de Grummond Collection

McCain Library and Archives
USM Libraries
The University of Southern Mississippi


HARRIET MAY SAVITZ PAPERS

Collection Number
Collection Dates
Collection Volume
DG1130
1962-1997
5.90 cu.ft. (18 boxes)

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

Provenance
Material was donated by Harriet Savitz between 1995-1997.

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
Harriet May Savitz (nee Blatstein) was born on May 19, 1933 in Newark, New Jersey. She married Ephraim Savitz, and attended Upsala College and Rutgers University. She has held a variety of jobs, but always felt that writing was her true calling. Although she had written since childhood, she began to publish after taking a creative writing class. Soon after she began collaborating with her teacher, Maria Caporale Shecktor. Together they wrote two books for children, The Moon Is Mine, and Peter and Other Stories.

In the early 1970's, Ms. Savitz met Charles Blockson, an advocate of wheelchair sports. This relationship, and her friendship with a quadriplegic activist named Edward Davenport, inspired Ms. Savitz to focus her talents on subjects relating to the disabled. She wrote several fiction books about disabled teenagers, including Fly, Wheels, Fly!, On the Move, The Lionhearted, and Run, Don't Walk. Run Don't Walk was adapted for an ABC "Afterschool Special", produced by Henry Winkler. She also wrote several non-fiction books including Consider Understanding Disability as a Way of Life, and two books about the history of wheelchair sports, Wheelchair Champions and The Sweat and the Gold. Ms. Savitz passed away on July 20, 2008, after a long illness. She is survived by her son, Steve, her daughter, Beth, and four grandchildren.

More information on Harriet May Savitz can be found at www.harrietmaysavitz.com

Scope and Content
Fly, Wheels, Fly!, A Girl's Best Friend, The Lionhearted, On the Move, and Run, Don't Walk are all young adult novels dealing with the challenges and difficulties faced by disabled teenagers. The Lionhearted tells the story of Rennie, confined to a wheelchair, and her two friends, Lee and Bess. In Run, Don't Walk, Samantha, recently paralyzed, retreats into a shell with her new dog. Johnny Jay, a longtime paraplegic, urges her to join him in crusading for the rights of disabled people. The collection holds correspondence and publicity material for all five of these titles. There are typescripts for The Lionhearted, On the Move, and Run, Don't Walk. For Fly, Wheels, Fly! the collection holds a galley.

In addition, the collection holds material for three nonfiction books about handicapped people and the history of wheelchair sports. For The Sweat and the Gold and Wheelchair Champions, the collection contains correspondence, research material, galleys, and publicity material. There is correspondence and publicity material for Consider Understanding Disability as a Way of Life.

The collection also contains material for several children's and young adult books on topics other than the disabled. If You Can't Be the Sun, Be a Star concerns one teenager's struggle against crime in her high school. In The Cats Nobody Wanted, Frankie helps to take care of Mrs. Beasley's cats when she gets too sick to take care of them. The collection holds typescripts for The Bullies and Me; Come Back, Mr. Magic; If You Can't Be the Sun, Be a Star; Summer's End; and Swimmer. There is correspondence for Come Back, Mr. Magic; The Moon Is Mine; The Pail of Nails; Summer's End; Swimmer; and Wait Until Tomorrow.

The "Unpublished Books" series includes typescripts and/or correspondence for eleven proposed children's books. The "Articles" series contains articles by Ms. Savitz on handicapped persons and other subjects. Most of the articles about the handicapped were written for a column called "On the Move," which a Pennsylvania newspaper published in the early and mid-seventies. The "Biographical and Autobiographical Materials" series includes three folders of articles and newspaper clippings concerning her work as an author and lecturer. The series contains three autobiographical essays by Ms. Savitz.

The "Activism" series contains material concerning a conference which Ms. Savitz helped to organize in Philadelphia in 1977. Also included are materials for the Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table, which Savitz co-founded, and for V.E.E.P. (Very Exciting Educational Program), an organization which she and Edward Davenport used to publicize issues of importance to handicapped persons.

