Gregg, Jess Papers of American Plays and Fiction Writings

This collection consists of the creative works of Jess Ashton Gregg, beginning with works from the time of his childhood through college and ending with his professional career as playwright and author. Included are original pencil sketches, short stories, novels, plays, and detailed correspondence written to, and received from, his family. Also included in the collection are five decades of calendars that detail Gregg's daily activities, as well as diaries that chronicle 12 years of his life. Personal items such as photographs and scrapbooks are also included in the collection, though they are few in number. One quarter of the collection contains correspondence between Gregg and his family, spanning close to five decades of the author's life. A preponderance of the letters are written by Gregg to his family, and set out his daily activities and many of his thought processes concerning his writings. From these letters alone, it is possible to piece together the majority of Gregg's personal life, as well as understand what was happening in his professional world. All correspondence is arranged chronologically and grouped by the sender. The highlight of the collection consists of Gregg's writings. Included are handwritten works ranging from the time of his childhood (short stories and plays that provide insight into the creative mind of this budding author) to works written during his college years at Rollins under the tutelage of Edwin Granberry. Additionally, there are completed and typed novels and plays produced by Gregg during his professional career; some were published and produced for the stage, while others have remained unpublished. His creative works are arranged alphabetically; a majority are typed, though there are many handwritten notes to be found in the pages of these works, and many of his early works are handwritten in pencil. Series 6 in this collection, arranged alphabetically, contains completed, typewritten copies of both published and unpublished material. Gregg also served as his own best chronicler, saving reviews, newspaper clippings, interviews, and announcements relating to every aspect of his work. Included in the collection are programs from the few plays in which Gregg starred as a young man.