IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
MARGARET THOMSEN RAYMOND
(1900-1985)
PAPERS, 1916-1976
2.25 linear feet
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ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no. 256) were donated
by the Burlington Public Library
in 1995. |
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ACCESS: |
The papers are open for research. |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
»Copyright has not been transferred to the University of Iowa. |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
»In box 1. |
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PROCESSED
BY: |
Your name, year»Leslie Czechowski, 1995. |
Biography
Margaret
Thomsen Raymond, young adult author, was born in Baltimore on July 4,
1900. She lived in Boston and
Philadelphia and graduated from the Friends' Select School in Philadelphia. She also attended Columbia University. Her early career was as an editor, working
at P.F. Volland & Company in Joliet, Illinois, and serving as associate
editor for the 1939 and 1942 editions of Childcraft
for the Quarrie Company in Chicago.
During the 1930s and early 1940s she published four books
for older girls including Linnet on the
Threshold (1930); the teenage love story A Bend in the Road (1934); and Aprilly
Weather, a coming-of-age, high school novel published in 1940. As part of her ongoing interest in
photography, Raymond collaborated with her friend, Freida Zylstra, on the 1941
story Skylark; A Story of a Girl
Photographer Who Flew Over South America.
During the 1930s she also wrote a series of biographical sketches with
Edward Steiner which were published in the church school magazine The Portal. Some of the articles were illustrated by Margaret de Angeli, a
noted children's illustrator.
In 1944 she
married Frank Legare George, a poet who wrote under the pseudonym William
Stephens. They lived in and around
Chicago with his children Johanna, Kenneth, and Frank. She had a lifelong interest in poetry; in
1958 she had a poem accepted for Lyrical
Iowa. After her husband's death in
1959 she continued her writing, producing poetry, short stories, magazine
articles, and two books for Chicago's Michael Reese Hospital.
Later in her
life, Raymond lived in a variety of places before settling in Burlington,
Iowa. She continued to write
extensively. She edited a volume of her
husband's poetry published in 1978 by Ardis Publishers. A major effort during her later years was an
unpublished manuscript, "Indoor Games
for Indoor Children", with
activities for children convalescing at home.
She taught continuing education courses and was active in the
Inter-Faith Council, the League of Women Voters, Friends of the Burlington
Public Library, and the Unitarian Fellowship.
She died February 9, 1985 in Burlington.
Scope and Content Note
The Margaret Thomsen Raymond papers date
from 1916 to 1976 and measure 2.25 linear feet. The papers
are arranged in four series: Biographical
information, Prose, Verse, and Other
writing. The papers demonstrate the
intensive work an author goes through during the creative process; Raymond
often made extensive revisions
of her work, as many as four
to five versions of one poem, for example.
There are no manuscripts of or materials relating to her published
novels but there is an abundance of her early poetry, many short stories, and
the magnum opus of her later years, "Indoor Games for Indoor Children." Also included is poetry by her husband.
Biographical information (1957-1958 and undated)
contains newspaper clippings about Raymond while she lived in Burlington as
well as unlabelled photographs of her throughout her life.
Prose (1933-1976 and undated) includes drafts of a
variety of books Raymond developed.
Included with a final version of "Indoor Games for Indoor
Children" is correspondence from many publishers and a complete draft with
sketches and examples of activities.
The novel, "Mmelanie Ffey", includes a complete version, four
other versions of chapter one, and a detailed review by Fenton Johnson. "Pink-frosted Angel" includes
different versions and sections of the books, many with handwritten
corrections. The folder containing two
books for Michael Reese Hospital also includes correspondence and financial
agreements. In general the other
writings consist of various drafts and notes.
Other highlights from the prose series include Raymond's
column with Edward Steiner titled, "The Gifts They Brought,"
including the published columns and some drafts; two published versions of her
story about African-Americans, "Three Kings' Night"; multiple
versions of the play, "Zoo-ology"; and "Pinocchio", a play
by her sons.
Verse (1916-1975 and undated) includes many poems
written by Raymond in the 1920s and 1930s, later revisions, poetry written
throughout her career and some verse she wrote for songs composed by Marion
Morrey. Additionally there is the
poetry composed by Raymond's husband which she edited for publication after his
death; her correspondence with publishers; and his "Sonnets to
Margaret."
Other writing (1922-1981 and undated) includes
course materials from a creative writing course she taught in Burlington in
1958; correspondence from publishers and a commentary on her poetry by her
husband; her notes from an Elderhostel program at The University of Iowa in
1981; and notes and notebooks of various writings.
Copies of Raymond's published books, Aprilly Weather, A Bend in the Road, and Skylark, are shelved in the printed works collection.
A copy of William Stephens' book of poetry, Standard Forgings, is shelved in the
main library.
Box no. Description
Box 1
Biographical information
Newspaper clippings,
1957-1958 and undated
Photographs
Prose
Proposed books
"Indoor Games for Indoor
Children", 1973 (4 folders)
"The Big Game";
"The Dailey Dozen", undated
Box 2
"Dove in the House"; "Everybody Loves Saturday Night"; "The Great Dr.
Degrell", undated
"Golden Girl", undated
"Hungry Knob"; "Mother Goose", undated
"Mmelanie Ffey", 1973
"The Pink-Frosted Angel", undated
"Wits End", 1955
Two books for Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago, 1969-1970
Short stories
Notes, undated
Box 3
Titles
A-B, undated
C, undated
D-F, undated
G-I, undated
J-L, undated
M-R, 1955, 1968
S, undated
Box 4
T, 1938, 1968
V-W, undated
Column, 1933-1934, 1936
Essays and articles, 1938 and undated
Plays
Titles: A-S, undated
"Zoo-ology", 1954, 1976
"Pinocchio" by Frank and Kenneth Stephens, undated
Verse
Poetry
Folder 1, 1916-1925 and undated
Box 5
Folders 2-4, undated
Poetry by William Stephens, 1926-1950, 1974-1975 (3
folders)
Verse for music, 1954, 1958 and undated
Box 6
Greeting card verse, undated
Other writing
Continuing Education course, 1958
Correspondence
From publishers, 1922, 1972-1973
From Frank Legare George, undated
Elderhostel, 1981
Notebooks, undated
Notes
"Ethelfleda", 1973
"Ethiopia", undated
"Paper Ideas for Christmas",
undated
Miscellaneous, undated