EVANS, MARI, 1923-2017.
Mari Evans papers > Writings

Collection Stored Off-Site

All or portions of this collection are housed off-site. Materials can still be requested but researchers should expect a delay of up to two business days for retrieval.

Series 2
Writings, 1969-2010
Boxes 16 - 40

Scope and Content Note

The series consists of writings by Mari Evans from 1969-2010 and includes personal notebooks, speeches, lecture notes, novels, book manuscripts, TV show proposals, short stories, poems, essays, original musical compositions, musicals, and stage plays. There is a significant amount of material relating to the Daybreak Project, which was an unfinished and never aired television program highlighting Black women writers. The notes about the Daybreak Project are specifically related to an episode about writer Margaret Walker called "We Have Been Believers."

The series also contains material from two different projects relating to the Exoduster movement. Exodusters were Black families from the South that migrated to Kansas in the late nineteenth century. The first project, developed by Evans in collaboration with Harry Belafonte and called "Happy Birthday Mrs. Craig" is about the matriarch of the Craig family of Nicodemus, Kansas. The other project was a proposed television show about Exodusters and Nicodemus, Kansas, and includes a genealogical chart of the Craig family.

The series has the notes from Eyes, a theatrical adaptation of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, as well as drafts of original music created by Evans for the adaptation. Evans was also a musician and this series contains original sheet music composed by Evans. There are additional writings by others and fragments of writings by Evans.

Arrangement Note

Arranged in alphabetical order.

