence from McInerney to Merry McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 5
1982-1986
Correspondence from Gary L. Fisketjon to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 6
1987
Note with photograph of wine bottles and annotation from Julian Barnes to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 7
1985
Letter from Tina Brown to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 8
1985
Letter from Tina Brown to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 9
1984
Letters from Bill Buford to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 10
1983-1986
Correspondence from Richard Ford to McInerney including one letter from McInerney to Ford never sent
 Box 1 Folder 11
1986
Letter from Rust Hills to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 12
n.d.
Letter from Tama Janowitz to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 13
1982-1986
Letters from Gordon Lish to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 14
1982-1986
Letters from Lorrie Moore to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 15
n.d.
Letters from Mona Simpson to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 16
n.d.
Letters from Tobias Wolff to McInerney
 Box 1 Folder 17
1984-1987
Miscellaneous correspondence
 Box 1 Folder 18
1986
Postcards from McInerney never sent
 Box 1 Folder 19
Series II. Professional and publishing correspondence
1980-1985
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 1
1985
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 2
1985
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 3
1986
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 4
1986
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 5
1987-1988
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 6
n.d.
Professional and publishing correspondence
 Box 2 Folder 7
n.d.
Notes
 Box 2 Folder 8
n.d.
Notebook with notes
 Box 2 Folder 9
1985-1986
Miscellaneous material regarding trip to Africa with Sobek's International Explorers Society
 Box 2 Folder 10
1985
Notes
 Box 2 Folder 11
"Notes: Paul Bowles 1985, Tangier (for Vanity Fair piece)"
1988
Good Help by Allan Gurganus with dedication from author to McInerney
Box 2 Folder 12
1981-1986
Paolo Barozzi miscellany
 Box 2 Folder 13
Note from McInerney, Peggy Guggenheim: Una donna, una collezione, Venezia by Barozzi with personal dedication from author to McInerney, "Peggy Guggenheim Remembered" by Barozzi
1984
Draft of the play After Hours by Joseph Minion with note from McInerney
Box 2 Folder 14
1985-1988
Miscellaneous
 Box 2 Folder 15
Newspaper article, complimentary drink passes, slide, tour information
1986-1989
Miscellaneous
 Box 2 Folder 16
Business cards, addresses and phone numbers, newspaper clippings, notes, American Express credit card
Series III. Manuscripts
n.d.
Notes
 Box 3 Folder 1
n.d
Revised second draft of Bright Lights, Big City with Michael Ulick's notes
Box 3 Folder 2
n.d.
Draft of screenplay of Bright Lights--Version 1
Box 3 Folder 3
n.d.
Draft of screenplay of Bright Lights--Version 2
Box 3 Folder 4
n.d.
Draft of screenplay of Bright Lights--Version 3
Box 3 Folder 5
n.d.
Draft of screenplay of Bright Lights--Version 4
Box 3 Folder 6
n.d.
Additional copy of Version 4
 Box 3 Folder 7
n.d.
Early draft of Paint It Black, unpublished screenplay
Box 3 Folder 8
n.d.
Early draft of Paint It Black
Box 3 Folder 9
n.d.
First draft and early notes of Paint It Black
Box 3 Folder 10
1987
Manuscript of I-Land Manhattan in Monologue by Sonia Pilcer
Box 3 Folder 11
Series IV. Writings
1884
"The Real Tad Allagash"
 Box 4 Folder 1
First draft--originally entitled "Allagash on the Hudson," rejection letter from Mademoiselle
n.d.
"The Real Tad Allagash"
 Box 4 Folder 2
n.d.
Chapters from an unpublished novel
 Box 4 Folder 3
n.d.
"Sympathy"
 Box 4 Folder 3
n.d.
"Sympathy"
 Box 4 Folder 4
n.d.
Criticism on "The Nuclear Age" by Tim O'Brien
 Box 4 Folder 5
n.d.
Pages 8-11 of unknown story
 Box 4 Folder 6
n.d.
"Instant Tinsel"
 Box 4 Folder 7
n.d.
"Where They Be Smoke"
 Box 4 Folder 8
First and second drafts
1986-1987
"Smoke"
 Box 4 Folder 9
Letters of rejection and acceptance, two drafts of "Smoke," The Atlantic Report author profile, photocopy of article revisions
1985
"Bowles Galleys"
 Box 4 Folder 10
Letter from Vanity Fair, photocopy of article revisions
n.d.
"Deadly Hazards, Minor Hassles"
 Box 4 Folder 11
n.d.
"A Sentimental Education"
 Box 4 Folder 12
1987
"Reunion"
 Box 4 Folder 13
Two drafts, photocopies of article revisions from Esquire
n.d.
"Fear of Dancing"
 Box 4 Folder 14
Two copies, original article in Esquire
n.d.
Introduction to Manhattan Transfer
Box 4 Folder 15
n.d.
Speeches
 Box 4 Folder 16
n.d.
Interview
 Box 4 Folder 17
Series V. Scrapbooks
1982-1984
Miscellaneous
 Box 5 Folder 1
Letters of congratulation, miscellaneous publishing letters, letters regarding "Amanda" and "IT'S 6 AM, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE"
1984
Miscellaneous
 Box 5 Folder 2
Newspaper clippings, publicity photo, book jacket, miscellaneous publishing letters
1984-1985
Miscellaneous
 Box 5 Folder 3
Newspaper clippings, photo of bookstore, miscellaneous letters
1984
Photocopies and original newspaper clippings
 Box 5 Folder 4
1984-1985
Photocopies of newspaper clippings
 Box 5 Folder 5
1986
Fan mail
 Box 5 Folder 6
1985-1987
Fan mail
 Box 5 Folder 7
1985-1987
Fan mail
 Box 5 Folder 8
1985-1986
Fan mail
 Box 5 Folder 9
1979-1986
Letters received, clippings, Syracuse University administrative papers
 Box 6 Folder 1
1983-1986
Negatives and photographs, wedding photographs, publicity photographs, a letter
 Box 6 Folder 2
c. 1985
Letters, invitation list, McInerney resume
 Box 6 Folder 3
1984-1985
Proposal from Playboy, publicity
Box 6 Folder 4
c. 1985
Publicity
 Box 6 Folder 5-8
Series VI. Ephemera
 Box 7
Sunglasses worn by Michael J. Fox, Bright Lights, Big City t-shirt, photos of McInerney and Merry, flyers, book jackets, newspaper and magazine clippings; audiocassettes: German feature on McInerney and Bret Easton Ellis, and "Why I am Not Moving to Hollywood" by McInerney; McInerney interviews with Paul Bowles
Series VII. Videocassettes
"I Minimalisti"
 V-343
"Bright Lights Big City," Jay McInerney Interviews 4/22/88
 V-343