Donald J. and Ellen Greiner collection of John Hawkes

The Donald J. and Ellen Greiner Collection of John Hawkes chronicles the professional and personal relationship between the American novelist John Hawkes and Don Greiner, English faculty member at The University of South Carolina. Dr. Greiner has written several bibliographic and commentary works on Dr. Hawkes’ writings, including Comic Terror: The Novels of John Hawkes.

John Hawkes (1925-1998) was a prolific American novelist, writing in the postmodern tradition. His works are largely surrealist and experimental. Among his students at Brown University were Rick Moody and Jeffrey Eugenides.

This collection contains published materials from Dr. Greiner and Dr. Hawkes, as well as other published materials relating to Hawkes. Correspondence is also included in the collection, including letters between Hawkes and Greiner. Their correspondence began in October 1972 and continued until shortly before Hawkes death in 1998. Their professional and personal relationship is evident in their correspondence. A bulk of the correspondence in the collection includes a long exchange between Geiner and his editor at Memphis State University Press regarding the publication of Greiner’s bibliographical work on Hawkes, Comic Terror: The Novels of John Hawkes.

Also included in this collection are legal and financial materials, photographs and other framed items, newspaper clippings, and AV materials.