Box Folder Content
16 1 Ahidiana Conference: "Developing the New Black Woman speech, 1978
16 2 "Bedroom," short story, undated
16 3 "Behind the Green Door," essay, undated
16 4 "Black Literature in the U.S: An Overview," book, 1969-1974
16 5 "Black Writer in Transition," essay, 2004
16 6 "Bluest Eye," essay, undated
16 7 Boochie, play, 1978-1989 [1 of 5]
16 8 Boochie, play, 1978-1989 [2 of 5]
16 9 Boochie, play, 1978-1989 [3 of 5]
17 1 Boochie, play, 1978-1989 [4 of 5]
17 2 Boochie, play, 1978-1989 [5 of 5]
17 3 "Black Dance as a Political Movement: A Writer's Prospective," speech, 1973
17 4 "Black Is Such a Pretty Color," short story, undated
17 5 Central State University speech, 1981
17 6 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [1 of 8]
17 7 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [2 of 8]
17 8 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [3 of 8]
18 1 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [4 of 8]
18 2 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [5 of 8]
18 3 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [6 of 8]
18 4 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [7 of 8]
18 5 Clarity as Concept: A Poet's Perspective, book, 1983-2008 [8 of 8]
19 1 "Contemporary Poetry," essay, 1991
19 2 "Critical Approach to Black Literature: The Classroom Connection," speech, 1983 [1 of 2]
19 3 "Critical Approach to Black Literature: The Classroom Connection," speech, 1983 [2 of 2]
19 4 "Curriculum Imperatives," speech, undated
19 5 A Dark and Splendid Mass (A Time to Speak), book, 1991-1995
19 6 "Daughter-In-Law, play, undated
19 7 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [1 of 9]
19 8 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [2 of 9]
20 1 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [3 of 9]
20 2 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [4 of 9]
20 3 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [5 of 9]
20 4 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [6 of 9]
20 5 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [7 of 9]
21 1 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [8 of 9]
21 2 Daybreak Project, 1983-1999 [9 of 9]
21 3 Dear Corinne, Tell Somebody! Love, Annie: A Book about Secrets, book, 1985-1988
21 4 "Dear Mr. President... "essay, undated
21 5 "Decolonization as Goal: Political Writing as Device," essay, 1979
21 6 "Disk," short story, undated
21 7 "Ethos and Creativity: The Impulse as Malleable, essay, undated
21 8 "Evolution of African-Matrixed Music," essay, 2000
21 9 "Evolution of Black Literature: A Contemporary Perspective," essay, 1983
21 10 Exodusters projects, circa 1950-1970 [1 of 5]
21 11 Exodusters projects, circa 1950-1970 [2 of 5]
22 1 Exodusters projects, circa 1950-1970 [3 of 5]
22 2 Exodusters projects, circa 1950-1970 [4 of 5]
22 3 Exodusters projects, circa 1950-1970 [5 of 5]
22 4 Eyes, play, 1975-1986 [1 of 4]
22 5 Eyes, play ,1975-1986 [2 of 4]
23 1 Eyes, play, 1975-1986 [3 of 4]
23 2 Eyes, play, 1975-1986 [4 of 4]
23 3 Formal/folk roots of Black poetry, essay, undated
23 4 Fragments, undated [1 of 11]
23 5 Fragments, undated [2 of 11]
23 6 Fragments, undated [3 of 11]
24 1 Fragments, undated [4 of 11]
24 2 Fragments, undated [5 of 11]
24 3 Fragments, undated [6 of 11]
24 4 Fragments, undated [7 of 11]
24 5 Fragments, undated [8 of 11]
25 1 Fragments, undated [9 of 11]
25 2 Fragments, undated [10 of 11]
25 3 Fragments, undated [11 of 11]
25 4 Gemini: Six Short Stories, 1975 [1 of 2]
26 1 Gemini: Six Short Stories, 1975 [2 of 2]
26 2 Glide and Sons, dramatic musical, 1975 [1 of 2]
26 3 Glide and Sons, dramatic musical, 1975 [2 of 2]
26 4 "Granddads," song, 1997-2010
26 5 "Gunsmoke," television episode proposal, undated
26 6 "Hold the Wind," short story, 1988
26 7 How They Made Beri Bani, children's book, undated
26 9 "How We Came Together: Reflections on South Central and the Marches," essay, 1995
26 8 "I accuse," TV show proposal, undated
26 10 I am A Black Woman, book, undated
27 1 Illustrations, undated
27 2 I Look At Me! children's book, 1973-1974
27 3 I'm Late: The Story of Laneese and Moonlight and Aisha Who Didn't Have Anyone of Her Own, book, 1996-2001
27 4 I, Man, play, undated
38 4 Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, School of liberal arts pre-commencement address, 2007
27 5 Incomplete list of Mari Evans' collected works, undated
27 6 International airport series script, undated
27 7 "Imperatives of Struggle: An African-American dilemma," speech, undated
27 8 "Jackson Campaign: Dress Rehearsal for Creative Political Thought," essay, 1980-1984
