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Papers of artist and author Alvena V. Seckar, collected by her friend Alice McMechen. Collection includes newspaper and magazine articles; material regarding work-in-progress "Jewels of Memory"; invitations to Seckar's birthday parties, correspondence, photographs, artworks, and copies of two of Seckar's books.

Papers of Anna Shue Atkins (1918-2010), a poet, writer, and schoolteacher who was born and spent her early life in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Contains Atkins's poetry and autobiographical writings, as well as her genealogical research, legal documents, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other material. See "Scope and Content Note" and "Historical Note" for further information.

Papers of Breece D'J Pancake (1952-1979) of Milton, West Virginia, noted short story writer who depicted the Appalachian experience of rural West Virginians. Breece Pancake had two short stories published in The Atlantic Monthly before he died of an apparent suicide on 8 April 1979. His only collection of stories, The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake, was published posthumously in 1983. Correspondence, writings, biographical and genealogical materials, and subject files document Breece Pancake's personal life and writing career from the mid-1960s to April 1979 as well as efforts made by his mother, Helen Pancake, and author John Casey to publish his stories after his death. Collection also contains subject files and oversize materials taken from Breece's office at the University of Virginia after he died. See scope and content note for details.

Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, memorabilia, photographs, journals, drawings, and sketchbooks of David Hunter Strother (1816-1888), a nineteenth century illustrator and writer for Harpers Magazine whose pseudonym, "Porte Crayon", was a household word. Other highlights of his career, all of which are reflected in this collection, are authorship of Virginia Illustrated (1857) and Charleston and its Resources (1878), his work as illustrator for Blackwater Chronicle (1853), service during the Civil War as a Union officer, stint as a newspaper editor, and Consul-Generalship to Mexico (1879-1885). According to Strother's biographer, Cecil D. Eby Jr., his writings linked the two traditions of literature in the south, "the genteel romanticism of the sentimental novelists and the earthy realism of the frontier humorists." In 1872-1875 Strother wrote The Mountains, which Eby considers the first important presentation of West Virginia in literature. The collection includes roughly 590 drawings and sketches, 44 volumes of journals, and several boxes of correspondence. An addendum of 2015/06/13 includes one drawing. An addendum of 2007/02/08 includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, announcements, and photographs regarding Strother and related families of the Eastern panhandle of West Virginia. An addendum of 2021/06/04 contains an abridged transcription by Cecil D. Eby Jr., of Strother's diary, 1879-1880, when Strother was General Consul to Mexico. For contents of the addenda and link to the digital collection: Drawings of David Hunter Strother, please see the Scope and Content Note.

The papers of Edward J. Cabbell, an author, poet, editor, and historian documents subjects regarding African-American history in Appalachia, encompassing the colonial period through 1988. The materials include research papers, articles, photographs, clippings, books, and publications such as "Then & Now" and "Black Diamonds". There is also information pertaining to the John Henry legend and includes articles, music references and literature. There are photographs of paintings and sculptures of John Henry, candid images of the John Henry Folk Festivals, Edward J. Cabbell as the director of the John Henry Memorial Foundation and Louis W. Chappell, a West Virginia University professor who compiled a massive collection of Appalachia folklore and music, including John Henry material.

Papers of George Bird Evans, a widely published author and illustrator of books and articles regarding hunting and bird dog breeding. Most of his work was produced at his home "Old Hemlock" in Preston County, West Virginia. Records document his careers as an author of books and articles regarding bird dog hunting; as a breeder of quality bird dogs; an illustrator for several national magazines and the United States Navy during World War II; and as co-author with his wife, Kay Evans, of mystery novels. Materials include: George Bird Evans' Gun Diary with entries and illustrations regarding hunting, fishing, and dog breeding experiences for 65 years; correspondence with friends, patrons, publishers, and other hunters; manuscripts and galleys; cassette tapes (2 items) of recordings of readings by George and Kay Evans; DVDs (3 items) containing 188 digital scans of illustrations by George Bird Evans; and a scrapbook documenting the Evans' career as mystery writers under the pen name "Brandon Bird". There are also 32 oversize drawings by G.B. Evans; oversized photographs and art pieces (7 items) of George Bird Evans, Kay Evans, and their dogs; a DVD of an 18 minute motion picture regarding George Bird Evans; and several sportsman journals, most with published articles by George Bird Evans.

Papers of Muriel Miller Dressler (1918-2000), of Witcher, Kanawha County, West Virginia, noted Appalachian poet and lecturer in the 1970s and 1980s. Collection is chiefly composed of Dressler's poetry and other materials related to her career in the 1970s and early 1980s, though much of the material is undated. Writings include drafts of the poems in her two published collections, Appalachia, My Land (1973) and Appalachia (1977), as well as drafts of unpublished work, materials related to her speaking engagements, and letters related to her poetry. Notable correspondents from the 1970s include Earl Hamner, Ken Kesey, Martin Sheen, and Jesse Stuart. Collection also includes photographs, slides, and film footage of Dressler and audio cassettes of Dressler and William Plumley discussing Appalachian literature. Papers were compiled and probably organized by William Plumley, poet, professor of English, and editor of anthologies and articles on Appalachian folklore, poetry and fiction. Materials largely retain the order in which they were received from Plumley.