Michael Craft papers

Finding aid prepared by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant.

Special Collections & University Archives

The UCR Library

P.O. Box 5900

University of California

Riverside, California 92517-5900

Phone: 951-827-3233

Fax: 951-827-4673

Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu

URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives

Descriptive Summary

Title: Michael Craft papers

Date (inclusive): 1985-2023, undated

Collection Number: MS 415

Creator: Craft, Michael, 1950-

Extent: 6.08 linear feet (15 boxes, 2 flat file folders)

Repository: Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.

Riverside, CA 92517-5900

Abstract: The collection consists of the papers of author, playwright, and screenwriter Michael Craft. Materials in the collection include manuscripts, notes, research materials, correspondence, promotional materials, reviews and other items related to Craft's career and creative works, most notably the Mark Manning and Claire Gray series.

Languages: The collection is in English.

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the University of California, Riverside Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [date if possible]. Michael Craft papers (MS 415). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Michael Craft Johnson, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Processing History

Processed by Julianna Gil, Student Processing Assistant, 2017. Accruals to the collection were processed and added in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Initial processing of the Michael Craft papers was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian.

Biographical Note

Michael Craft, whose full name is Michael Craft Johnson, was born in Elgin, Illinois in 1950. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning his bachelor's in graphic design. After graduating he attended several years of graduate school at the University of Illinois Institute for Communications Research, but left in 1976 to pursue a career.

He soon received a position at the Chicago Tribune, where he worked for ten years as an art director for the editorial-design department. During his time at the Tribune, Craft moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he began using his long train commute to start writing his first novel. He also met his future husband Leon in 1982, and left the Tribune in 1987 to work for Leon's family-owned business while writing on the side.

After a long period of revising and shopping around his first novel, in 1991 Craft secured his first literary contract with Los Hombres Press for Rehearsing, which was released in 1993. In 1995 he met literary agent Mitchell Waters, who agreed to take Craft on as his first client.

In 1996, Craft signed with Kensington Books for the first three books of the Mark Manning series, publishing Flight Dreams in 1997. In 2000, the Mark Manning series then moved St. Martin's Press, who published the next four Manning books as well as all four book in the Claire Gray series.

In 2005, Craft moved from Kenosha to Rancho Mirage, California, and also began pursuing his MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, which he received in 2007.

In addition to the fourteen published novels written by Craft, he has also written two plays, and was involved in the production of the independent film Pink Squirrels in 2011.

Collection Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the papers of author, playwright, and screenwriter Michael Craft. Materials in the collection include manuscripts, notes, research, correspondence, promotional materials, reviews and other items related to Craft's novels, screenplays, and stage plays, most notably the Mark Manning and Claire Gray series of mystery novels.

The collection also includes materials created as part of the publishing process for Craft's novels, including contracts, promotional efforts and expenses, and significant correspondence with Craft's literary agent Mitchell S. Waters and editors John Scognamiglio and Keith Kahla.

Also included are materials related to Craft's graduate studies at Antioch University, including coursework and graduation materials.

In the process of donating the collection, Craft also wrote various notes offering contextual information on certain works, most of which can be found throughout the collection in folders titled "Author's Note."

Collection Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series as follows:

Series 1. Creative works, 1985-2022
Series 2. Publishing records, 1991-2013, undated
Series 3. Graduate education, 2005-2007

Separated Materials

Published works written by Craft that were donated with the collection, including his master's thesis, translations, and advance review copies of his novels, have been separated for cataloging in Special Collections & University Archives.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

American literature

Detective and mystery stories

Lesbian and gay experience

Literature publishing

Genres and Forms of Materials

Correspondence

Manuscripts

Notes

Promotional materials

Series 1. Creative works 1985-2022

Series Scope and Contents

The series consists of materials related to the creation and promotion of works written by Michael Craft, including novels, stage productions, and screenplays. Materials in the series include both pre-publication materials like notes, research, outlines, proposals, and manuscripts; as well as post-publication materials including publicity, event information, and reviews.

