Finding aid to the Julia Willis papers
Coll2011.006
Finding aid prepared by Alison Leonard
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California, 90007
(213) 741-0094
askone@ONEarchives.org
February 1, 2011
Title: Julia Willis papers
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2011.006
Contributing Institution:
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
2.0 linear feet.
2 boxes.
Date (inclusive): 1970-2010
Abstract: This collection documents Julia Willis’ career as a writer of books, plays, poetry, comedic writings, short stories, and newspaper
columns. The bulk of the material dates from the 1990s and includes manuscripts, drafts, correspondence, scripts, notes, press
material, photocopies of awards and recognitions, reviews, clippings, program and other papers.
creator:
Willis, Julia, 1949-
Arrangement
The files are arranged roughly according to the donor’s original order of the collection.
Biography
Julia Willis was born August 21, 1949, in Charlotte, North Carolina, daughter of William Clem and Carolyn Willis. She earned
her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, in 1973. She began her career as an associate editor
for Red Clay Books in 1974.
She has written four books including,
Reel Time, a comic novel;
We Oughta Be in Pictures, for which she was a Lambda Award drama finalist;
Who Wears the Tux?, a lesbian quiz book; and
Meow-Mories. Her work has also appeared in numerous women’s anthologies.
Julia was a founding member of the women’s comedy troupe, the Ends and Means Committee. She wrote for the lesbian soap opera,
Two in Twenty, and her award-winning one-act comedies have been produced by off-off-Broadway and by gay and lesbian theatres around the
country. In addition to reviewing for
Lambda Book Report and
The Lesbian Review of Books, she has written comedy material for the Boston Baked Theater,
Terra Infirma on NPR and for Joan Rivers. She has received fellowships and grants from the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation, Massachusetts
Artists Foundation, Edward Albee Foundation and MacDowell Colony.
She worked as a freelance writer, poet, producer, comedy writer/performer and a playwright through the 1990s. She has been
married since 2006.
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Publication Rights
Researchers wishing to publish material must obtain permission in writing from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives as the
physical owner of the material. Note that permission to publish does not constitute copyright clearance. ONE National Gay
& Lesbian Archives can grant copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold copyright. It is the responsibility
of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for all other materials from the copyright holder(s).
Acquisition Information
Collection donated by Julia Willis, 2010. Deed of Gift received from Willis, March 9, 2011.
Preferred Citation
Box #, folder #, Julia Willis Papers, Coll2011-006, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California
Processing Information
Collection processed by Alison Leonard, February 1, 2011.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of manuscripts, drafts, correspondence, scripts, notes, press material, photocopies of awards and
recognitions, reviews, clippings, program and other papers related to writings by Julia Willis. The bulk of the collection
includes drafts and manuscripts related to her books and plays, including
Reel Time,
Who Wears the Tux? and
We Oughta Be in Pictures. The collection also includes material related to shorter works such as plays, poetry and comedy.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lesbian authors--United States--20th century
Lesbian theater
Lesbian writings
Plays
Box 1, Folder 2
Reviews, readings, public relations
September 1996-January 2010
Box 1, Folder 3-8
Notes and drafts
June 1980-April 1991
Physical Description:
[6 folders]
Box 1, Folder 9-11
Final proofs
April 1998-June 1998
Physical Description:
[3 folders]
Box 1, Folder 12
Notes, readings, and public relations
September 1998-January 1999
Box 1, Folder 13-20
We Oughta Be in Pictures
1988-1994
Box 1, Folder 13-19
Proposal, drafts and galleys
March 1988-October 1992
Physical Description:
[7 folders]
Box 1, Folder 20
Reviews, readings, and public relations
June 1989-June 1994
Box 1, Folder 21-22
Who Wears the Tux?
1990-1992
Box 2, Folder 1-3
Who Wears the Tux?
1990-1992
Box 1, Folder 21-22
Proposal, notes, first draft
No date
Physical Description:
[1-2 of 4 folders]
Box 2, Folder 1-2
Proposal, notes, first draft
No date
Physical Description:
[3-4 of 4 folders]
Box 2, Folder 3
Reviews, readings, and public relations
January 1990-May 1992
Box 2, Folder 4
"Case History of the Warrior Princess"
1998-2000
Box 2, Folder 8
"There With Bells On"
1993-1997
Box 2, Folder 9
"With Every Beat of My Heart"
1997
Box 2, Folder 10
Four Stories:
Just Meet Him,
Loving the Sinner,
Little Red Wagon,
Shining Star. Unpublished or revised
1988-2004
Box 2, Folder 11
Production and promotion
September 1985-October 1998
Box 2, Folder 14
I'd Know You Anywhere
No date
Box 2, Folder 16
Sunday Afternoon in the Valley of the Moon
1986
Box 2, Folder 17
Sunday Afternoon in the Valley of the Moon original drafts
July 1986
Box 2, Folder 18
Radio script:
Going Up
No date
Television, video and film
circa 1990-2000
Box 2, Folder 20
Murphy Brown "Star Quality" rough draft
August 1992
Box 2, Folder 21
Murphy Brown "Star Quality" unsold script
August 1992
Box 2, Folder 22
Positively Tasty-Cooking with Chef Tomas
July 1995
Box 2, Folder 25
Boston Baked Theatre
1990-1993
Box 2, Folder 26
Clippings and awards
May 1979-October 1998
Box 2, Folder 27
Collected book reviews
March 1995-September 2003
Box 2, Folder 28
Comedy manuscripts, notes, and public relations
1984-1994
Box 2, Folder 29
Correspondence
June 1975-January 2003
Box 2, Folder 30-32
Juvenilia [writings from Willis' youth]
August 1970-November 1978
Physical Description:
[3 folders]
Box 2, Folder 33
Magazines and booklets
1978-1993
Box 2, Folder 34
Short anthology pieces
1978-1995
Box 2, Folder 35
That Takes Ovaries reviews, readings, and public relations
1993-2003
