Guide to James (Barr) Fugate Collection 

Collection Summary

Title: James (Barr) Fugate Collection
Call Number: MS 2004-2 
Size: 2.0 linear feet
Acquisition: Purchased from Bolerium Books in June 2001. Additional materials were donated by Elsie Lytle and friends of James Fugate.
Processed by: JLY, 6/2004

Literary Rights

Literary rights were not granted to Wichita State University. When permission is granted to examine manuscripts, it is not an authorization to publish them. Manuscripts cannot be used for publication without regard for common law literary rights, copyright laws and the laws of libel. It is the responsibility of the researcher and his/her publisher to obtain permission to publish. Scholars and students who eventually plan to have their work published are urged to make inquiry regarding overall restrictions on publication before initial research.

Content Note

The James (Barr) Fugate Collection includes letters written by Fugate to Dr. Noel Cortes from January 1950 to December 1952, manuscript notebooks from the 1980s, published manuscripts for Fugate's books Quatrefoil and Derricks, photographs and artifacts.

Administrative History

James Fugate (pen name James Barr), author of several gay themed novels, plays, and articles was born in Oklahoma, but came to live in Holyrood, Kansas after World War II. It was while in Holyrood that the bulk of his literary output was produced including his groundbreaking novel Quatrefoil published in 1950. In the 1950s Fugate began a journalism career as the area feature writer for the Great Bend, Kansas, Tribune. In addition to Quatrefoil, Fugate also published the collection of short stories Derricks (1951), the play Game of Fools (1955), and his second novel The Occasional Man (1966), as well as numerous articles, commentaries, and stories for the publications One Magazine, Mattachine Review, and Der Kreis. James Fugate died in 1995 in Oklahoma.

Series Listing

Series 1 Box 1 FF 1 - 18 Correspondence. The series consists of seventeen letters with original envelopes written by James (Barr) Fugate to Dr. Noel Cortes from November 1950 to December 1952. Also included is a letter by an unknown author that mentions Barr.
Series 2 Box 1 FF 19-23 Notebooks. The five notebooks in this series contain handwritten manuscripts by Fugate. All but one is dated and the writings span from 1986 to1988.
Series 3 Box 1 FF 24-26 Published Manuscripts. Included in this series are the original typescript manuscripts for Quatrefoil and Derricks. There are corrections made to the manuscripts and each are housed in black cloth clam shell boxes. Also included with this series is a hardback copy of Fugate's second book Derricks.
Series 4 Box 1 FF 27 Photographs. Includes photographs of Fugate and others. 1953, 1993, and unknown dates.
Series 5 Box 2 Artifacts. This series includes personal artifacts that belonged to James Fugate and includes his artificial eye, a statue, a promotional poster for an art exhibit, and an illustration.
 

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1 -- Correspondence
     
Box 1 FF 1 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, November 18, 1950
Box 1 FF 2 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, December 29, 1950
Box 1 FF 3 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, November 30, 1950
Box 1 FF 4 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, December 7, 1950
Box 1 FF 5 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, December 30, 1950
Box 1 FF 6 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, January 2, 1951
Box 1 FF 7 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, January 11, 1951
Box 1 FF 8 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, February 7, 1951
Box 1 FF 9 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, February 21, 1951
Box 1 FF 10 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, February 29, 1951
Box 1 FF 11 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, May 24, 1951
Box 1 FF 12 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, October 19, 1951
Box 1 FF 13 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, December 7, 1951
Box 1 FF 14 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, January 20, 1952
Box 1 FF 15 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, January 24, 1952
Box 1 FF 16 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, February 7, 1952
Box 1 FF 17 James Barr to Dr. Noel Cortes, December 30, 1952
Box 1 FF 18 Letter not from or to Barr. Written to "Heart" from "Your Second Soul," February 6, 1952
 
Series 2 -- Notebooks
     
Box 1 FF 19 Notebook with handwritten manuscript titled "'The Dancing Man' which is the 'James Barr' section of the novel entitled 'Imperfect Portraits'" and dated 11-29-1986.
Box 1 FF 20 Notebook with handwritten manuscript titled "Private Conversation between James Barr and Jean Paul Haines (the core of 'Imperfect Portraits'), dated 12-12-1986.
Box 1 FF 21 Notebook with handwritten manuscript titled "Cast of Characters for 'Imperfect Portraits.'"
Box 1 FF 22 Notebook with handwritten manuscript titled "TWIT Tulsa," dated 6-15-1987.
Box 1 FF 23 Notebook with handwritten manuscript titled "Closing Circles," dated 2-11-1988.
 
Series 3 -- Published Manuscripts
     
Box 1 FF 24 Quatrefoil. Original typescript manuscript with corrections and additions written by Fugate. Also laid in are a typed note describing the four meanings of the title and six pages of handwritten notes by Barr detailing changes he made.
Box 1 FF 25 Derricks. Original typescript manuscript.
Box 1 FF 26 Copy of Fugate's second book Derricks
 
Series 4 -- Photographs
     
Box 1 FF 27 Photographs. Folder includes eight photographs of Fugate (1953, 1993, date unknown). Photograph of three unidentified people (August 1966), Fugate with an unidentified male and dog (date unknown), group of four people, back is labeled "My father, mother, you and Fred" (date unknown).
 
Series 5 -- Artifacts
     
Box 2   James Fugate's artificial eye
Box 2   Statue
Box 2   Illustration. This illustration of a man in uniform was given to Fugate and became a treasured possession. The illustration was originally framed, but has since been removed and encapsulated for preservation purposes.
Box 2   Poster for an art exhibit sponsored by the Quatrefoil Library. The library is located in St. Paul, Minnesota and took its name from the title of Fugate's first novel.