Series Arrangement

The series is arranged into ten sub-series as follows:

Sub-Series 1.1. Mark Manning mysteries, 1994-2007, 2017
Sub-Series 1.2. Claire Gray mysteries, 1985-2006, 2017
Sub-Series 1.3. Mister Puss mysteries, 2017-2019
Sub-Series 1.4. Dante & Jazz mysteries, 2022-2023
Sub-Series 1.5. The MacGuffin, 2008-2010
Sub-Series 1.6. Inside Dumont, 2013-2017
Sub-Series 1.7. Pink Squirrels, 2010-2012, 2017
Sub-Series 1.8. The Transit of Venus, 2004-2013, 2017
Sub-Series 1.9. Palm Springs Noir, 2021
Sub-Series 1.10. Newspaper articles, 2017-2022

Sub-Series 1.1. Mark Manning mysteries 1994-2007, 2017

Sub-Series Arrangement

The sub-series is arranged into eight further sub-series, consisting of materials from specific books in the Mark Manning mystery series.

Sub-Series 1.1.1. Flight Dreams 1994-1998

Box 1, Folder 1

Correspondence 1994-1997

Box 1, Folder 2

Correspondence - Congratulations 1997-1998

Box 1, Folder 3

Correspondence - Publishing Inquiries 1995

Box 1, Folder 4

Editorial Letter 1996

Box 1, Folder 5

Floppy Disks circa 1997

Box 1, Folders 6-7

Manuscript 1996

Box 1, Folder 8

Notes circa 1997

Box 1, Folder 9, Box 14, Folder 2, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 5

Publicity and Events 1997

Box 1, Folder 10

Publicity and Events - Book Signing and Party 1997

Box 1, Folder 11

Research 1996-1997

Box 1, Folder 12

Reviews 1997

Box 1, Folder 13

Submission Plan 1995

Box 1, Folder 14

Synopsis 1996

Sub-Series 1.1.2. Eye Contact 1994-1998

Box 1, Folder 15

Awards Entry Forms 1997-1998

Box 1, Folder 16

Brainstorming Committee 1994

Box 1, Folder 17

Correspondence 1997-1998

Box 1, Folder 18

Cover Proof circa 1998

Box 1, Folder 19

Editorial Letters 1997

Box 2, Folders 1-2

Manuscript 1997

Box 2, Folder 3

Notes circa 1997

Box 2, Folder 4

Outlines and Proposals 1996-1997

Box 2, Folder 5, Box 14, Folder 3, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 6

Publicity and Events 1998-1999

Box 2, Folder 6

Research 1990-1997

Box 2, Folder 7

Reviews 1998

Sub-Series 1.1.3. Body Language 1997-1999

Box 2, Folder 8

Awards Entry Form 1999

Box 2, Folder 9

Correspondence 1998-1999

Box 2, Folder 10

Correspondence - Congratulations 1999-2000

Box 2, Folder 11

Cover Proof circa 1999

Box 2, Folder 12

Excerpt - "Upstairs on Prairie Street" circa 1999

Box 2, Folder 13

Floppy Disks circa 1999

Box 2, Folders 14-15

Manuscript 1998

Box 3, Folder 1

Notes 1999

Box 3, Folder 2

Order Forms 1999

Box 3, Folder 3

Proposal and Outlines 1997

Box 3, Folder 4, Box 14, Folder 4, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 7

