de Grummond Collection

McCain Library and Archives
University Libraries
University of Southern Mississippi



MICKEY KLAR MARKS PAPERS

Collection Number
Collection Dates
Collection Volume
DG0667
1945-1984
5.1 cu.ft. (17 boxes)

Biographical Sketch | Scope & Content | Related Collections | Series & Subseries | Box Inventory

Provenance

Acquired from Mickey Klar Marks between 1966 and 1986.

Restrictions

Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright

The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Biographical Sketch

Mickey Klar was born on January 9, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York. She attended New York University and Columbia University, and married Harold Marks in 1935. During the 1940's and 1950's, Marks wrote hundreds of short stories for children's magazines. She also wrote the text for several picture books during the 1950's. In the 1960's and early 1970's, she wrote several books related to her hobby, sculpture, as well as books about collage, abstract painting, and kinetic art.

During the 1970's, Marks devoted more time to writing plays, mostly humorous, and often for juvenile audiences. Stanley Werner, a high school drama and English teacher, was Marks' most frequent collaborator. Together, they wrote several plays and Theatre in Education, a manual for drama teachers. Marks and Werner also cooperated to produce several of their plays, mostly with high school drama societies at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York. She died in 1986.

Scope and Content

The first series in this collection contains correspondence, as well as notes which Marks wrote about her vacations, and reflections about herself. Occasionally, Marks wrote articles for an adult audience. Typescripts for these are included in the "Articles" Series.

The "Published Books" Series contains typescripts and other materials relating to seventeen publications. Seven of these titles are how-to books for children on creating various types of art, such as abstract painting (Painting Free), kinetic art (Op-Tricks), Collage, Sand Sculpturing, Slate Sculpturing, and Wax Sculpturing. For most of these titles, the collection contains photographs and/or sketches, as well as typescripts and some correspondence. There are also typescripts for several picture books which Marks wrote during the 1950's, such as Hucklebones, Let's Go To the Fair, Little Peter What's My Name, and Oh Susanna!. Finally, during the late 1950's, Marks wrote three books for older children (c. 8-12). First You Like Me, for which there are typescripts and galleys, is the story of a young tomboy dealing with the problems of growing up. The collection also holds typescripts for The Holiday Shop, and Strawhat Theater.

The "Playscripts" Series contains typescripts and production materials for nine plays written by Marks and collaborators. "Dragons Are Never Extinct," Is It Soup Yet?, "Naturella and the Frog Prince," "Pay the Piper," and A Spell For Malatesta were written for juvenile audiences, and several were conceived as audience participation plays. Is It Soup Yet? and A Spell for Malatesta were published and marketed to teachers and drama coaches. "Slices From a Day Old Pie," "The Violet Damask," and "Who's Going to Make the Dip?" were comedies performed by high school or amateur production companies. This series consists primarily of typescripts, but also includes correspondence, reviews and publicity material relating to productions of the plays. In the container list for this series, published plays have been indicated by the use of capital letters.

The "Theater" Series contains material relating to Theatron, a production company which Marks was involved in during the early 1970s. Most of the material in this series relates to the "Theatre in Education" program designed by Marks and Stanley Werner. This program, and the manual which accompanied it, proposed the training of students as facilitators who would visit other classrooms and community groups to conduct participatory drama exercises. There are notes and other materials relating the implementation of this program in Byram Hills High School, in Armonk, New York. Also, there are several typescripts of the manual which Marks and Werner wrote to describe their experience and insights.

The "Short Animated Films" Series contains proposals for roughly a dozen humorous cartoon shorts. A few of these were apparently produced by "Famous Studios."

The "Short Stories, Cartoons, Poems, and Rebuses" Series contains typescripts for hundreds of short pieces sold to children's magazines, mostly in the 1940's and 1950's. This series also contains some correspondence and copies of published stories. Most of the material in this series relates to short stories. Marks also wrote rebuses, poems, and the storylines and captions for cartoons. In the container list, original material for these short works has been noted with a letter in the left margin (C=Cartoon, P=Poem, and R=Rebus). The container list also indicates which company purchased the piece.




Series and Subseries

A. Alphabetical Files (1945-1982)

  • Correspondence

  • Travel Notes

  • Writings (Autobiographical and Miscellaneous)

    B. Articles (for Adults) (1982-1984)

    C. Published Books (1949-1982)