The "Correspondence" series contains fan mail and letters regarding lectures and school appearances. The rest of the correspondence primarily concerns Ms. Savitz's communications with agents and publishers. The "Photographs" series includes pictures of Ms. Savitz with friends and at public appearances. It also contains several pictures of wheelchair athletes. The "Miscellaneous" series holds hundreds of newspaper and magazine clippings about handicapped issues.

Series and Subseries

A. Books (1967-1997, n.d.)

B. Unpublished Books (1980-1990, n.d.)

C. Articles (Undated)

D. Biographical and Autobiographical Material (1988-c. 1997)

E. Activism (1975-1993, n.d.)

F. Correspondence (1962-1993, n.d.)

G. Photographs (Undated)

H. Miscellaneous (Undated)

Box Inventory


  Box/Folder 

A. Books


     The Bullies and Me by Harriet May Savitz (New York: Scholastic, 1991).
     
     1/1-1/2    Typescript, 

     1/1	     Chapters 1-4, 53 pp.

     1/2 	     Chapters 5-10, 70 pp.


     The Cats Nobody Wanted by Harriet May Savitz (New York: Scholastic,
     1989).

     1/3       	Correspondence, 1988-1990, 10 items.

     1/4       	Notes, 1 item.

     	       	Book jacket, 1 item.

     		Publicity material, 2 items.

     		Reviews, 2 items.
 
     Come Back, Mr. Magic by Harriet May Savitz (New York: New American 
     Library, 1983).

     1/5       	Correspondence, 1982-1990, 13 items.

     1/6-1/7   	Typescript, 

     1/6 	     Front matter, 4 pp., and chapters 1-5, pp. 1-66.

     1/7	     Chapters 6-12, pp. 67-144.

     1/8        Proof, pp. 1-149.

     1/9       	Royalty statements, 7 items.

     		Publicity material and reviews, 4 items.


     Consider Understanding Disability As a Way of Life by Harriet May 
     Savitz (Minneapolis: Sister Kenny Institute, 1975).

     1/10	Correspondence, 1974-1980, 26 items.

     2/1	Publicity material, 7 items.

     
     Fly, Wheels, Fly! by Harriet May Savitz (New York: John Day, 1970).

     2/2	Correspondence, 1969-1987, 12 items.

     2/3	Galley, "marked set," pp 1-30.

     2/4 	Typescript for an article about the writing of Fly, Wheels,
		Fly!, 8 pp.

     2/5	Publicity material, 14 items.
     
	        Royalty statements, 2 items.


     A Girl's Best Friend by Harriet May Savitz (New York: Scholastic, 1995).

     2/6	Correspondence, 1991-1995, 10 items.

     2/7	Typescript, revisions, 21 pp.

     2/8-2/9   	Proof, "master pages," 

     2/8	     Front matter, 5 pp., and chapters 1-4, pp. 1-40.

     2/9	     Chapters 5-10, pp. 41-102.

     2/10-2/11 	Proof, "final pages," 

     2/10	     Front matter, 5 pp., and chapters 1-4, pp. 1-43.

     2/11	     Chapters 5-10, pp. 44-105.

     3/1       	Photocopy of preliminary sketch, 1 item.

   	        Book jacket, 1 item.

     3/2        Publicity material, 4 items.


     Growing Up at 62 by Harriet May Savitz (Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Little
     Treasures, 1997).
     
     3/3	Correspondence, 1997, 1 item.

     3/4-3/5   	Typescript, 

     3/4             48 pp.

     3/5             54 pp.

     3/6-3/7	Typescript,

     3/6	     Front matter, 8 pp., and pp. 1-35.

     3/7             pp. 36-97.

     3/8       	Book jacket proof, 1 item.

               	Photocopies of articles, 4 pp.

     		Publicity material, 8 items.


     Ich Bin ein MŠadchen Na Und?: Roman (originally titled
     Firefighter) by Harriet May Savitz (Bastei LŠubbe, 1991).
     