Publicity and Events 1999

Box 3, Folder 5

Research 1997

Box 3, Folder 6

Reviews 1999

Sub-Series 1.1.4. Name Games 1995-2000

Box 3, Folder 7

Correspondence 2000

Box 3, Folder 8

Correspondence - Congratulations 2000

Box 3, Folder 9

Cover Proof circa 2000

Box 3, Folder 10

Editorial Notes 1999

Box 3, Folders 11-12

Manuscript 1999

Box 3, Folder 13

Notes circa 2000

Box 3, Folder 14

Order Forms 2000

Box 3, Folder 15

Proposal and Synopsis 2000

Box 3, Folder 16, Box 14, Folder 5

Publicity and Events 2000

Box 3, Folder 17

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2000

Box 3, Folder 18

Research 1995-2000

Box 3, Folder 19, Box 14, Folder 6

Reviews 2000

Sub-Series 1.1.5. Boy Toy 1995-2002

Box 3, Folder 20

Correspondence 1998-2001

Box 3, Folder 21

Correspondence - Congratulations 2001-2002

Box 4, Folder 1

Editorial Notes 2000

Box 4, Folder 2

Floppy Disks circa 2001

Box 4, Folder 3

Lambda Literary Awards 2002

Box 4, Folders 4-5

Manuscript 2000

Box 4, Folder 6

Notes 2000

Box 4, Folder 7

Proposal and Outline 2000

Box 4, Folder 8, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 8

Publicity and Events 2001

Box 4, Folder 9

Publicity and Events - insightoutbooks.com Catalogs 2001-2002

Box 4, Folder 10

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2001

Box 4, Folder 11

Research 1995-1999

Box 4, Folder 12

Reviews 2001

Sub-Series 1.1.6. Hot Spot 2001-2003

Box 4, Folder 13

Cover Proof circa 2002

Box 4, Folder 14

Floppy Disks circa 2002

Box 4, Folders 15-16

Manuscript 2001

Box 5, Folder 1

Notes circa 2001

Box 5, Folder 2

Proposal and Outline 2001

Box 5, Folder 3

Publicity and Events 2002

Box 5, Folder 4

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2002

Box 5, Folder 5

Research 2001-2002

Box 5, Folder 6

Reviews 2002-2003

Sub-Series 1.1.7. Bitch Slap 2003-2005

Box 5, Folder 7

Awards Entry Form 2005

Box 5, Folder 8

Correspondence 2003-2004

Box 5, Folder 9

Cover Proof circa 2004

Box 5, Folder 10

Floppy Disks circa 2004

Box 5, Folders 11-12

Manuscript 2003

Box 5, Folder 13

Notes circa 2003

Box 5, Folder 14

Proposal and Outline circa 2003

Box 5, Folder 15

Publicity and Events 2004

Box 5, Folder 16

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2004

Box 5, Folder 17

Research 2003

Box 5, Folder 18

Reviews 2004-2005

Sub-Series 1.1.8. Mark Manning Book 8 2005-2007, 2017

Box 5, Folder 19

Author Notes 2017

Box 5, Folder 20

Correspondence 2005-2007

Box 5, Folder 21

Dialoguing Cover Art circa 2005

Box 5, Folder 22

Editorial Notes 2005-2007

Box 5, Folders 23-24

Highway Gothic Manuscript circa 2007

Box 6, Folder 1

Notes circa 2007

Box 6, Folder 2

Proposal and Outline circa 2007

Box 6, Folder 3

Research 2005-2007

Sub-Series 1.2. Claire Gray mysteries 1985-2006, 2017

Sub-Series Arrangement

The sub-series is arranged into six further sub-series, consisting of materials from specific books in the Claire Gray mystery series.

Sub-Series 1.2.1. Rehearsing 1985-1996

Box 6, Folder 4

Awards Entry Forms 1992-1994

Box 6, Folder 5

Correspondence 1986-1996

Box 6, Folder 6

Correspondence - Publishing Inquiries 1985-1993

Flat-File-Folder 2, Item 6

Cover Design circa 1992

Box 6, Folder 7

Floppy Disks 1992

Box 6, Folder 8

Notes 1985-1987

Box 6, Folder 9, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 9

Publicity and Events 1992-1994

Box 6, Folder 10

Research 1990

Box 6, Folder 11

Reviews 1993

Box 6, Folder 12

Synopsis 1992

Sub-Series 1.2.2. Desert Autumn 1999-2002

Box 6, Folder 13

Awards Entry Form 2001

Box 6, Folder 14

Correspondence 1999-2002

Box 6, Folder 15

Cover Art circa 2001

Box 6, Folder 16

Floppy Disks circa 2001

Box 6, Folders 17-18

Manuscript 2001

Box 7, Folder 1

Notes circa 2001

Box 7, Folder 2

Proposal and Outline circa 2000

Box 7, Folder 3, Box 14, Folder 7, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 10

