Wyndham Robertson Library

Special Collection & University Archives

 

 

Ravenel, Shannon, b. 1938-                                                 Acc. # 3-5/2001

Houghton Mifflin editorial papers for Best American Short Stories

Abstract:

… Shannon Ravenel was the series editor for BASS, 1977-1990.  Ravenel worked with a different guest editor each year.

… The reading records consist of lists of periodicals and any short stories published within each periodical for each year.

… The remaining material includes letters of notification and/or permissions, contracts, reviews and clippings of BASS, manuscripts, drafts of introductions to the annual volume, and editorial correspondence to authors, the Houghton Mifflin staff, and between the series editor and the guest editor.

 

Size:

3.936 cubic feet (8 boxes)

 

 

Donor:

Shannon Ravenel, February 12, 2001

 

Access:

No restrictions.

 

Rights:

Permission to quote from documents must be obtained from copyright owners.

 

Related

Collections

University Archives:

…Ý Q-4a:Ý Alumni Files-Ravenel, Shannon

…Ý J-2:Ý Student Publications-The Spinster (1957-1960)

Hollins Authors Collection & the General Collection:

…Ý PS551.N49 (New Stories from the South)

…Ý PS645.B4 (Best American Short Stories)

 

Biographical Statement[1]

Shannon Ravenel grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from Hollins College in 1960 with a B.A. in English, cum laude.Ý While at Hollins Ravenel was the editor for Cargoes, the campus literary magazine and member of several campus organizations, including the Grapheon Literary Society and Joint Legislature.Ý After graduation, she joined the staff of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. in New York.Ý Following her position at Holt, she worked eleven years for Houghton Mifflin in its trade editorial department.Ý Ravenel accepted Houghton Mifflinís invitation to act as Series Editor of Best American Short Stories in 1977, and has co-edited eleven volumes of that anthology. In 1982, she joined her former teacher, Louis Rubin, to establish Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, ìwith the aim of publishing non-fiction and literary fiction of unpublished young writers.îÝ Ravenel edits the series New Stories from the South.Ý She served as Vice President and Senior Editor and then became Editorial Director in 1991, when Rubin retired.Ý

 

Box / Folder Lists

Box 1ÝÝ

Folder 1

Reading record 1977 ñ for Best American Short Stories 1978

2 ñ 4

Best American Short Stories 1978 ñ edited by Ted Solotaroff

Box 2

Folder 5

Reading record of stories published in 1978

6 ñ 8

Best American Short Stories 1979 ñ edited by Joyce Carol Oates

9

Reading record of stories published in 1979

Box 3

Folder 10 ñ 12

Best American Short Stories 1980 ñ edited by Stanly Elkin

13

Reading record of stories published in 1980

14

Best American Short Stories 1981 ñ edited by Hortense Calisher

Box 4

Folder 15

Reading record of stories published in 1981

16 ñ 18

Best American Short Stories 1982 ñ edited by John Gardner

19

Reading Record of stories published in 1982

20

Best American Short Stories 1983 ñ edited by Ann Tyler

21

Reading record of stories published in 1983

Box 5

Folder 22

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Best American Short Stories 1984 ñ edited by John Updike

23

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Reading records, 1984, for Best American Short Stories 1985

24

Ravenel ñ St. Louis; Best American Short Stories 1985 ñ edited by Gail Godwin

25

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Reading records, 1985 for Best American Short Stories 1986

26

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Best American Short Stories 1986 ñ edited by Raymond Carver

Box 6

Folder 27

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Reading records, 1986 (partial ñ this was the year of the computer experiment. Approximately 1,900 stories read for Best American Short Stories 1987 ñ edited by Ann Beattie

28 ñ 30

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Best American Short Stories 1987 ñ edited by Ann Beattie

31

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Reading records, 1987 for Best American Short Stories 1988

32 ñ 33

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Best American Short Stories 1988

Box 7

Folder 34 ñ 35

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Best American Short Stories 1988 ñ edited by Mark Helprin

36 ñ 37

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Reading record 1988 for Best American Short Stories 1989

38 ñ 41

Ravenel ñ St. Louis: Best American Short Stories 1989 ñ edited by Margaret Atwood

Box 8

Folder 42

Reading record of stories published in 1990

43 ñ 49

Best American Short Stories, 1990 ñ edited by Richard Ford

50

Final selections ñ form letters

 

[1] Sources: Key West Literary Seminar pamphlet for 1989 ; Hollins University. Office of Development. Alumnae files; Hollins University Archives Alumnae Files; ìShannon Ravenel, 1938- . Personal Informationî in Gale Literary Database, accessed May 21, 2001, 3:30 pm.

 

This finding aid was prepared by Beth Harris / Special Collections Management Librarian / Wyndham Robertson Library / Hollins University / Roanoke, VA 24020 / 540-362-6237

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