     3/7-3/8   	Typescript, 

     3/7	     Chapters 1-5, pp. 1-74.

     3/8	     Chapters 6-13, 109 pp. 

     3/9	Typescript pages, 17 pp.

     3/10	Typescript, incomplete, 45 pp.

     4/1-4/2	Typescript,

     4/1	     Chapters 1-6, pp. 1-88.

     4/2	     Chapters 7-12, pp. 89-169.

     4/3	Publicity material, 1 item.


     If You Can't Be the Sun, Be a Star by Harriet May Savitz (New York: New
     American Library, 1982).

     4/4	Typescript, incomplete, 34 pp.

     4/5	Publicity material, 3 items.

     		Royalty statements, 2 items.


     The Lionhearted by Harriet May Savitz (New York: John Day, 1975).

     4/6	Correspondence, 1973-1989, 29 items.

     4/7-4/8	Typescript,

     4/7	     Chapters 1-6, pp. 1-54

     4/8	     Chapters 7-14, pp. 55-112.

     4/9	Publicity material and reviews, 17 items.

     4/10	Royalty statements, 1976-1987, 24 items. 
     

     The Moon Is Mine by M. Caporale Shecktor and Harriet May Savitz,
     illustrated by Charles Robinson (New York: John Day, 1968).

     4/11       Correspondence, 1967-1968, 4 items.

     		Photograph of cover, 1 item.

     		Publicity material, 1 item.

     		Review, 1 item.


     On the Move by Harriet May Savitz (New York: John Day, 1973)

     4/12	Correspondence, 1971-1985, 16 items.

     		Outline, 1 p.

     4/13      	Typescript, edited, 50 pp.

     4/14	Typescript, 11 pp.

     		Typescript, 11 pp.

     5/1	Publicity material, 17 items.

     5/2        Royalty statements, 1976-1978, 11 items.


     The Pail of Nails by Harriet May Savitz and K. Michael Syring,
     illustrated by Jane Mary Sorosiak (Ottowa Hills, OH: Ottawa Hills Press,
     1980).

     5/3       Correspondence, 1972-1989, 13 items.

     5/4       Dummy.

     5/5       Publicity material and reviews, 7 items.

     5/6       Royalty statements, 9 items.


     Peter, and Other Stories by Harriet May Savitz and M. Caporale Shecktor
     (New York: John Day, 1969).

     5/7        Correspondence, 1967, 2 items.

     		Photograph of cover, 1 item.

     		Review, 1 item.


     Remembering Norm: A Victim's Story (Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance, 1995).

     5/8-5/9    Typescript,

     5/8	     pp. 1-92.

     5/9	     pp. 93-166.

     5/10-5/11  Typescript,

     5/10	     pp. 1-92.

     5/11	     pp. 93-155, and photocopies, 11 pp.

     5/12      	Book jacket, 1 item.
     
     		Publicity material, 2 items.


     Run, Don't Walk: A Novel by Harriet May Savitz (New York: Watts, 1979).

     5/13      	Correspondence, 1978-1992, 34 items.

     6/1       	Typescript, pp. 1-119.
     
     6/2       	Typescript, revised pages, 11 pp.

     		Typescript, 7 pp.

     6/3       	Book jackets, 3 items.

     6/4       	Publicity material and reviews, 36 items.

     6/5       	Royalty statements, 36 items.


     Summer's End by Harriet May Savitz (New York: New American Library,
     1984).

     6/6       	Correspondence, 7 items.

     6/7-6/8   	Typescript, edited with typesetter's marks,

     6/7             Front matter, 3 pp., and pp. 1-42.

     6/8             pp. 101-151.
     
     6/9       	Royalty statements, 1984-1987, 6 pp.

     6/10      	Publicity material and reviews, 3 items.


     The Sweat and the Gold by Harriet May Savitz (Norristown, PA: VEEP,
     1984).

     6/11-7/2   Correspondence, 

     6/11	     1979-1980, 71 items.

     7/1	     1981-1984, 67 items.

     7/2             Undated, 33 items.