Publicity and Events 2001

Box 7, Folder 4

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2001

Box 7, Folder 5

Research circa 2000

Box 7, Folder 6

Reviews 2001-2002

Box 7, Folder 7

Synopsis circa 2001

Sub-Series 1.2.3. Desert Winter 2002-2003

Box 7, Folder 8

Awards Entry Forms 2003

Box 7, Folder 9

Correspondence 2003

Box 7, Folder 10

Floppy Disks circa 2003

Box 7, Folders 11-12

Manuscript 2002

Box 7, Folder 13

Notes circa 2002

Box 7, Folder 14

Proposal and Outline circa 2003

Box 7, Folder 15, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 11

Publicity and Events 2003

Box 7, Folder 16

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2002

Box 7, Folder 17

Publicity and Events - Round Table West 2003

Box 7, Folder 18

Research circa 2002

Box 7, Folder 19

Reviews 2002-2003

Sub-Series 1.2.4. Desert Spring 2003-2004, 2017

Box 7, Folder 20

Author's Note 2017

Box 7, Folder 21

Correspondence 2004

Box 7, Folder 22

Cover Art circa 2003

Box 8, Folders 1-2

Manuscript 2003

Box 8, Folder 3

Notes circa 2003

Box 8, Folder 4

Proposal and Outline circa 2003

Box 8, Folder 5

Publicity and Events 2003-2004

Box 8, Folder 6

Publicity and Events - Postcard 2003

Box 8, Folder 7

Reviews 2004

Sub-Series 1.2.5. Desert Summer 2003-2006

Box 8, Folder 8

Cover Art circa 2004

Box 8, Folder 9

Floppy Disks circa 2004

Box 8, Folders 10-11

Manuscript 2004

Box 8, Folder 12

Notes 2003

Box 8, Folder 13

Proposal and Outline circa 2004

Box 8, Folder 14

Research 2003-2004

Box 8, Folder 15

Reviews 2005-2006

Sub-Series 1.2.6. Photo Flash 1999-2017

Box 8, Folder 16

Author's Note 2017

Box 8, Folder 17

Awards and Festival Submissions 2002-2003

Box 9, Folder 1

Correspondence 2002-2005

Box 9, Folder 2

Correspondence - Congratulations 2003

Box 9, Folder 3

Correspondence - Production Inquiries 2003-2004

Box 9, Folder 4

Lakeside Players - Production Information 2003

Box 9, Folder 5

Outlines and Notes circa 2003

Box 9, Folder 6

Programs - Various Productions 2003-2008

Box 9, Folder 7, Flat-File-Folder 2, Item 5

Publicity and Events 2002-2003

Box 9, Folder 8

Research 1999-2002

Box 9, Folder 9

Reviews 2003

Box 9, Folder 10

Script - Draft 5.1 2003

Box 9, Folder 11

Script - Revision 7.3 2008

Box 9, Folder 12

Script - Revision 7.3, Author's Copy 2008

Box 9, Folder 13

Video - Arthur Newman Theatre Production 2008

Box 9, Folder 14

Video - Lakeside Players Production 2003

Sub-Series 1.3. Mister Puss mysteries 2017-2020

Sub-Series Arrangement

The sub-series is arranged into two further sub-series, consisting of materials from specific books in the Mister Puss mystery series.

Sub-Series 1.3.1. FlabberGassed 2017-2019

Box 14, Folder 12

Awards 2019

Box 10, Folder 11

Manuscript 2017

Box 10, Folder 12

Proposal, Notes, and Working Outline 2017

Box 14, Folder 13

Publicity 2018

Sub-Series 1.3.2. ChoirMaster 2019-2020

Box 15, Folder 1

Awards 2020

Box 15, Folder 2

Publicity 2019-2020

Sub-Series 1.4. Dante & Jazz mysteries 2022-2023

Sub-Series Arrangement

The sub-series is arranged into two further sub-series, consisting of materials from specific books in the Dante & Jazz mystery series.

