Sinclair Browning Papers, 1942-2009 (bulk 1997-2000) is comprised of the personal and professional papers of Southern Arizona author Sinclair Browning. The bulk of the material relates to the first five books of the Trade Ellis mystery series, published 1999-2003. The remaining material relates to several self-published novels and unpublished material. Items included in this collection are correspondence, research materials including news clippings and interviews, manuscript drafts, screenplays, and cover art.
Collection Number:
MS 535
Language:
Materials are in English.
Repository:
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
University of Arizona
PO Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Phone: 520-621-6423
Fax: 520-621-9733
URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/
Biographical Note
Zerilda Sinclair Browning (b. November 17, 1946) is a Southwestern mystery writer and self-ascribed “dirty-shirt” cowgirl. A native of California, she moved to Southern Arizona as a child and grew up on a family cattle ranch. She has spent the majority of her life as a cattle rancher and team penner. Before writing the Trade Ellis series, she co-authored Lyons on Horses(Doubleday, 1991) with horse trainer John Lyons. In 1999, she published the first Trade Ellis mystery, The Last Song Dogs. Her stories feature Trade Ellis, a part-Apache private investigator and rancher. Browning is known for her vivid descriptions of Southwestern culture and landscapes as well as her use of real-life murders as foundations for her plots. Her books have been nominated for both the Shamus and Barry awards, and she was a nominee for the Arizona Arts Award. She currently lives in Northern Arizona.
Scope and Content Note
Papers 1942-2009 (bulk 1997-2000): This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Sinclair Browning. The bulk of the material consists of the materials used and generated for the writing of the Trade Ellis mystery series, specifically The Last Song Dogs; The Sporting Club; Rode Hard, Put Away Dead; Crack Shot; and Traggedy Ann. The remaining material relates to several self-published novels, unpublished screenplays, and various nonfiction articles. The materials include newspaper and magazine clippings about current events, interviews with professionals, correspondence from both editors and fans, and varied manuscript drafts. There are also publicity materials including notices for book signing events, book reviews, and advertisements.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish
from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record,
the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The
user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the
University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all
claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of
copyright.
This series contains the material pertaining to the creation and publication of The Last Song Dogs. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from conception to final edits.
This subseries contains the news articles and plot notes used to write The Last Song Dogs. It also contains a list of possible publishers for the Trade Ellis series.
This subseries contains correspondence between Browning and the editors at Bantam. Also included are fan mail and queries, or the letters requesting an agent or publisher to consider a manuscript for representation or publication, respectively.
This subseries contains material related to the marketing of The Last Song Dogs, including book reviews, mockups of the jacket cover, and flyers promoting book signing events.
This series contains material pertaining to the creation and publication of The Sporting Club. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from conception to final edits.
This subseries contains news articles, book excerpts, and printed timelines concerning the civil rights movement and racist groups; also included are Browning’s notes on the plot.
This subseries contains material for the marketing of The Sporting Club, including book reviews, interviews with Browning, and mockups of the book jacket.
This subseries contains manuscript drafts of The Sporting Club, including a digital composition of the book, or the mockup of what the manuscript will look like once published.
This series contains material pertaining to the creation and publication of Rode Hard, Put Away Dead. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from conception to final edits.
This subseries contains news articles concerning the murder that Rode Hard, Put Away Dead is based on, as well as Browning’s notes on plot and characters.
This subseries contains the marketing materials for Rode Hard, Put Away Dead, including book reviews, mockups of the jacket cover, and flyers for book signing events.
This subseries contains manuscript drafts of Rode Hard, Put Away Dead, including a digital composition, or mockup of what the manuscript will look like once published.
This series contains material pertaining to the creation and publication of Crack Shot, also referred to as Fast Eddy. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from conception to final edits.
This subseries contains drafts of the manuscript, including a digital composition of Crack Shot, or the mockup of what the manuscript will look like once published.
This series contains material pertaining to the creation and publication of Traggedy Ann. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from conception to final edits.
This subseries contains news clippings concerning the murder that Traggedy Ann was based on, as well as Browning’s notes on character and plot. Also included are photos of “Tragedy Ann,” the gothic-themed doll that the title comes from.
box
folder
4
7
Amy Andrews Murder, 1997, 2001, undated
4
8
Character Development, 1998, 2001, undated
4
9
News Articles & Transcripts, 1997, 2000-2001, circa 1997
This subseries contains emails and letters between Browning, her editing team, and her fans. Also included are letters of permission that Browning received from people who had won a chance to have their name included within Traggedy Ann.
This subseries contains varied manuscript drafts of Traggedy Ann, including the first pass page proofs, or a copy of the manuscript with the initial editing notes.
box
folder
4
18
Edited Manuscript (Folder 1 of 4), circa 2001
4
19
Edited Manuscript (Folder 2 of 4), circa 2001
4
20
Edited Manuscript (Folder 3 of 4), circa 2001
box
folder
5
1
Edited Manuscript (Folder 4 of 4), circa 2001
5
2
Rewrite, 2002, circa 2002
5
3
First Pass Page Proofs (Folder 1 of 3), 21 May 2003
5
4
First Pass Page Proofs (Folder 2 of 3), 21 May 2003
5
5
First Pass Page Proofs (Folder 3 of 3), 21 May 2003
This series contains material pertaining to the creation and publication of America’s Best. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from research to publication. This novel is the first to be published outside of the Trade Ellis series.
This subseries contains the research by Browning in the creation of America’s Best. Included are letters from actual survivors of the Arisan Maru, and the official accounts of what occurred the day the ship sank.
This series contains the materials pertaining to the creation of Feathers Brush My Heart. This includes correspondence from fans of the book and book reviews.
This subseries contains the letters sent to Browning from people who wanted to express their enjoyment of the book. In addition, there are letters from Browning’s personal friend and fellow author, Bill Brooks.
This series contains material pertaining to the creation and publication of Bobby Bad. The material is organized by the timeline in which the information was created and used, from research to publication. This novel was self-published by Browning as an e-book.
This series contains material used by Browning to create the novel Harvesting Ray, including research and the edited manuscript. Browning self-published this novel as an e-book.
This series contains the material used to create the second volume of Feathers Brush My Heart. This includes letters from people whose stories are included within the volume.
This series contains the various materials created by Browning that were not novels, including short fiction, articles for horse journals, and screenplays. In addition, there are essays written by Browning for an English class that she attended at the University of Arizona.
This subseries contains nonfiction articles and essays written by Browning. Also included are articles written about Browning’s personal and professional life.
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folder
8
11
Articles about Browning (Folder 1 of 2), circa 2002-2005
8
12
Articles about Browning (Folder 2 of 2), circa 2002-2005