27 9 JD, Children's book, 1970-1975
27 10 Jim Flying High, children's book, 1976-1982
27 11 "Langston Hughes, Mission and Language: Re-Inventing a Landscape," essay, 1988-1989
28 1 "Langston Hughes Symposium," speech, 1991
28 2 "The Language of Resistance in African-American Literary Traditions," speech, 1996
28 3 Morning: Day One, novel, undated
28 4 Morning: Day One, novel, undated
28 5 Morning: Day One, novel, 2001
29 1 "Musa Project, essay, undated
29 2 "Museum as Analogue: The Other Side of Alienation," essay, 1993
29 3 "Museum as Analogue; The Other Side of Alienation," essay, 1993
29 6 "My Father's Passage," essay, 1977-1988
29 7 "Nature and Methodology of Colonization and Its Relationship to Creativity (A Systems Approach to Black Literature)," essay, 1978
30 1 Nightstar: 1973-1978 [Whisper], book [1 of 2]
30 2 Nightstar: 1973-1978 [Whisper], book [2 of 2]
30 3 Notes, undated [1 of 5]
30 4 Notes, undated [2 of 5]
30 5 Notes, undated [3 of 5]
31 1 Notes, undated [4 of 5]
31 2 Notes, undated [5 of 5]
31 3 Notes from Black Enterprise essay, 1976-1977
31 4 Notes, poetry lecture, undated
31 5 Notes, speech, 2006
31 6 Notebooks, undated [1 of 8]
32 1 Notebooks, undated [2 of 8]
32 2 Notebooks, undated [3 of 8]
32 3 Notebooks, undated [4 of 8]
32 4 Notebooks, undated [5 of 8]
33 1 Notebooks, undated [6 of 8]
33 2 Notebooks, undated [7 of 8]
33 3 Notebooks, undated [8 of 8]
34 4 "Other Times, Other Music," short story, undated
34 5 Paul Robeson: Committed Creativity, lecture, undated
34 6 Phillis, play, 1980
35 1 "Phillis Wheatley: Perspectives on Reality," speech, undated
35 2 Poems, circa 1960-2000 [1 of 3]
35 3 Poems, circa 1960-2000 [2 of 3]
35 4 Poems, circa 1960-2000 [3 of 3]
35 5 "Poetry as Political Force," essay, undated
35 6 "Political Writing as a Device," essay, 1978
35 7 Portrait of a Man, play, 1984 [1 of 2]
36 1 Portrait of a Man, play, 1984 [2 of 2]
36 3 Rap Stories, children's book, 1974
36 4 "Readings in Black Poetry," speech, 1977
36 5 "Reality and the Dream, the Eighties: Progressive or Regressive?" essay, undated
36 6 "The Rebel," sheet music, undated
36 7 "Reflections On The March'," essay, 1995
36 8 "Relationship of Child-Rearing Patterns to Chaos and Change in the African American Family," essay, 1987 [1 of 4]
36 9 "Relationship of Child-Rearing Patterns to Chaos and Change in the African American Family," essay, 1987 [2 of 4]
37 1 "Relationship of Child-Rearing Patterns to Chaos and Change in the African American Family," essay, 1987 [3 of 4]
37 2 "Relationship of Child-Rearing Patterns to Chaos and Change in the African American Family," essay, 1987 [4 of 4]
37 3 Renita and Charles at The Chocolate Kisses Daycare Center, children's book, undated
37 6 "Ritual for a Sister/Friend during Funeral Services," essay, 1994
38 1 River of My Song, play, 1977 [1 of 3]
38 2 River of My Song, play, 1977 [2 of 3]
38 3 River of My Song, play, 1977 [3 of 3]
38 5 "Sigma Tau Delta Convention Indiana State University," speech, 1978
38 6 Singing Black, children's book, 1978
29 4 Sheet Music, 1965-2010 [1of 2]
29 5 Sheet Music, 1965-2010 [2 of 2]
38 7 "South Central: Some Reflections," essay, undated
39 1 Stations, play, 1984 [1 of 4]
39 2 Stations, play, 1984 [2 of 4]
39 3 Stations, play, 1984 [3 of 4]
39 4 Stations, play, 1984 [4 of 4]
39 5 "Struggle: A Nationalist's Perspective," essay, 1978
39 6 Summer Picnic, children's book, undated
39 7 "Third Stop in Caraway Park," short story, undated
36 2 Unidentified project proposal, undated
40 1 Unidentified writings, undated
40 2 "Uniqueness of Race: Encounter as Influence in the Creative Process," essay, 1993
40 3 "Using African American Poetry in the Classroom," speech, 1984
40 4 "Watch Your Mouth," TV proposal, 1976
40 5 We're Gonna Make a New World! play, 1984
40 6 Where We Live: Essays about Indiana, book, 1989
40 7 "Who I Am and How I Write," essay, undated
40 8 "Why Roots?" essay, undated
40 9 Witherspoon (a review), 1983
40 10 "Writing as Architecture," essay, undated
33 4 Writings by others, circa 1960-2004 [1 of 5]
33 5 Writings by others, circa 1960-2004 [2 of 5]
34 1 Writings by others, circa 1960-2004 [3 of 5]
34 2 Writings by others, circa 1960-2004 [4 of 5]
34 3 Writings by others, circa 1960-2004 [5 of 5]
37 4 Writings by others, Resistance, Insurgence, And Identity: The Art of Mari Evans, Nelson Stevens and the Black Arts Movement by Robert Douglas, 2006 [1 of 2]
37 5 Writings by others, Resistance, Insurgence, and Identity: The Art of Mari Evans, Nelson Stevens and the Black Arts Movement by Robert Douglas, 2006 [2 of 2]
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