Sub-Series 1.4.1. Desert Getaway 2022-2023

Box 15, Folder 4

Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award Nomination 2023

Box 15, Folder 5

Publicity and Events 2022-2023

Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 2

Reviews 2022

Sub-Series 1.4.2. Desert Deadline 2023

Box 15, Folder 6

Reviews 2023

Sub-Series 1.5. The MacGuffin 2008-2010

Box 9, Folder 15

Cover Art circa 2010

Box 9, Folder 16, Box 10, Folder 1

Manuscript circa 2010

Box 10, Folder 2

Notes circa 2008

Box 10, Folder 3

Outline and Editorial Notes 2008-2010

Flat-File-Folder 2, Item 4

Promotional Poster 2011

Box 10, Folder 4

Research 2008-2010

Sub-Series 1.6. Inside Dumont 2013-2017

Box 10, Folder 5

Event - Book Launch 2017

Box 10, Folder 6

Notes circa 2016

Box 10, Folder 7

Outline 2016-2017

Box 10, Folder 9

Research 2013-2016

Box 10, Folder 8, Box 14, Folder 8

Publicity 2016

Box 10, Folder 10

Reviews 2017

Sub-Series 1.7. Pink Squirrels 2010-2012, 2017

Box 10, Folder 13

Author's Note 2017

Box 10, Folder 14

Correspondence 2010

Box 10, Folder 15

DVD 2012

Box 10, Folder 16, Flat-File-Folder 2, Items 2-3

Publicity and Events 2010-2011

Box 11, Folder 1

Publicity and Events - "Gin and Coke" Stage Reading 2010

Box 11, Folder 2

Publicity and Events - Performance Programs 2010

Box 11, Folder 3

Script 2010

Box 11, Folder 4

Script - Author's Copy 2010

Box 11, Folder 5

Script with Shooting Schedule 2010

Box 11, Folder 6

Storyboard circa 2010

Box 11, Folder 7

Workshops 2010

Sub-Series 1.8. The Transit of Venus 2004-2013, 2017

Box 11, Folder 8

Author's Note 2017

Box 11, Folder 9

Correspondence - Brainstorming with Dean Yohnk 2004

Box 11, Folder 10

Floppy Disk 2004

Box 11, Folder 11

Notes circa 2004

Box 11, Folder 12

Research 2004

Box 11, Folder 13

Screenplay 2013

Box 11, Folder 14

Script 2008

Box 11, Folder 15

Script - Director's Copy 2010

Box 11, Folder 16

Staged Reading - DVD 2010

Box 11, Folder 17, Flat-File-Folder 2, Item 1

Staged Reading - Production Information 2010

Sub-Series 1.9. Palm Springs Noir 2021

Sub-Series Scope and Contents

Materials in the sub-series are related to Palm Springs Noir, an anthology of original crime fiction containing a short story by Craft.

Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 1

Coachella Valley Independent - excerpt of "VIP Check-In," by Michael Craft August 2021

Box 15, Folder 3, Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 3

Publicity and Events 2021

Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 4

Reviews 2021

Sub-Series 1.10. Newspaper articles 2017-2022

Flat-File-Folder 1, Item 12

Desert Sun Opinion Piece on Journalism 2017

Box 14, Folder 14

Desert Sun Letter to the Editor on Palm Springs Marilyn Artwork 2020

Series 2. Publishing records 1991-2013, undated

Series Scope and Contents

The series consists of materials related to the publishing of Craft's literary works, including correspondence with his various editors, publishing contracts, and publicity efforts including files related to two independent publicists that worked with Craft.

Series Arrangement

The series is arranged alphabetically.

Box 11, Folder 18

Advances 1996-1999

Box 11, Folder 19

Contracts - German Language Agreements 2000-2001, 2013

Box 11, Folder 20

Contracts - Kensington Publishing Corp. 1996

Box 11, Folder 21

Contracts - Los Hombres Press 1991

Box 14, Folder 15

Contracts - Open Road Integrated Media 2018, 2023

Box 14, Folder 1

Contracts - St. Martin's Press 1999-2004

Box 11, Folder 22, Box 12, Folders 1-3

Correspondence - Fan Mail 1995-2006

Box 12, Folder 4

Correspondence - General 1996-2002, 2009

Box 12, Folders 5-6

Correspondence - Kahla, Keith 2001-2006

Box 12, Folder 7

Correspondence - Postcard Requests 2004-2008

Box 12, Folders 8-9

Correspondence - Scognamiglio, John 1996-1999

Box 13, Folder 1

Correspondence - St. Martin's Press 2000-2003

Box 13, Folder 2

Correspondence - Waters, Mitchell S. 1995-2013

Box 13, Folder 3

Events and Readings 1999-2002

Box 13, Folder 4

Los Hombres Press 1991-1994

Box 13, Folder 5

New York Blade - Gay Mystery Novels Panel 2000

Box 14, Folder 9

Publicity - Articles on Craft 2000-2003, 2018

Box 14, Folder 10

Publicity - Articles on Craft's Home 2001-2009

Box 13, Folder 6

Publicity - Bookstores/Publications List undated

Box 13, Folder 7

Publicity - Green, Jacqueline 2001

Box 13, Folder 8

Publicity - Hughes, Larry 1999-2000

Box 13, Folder 9, Box 14, Folder 11

Publicity - Kensington Publishing Corp. 1997-1999

Box 13, Folder 10

Publicity - Graphics and Postcards 2000-2001

Series 3. Graduate education 2005-2007

Series Scope and Contents

The series consists of materials related to Craft's graduate studies undertaken at Antioch University from 2005-2007. Materials in the series include coursework, residency materials, and graduation information.

Series Arrangement

The series is arranged alphabetically.

Coursework 2005-2007

Box 13, Folder 12

Coursework - Annotated Bibliographies 2005-2007

Box 13, Folder 13

Coursework - Critical Paper 2006

Box 13, Folder 14

Coursework - Senior Lecture 2007

Box 13, Folder 15

Graduation 2007

Box 13, Folder 16

Residency 2005-2007