     7/3       	Research and interview notes, 25 items.

     7/4-8/1   	Research material, 

     7/4	     30 items.

     7/5	     8 items.

     8/1             7 items.

     8/2       	Typescript of preface, 3 pp.

     8/3       	Manuscript of index, 13 pp.

     8/4-8/6   	Galley, several versions interfiled,

     8/4             Chapters 1-3, 56 pp.

     8/5             Chapters 4-7, 83 pp.

     8/6             Chapters 8-12, 71 pp.

     8/7       	Galley, 68 pp.

     9/1	Proof, front matter, 20 pp., and pp. 1-111.

     9/2       	Proof, pp. 1-151.

     9/3       	Proof, 138 pp.

     9/4       	Proof, 138 pp.

     9/5-9/7   	Photographs,

     9/5             2 items.

     9/6             15 items.

     9/7             23 items.

     9/8-9/9   	Photographs, photocopied, 

     9/8	     49 items.

     9/9	     36 items.
     
     9/10      	Reviews and publicity material, 3 items.


     Swimmer by Harriet May Savitz (New York: Scholastic, 1986).

     10/1      	Correspondence, 1986-1988, 8 items.

     10/2      	Typescript, 61 pp.

     10/3      	Typescript, 60 pp.

     10/4      	Typescript, 61 pp.

     10/5       Typescript, photocopy, 61 pp.

     10/6      	Typescript, 78 pp.

     10/7      	Typescript, 78 pp.

     10/8   	Typescript revisions, 14 pp.

     10/9      	Galley, 54 pp.

     10/10      Publicity material, 4 items.

     10/11      Royalty statements, 30 pp.


     Wait Until Tomorrow by Harriet May Savitz (New York: New American
     Library, 1981).
     
     11/1	Correspondence, 1980-1988, 15 items.

     		Typescript, front matter, 1 p., and chapter 4, 10 pp.

     		Corrections, 2 pp.

     11/2	Book jacket, 1 item.

     		Publicity material, 4 items.

     		Royalty statements, 10 items.


     Wheelchair Champions: A History of Wheelchair Sports by Harriet May
     Savitz (New York: Crowell, 1978).

     11/3      	Correspondence with agents and publishers, 1975-1984, 52 items.
     
     11/4      	Research correspondence,

     11/4            1974, 4 items.

     11/5            1975, 23 items.

     11/6            1976-1978, n.d., 26 items.
     
     11/7      	Miscellaneous correspondence, 9 items.

     11/8      	Research materials, 10 items.

     11/9      	Notes, 10 pp.

     11/10      Typescript, 14 pp.

     11/11      Typescript, index, 13 pp.

     11/12      Galley, 49 pp.

     12/1-12/3  Photographs, 

     12/1            Cover, and pp. 8, 9, 9, 95, 5 items.

     12/2            Unused, 4 items.

     12/3            Photocopies and captions, 12 pp.

     12/4      	Book jackets, 5 items.

     12/5	Publicity material and reviews, 40 items.


B.  Unpublished Books (1980-1990, n.d.)


     "The Best of 'Em"

     12/6      Correspondence, 1987, 10 items.         


     "Dyslexia...Talking About It"
     
     12/7      Correspondence, 3 items.

     12/8-12/9 Typescript,

     12/8           Front matter, 2 pp., and chapters 1-4, pp. 1-40.

     12/9           Chapters 5-11, pp. 41-108.


     "Flame"

     12/10-12/11    Typescript,

     12/10               Chapters 1-5, pp. 1-57.

     12/11               Chapters 6-11, pp. 58-117.


     "I Wonder Why"

     12/12          Typescript, 17 pp.


     "The Magic Moment"

     12/13-12/14    Typescript, 

     12/13               Books 1 and 2, pp. 1-57.

     12/14               Books 3 and 4, pp. 58-101.


     "The Measuring Line"

     12/15          Typescript, 12 pp.


     "The Polka Dot Kid"

     13/1-13/2 Typescript,

     13/1           Chapters 1-5, pp. 1-56.

