Julia Willis papers, 1970-2010

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Summary

Creators:
Willis, Julia, 1949-
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.
Extent:
2.0 linear feet. 2 boxes.
Language:
Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #, Julia Willis Papers, Coll2011-006, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Collection donated by Julia Willis, 2010. Deed of Gift received from Willis, March 9, 2011.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Alison Leonard, February 1, 2011.

Arrangement:

The files are arranged roughly according to the donor’s original order of the collection.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

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).

Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #, Julia Willis Papers, Coll2011-006, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

Location of this collection:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007, US
Contact:
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
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