     13/2           Chapters 6-10, pp. 57-97.


     "Record Breakers"

     13/3      Correspondence, 1 item.

     	       Research material, 3 items.

     	       Typescript, 11 pp.


     "The Sick Sea"

     13/4      Correspondence, 1990, 2 items.
     
               Typescript, 2 copies, 20 pp.


     Unidentified Book on Reading

     13/5      Correspondence, 18 items.

     13/6      Rejection letters, 30 items.

     
     "Wheelchair Express"
     
     13/7      Correspondence, 1980, 4 items.

     13/8      Research material, 47 items.


C.  Articles (Undated)

     13/9-14/2 Articles about the disabled,

     13/9      Typescripts, 9 items.

     14/1-14/2 Clippings and photocopies, 2 folders.

     14/3-14/4 Other articles, 

     14/3      Typescripts, 5 items.

     14/4      Clippings and photocopies, 16 items.

               Short story, "The New Woman," in Young World, May-
               July, 1977, 10 pp.

D.  Biographical and Autobiographical Material (1988-c.1997)

     14/5-14/7 Articles and publicity material, 3 folders.

     14/8-14/9 "Facing the Goblins: An Autobiography of Harriet May Savitz"

     14/8-14/9 Typescript,

     14/8           Chapter 1-5, pp. 1-60.

     14/9           Chapter 6-10, pp. 61-120.
     
     14/10-15/1 "Harriet May Savitz: From Here to There" in Something About the Author Autobiography Series, vol. 9, 1990.

     14/10     Correspondence, 1988-1989, 10 items.
     
     14/11     Typescript, 40 pp.

     14/12     Typescript, 42 pp.

     15/1      Proof, pp. 301-318.

     15/2      "Harriet May Savitz: The Writing Passion" in Something About the
               Author Autobiography Series, vol. 26, c. 1997.

     		Typescript, pp. 1-39.
     
     		Proof, pp. 189-207.

     15/3      	Interview, 4 pp.

     
E.  Activism (1975-1993, n.d.)

     15/4-15/9  Workshop, "The Disabled: Will It Sell?" 

     15/4       Correspondence, 1977, n.d., 37 items.
     
     15/5       Questionnaire, 4 items

     15/6-15/7  Proceedings and notes, 

     15/6	     29 pp.

     15/7            15 pp.

     15/8       Photographs, 4 items.

     15/9       Publicity material, 9 items.
     
     15/10-15/12 "Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table"

     15/10      Correspondence, memos and bulletins, 1975-1993, 22 items.

     15/11      Brochures and publicity material, 8 items.

     15/12      Articles about, 5 items.      

     15/13      "Very Exciting Educational Program (V.E.E.P.)," newsletters and press
                releases, 5 items.

     15/14      Miscellaneous Activism,

                Correspondence, 1983-1985, 4 items.

     		Articles, 10 items.


F.  Correspondence (1962-1993, n.d.)
     
     15/15-16/4 Fan mail, 7 folders.

     16/5-16/7 	Lectures and school appearances, 

     16/5            1971-1979, 24 items.

     16/6            1981-1989, 30 items.

     16/7            1990-1992, n.d., 17 items.

     16/8       Correspondence with Maria Shecktor, 1962-1968, 23 items.

     16/9-17/4  Correspondence,

     16/9            1962-1968, 30 items.

     16/10           1970-1973, 33 items.

     16/11           1974-1976, 50 items.

     17/1            1977-1979, 38 items.

     17/2            1980-1981, 29 items.

     17/3            1982-1993, 49 items.

     17/4            Undated, 22 items.  


G.  Photographs (Undated)

     17/5-17/7  Photographs,

     17/5            28 items.

     17/6            10 items.

     17/7            9 items.


H.  Miscellaneous (Undated)

     18/1       Certificates of achievement, 10 items.
     
     18/2       Miscellaneous items, 14 items.

     18/2-18/3  Research material about people with disabilities and disabled sports.




Processed: June 1998
Revised: July 2001; August 2008

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