Yesterday, I introduced you to Ben Rubin the Horror Studies Coordinator at Pitt. For today, I asked him to introduce all of you to the collection and its resources. He not only lets you know what they have, he actively invites all to access and use these materials.
From the middle of this essay, I wanted to pull out a quote that sums up everything Rubin [and I] want you to know about Horror, whether you are a fan or not:
"All of these efforts support a central thesis: that horror has extraordinary social and cultural value. That genre studies generally and horror studies specifically is deserving of archival preservation and academic study. That rather than treating horror as a ‘ghetto’ genre, something at the margins to be maligned, it should be taken seriously. There is a reason that horror is present throughout all of human storytelling; there is a reason it has such a dedicated and passionate fanbase. It informs the human experience by laying bare out into the light our collective and individual fears and anxieties to interrogate and understand. "
Major thanks to Rubin for this excellent piece and for his academic support of Horror. I can think of no better way to round out this month celebrating Horror in Libraries.
Happy Halloween Eve.
by Ben Rubin
Let me open with a vignette, a scene from the archive if you will:
I open another box to sort and inventory; an older box, clearly enjoying fresh air after many years in the basement. It’s filled with overstuffed hanging file folders, envelopes, and loose papers. Sometimes the labels are correct, sometimes not. I pull out an envelope; from the coloring and feel of the paper, I can tell it’s old, as in decades old. In marker across the front is printed “GAR Old Projects”. The envelope is sealed shut, the adhesive like concrete after so many years, so I carefully tear along the top using my pocketknife like a letter opener. The label is correct - inside are some very old treatments or short stories. From the appearance of the paper and the typewriter’s strikes across the page, I infer late 60s to early 70s. I can already feel excitement build as I realize I’m probably reading writings that have not been seen in decades if they were ever shared with anyone at all. The first story starts out describing the wet pavement of the Parkway East, what Pittsburghers call the main interstate thoroughfare coming into the city from the eastern suburbs. As I read through the 5 or so short works, I come across a set of pages on lined paper, folded in half. I open them and it is a letter, writing in longhand, about the development of a new project and some ideas about casting. It ends with a four-page opening scene for a new film, to be titled Dawn of the Dead. I am astounded. I am seeing, in George’s own handwriting, his first conceptions for the legendary film. The letter is dated 1974 – fully two years before any treatment or draft script for the film. I can’t help but wonder if I’m the first to see this letter – did he ever even send it? It has clearly been forgotten; folded and tucked away among other scripts, sealed in an envelope, and filed in a box many years (or decades) ago. Oh, and that story that started with the Parkway East? It’s an apparent early version of Martin. Untitled, but from the characters and plot, it is the earliest seed of the story. The contents of that envelope were pure gold.
It is these moments of discovery that make archives so important. While not everyone will get the chance to open a long-forgotten envelope, anyone can discover new works and new perspectives from visiting the archive. From viewing lost works or delving into the drafts and notes of a beloved classic, one can truly begin to gain greater understanding of the creative process of the author or filmmaker; to truly grasp the bigger picture around a work for which we only know the finished product.
That goal of preserving but also illuminating the creative history of horror is why we have established the Horror Studies Collections here in Archives & Special Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Founded with the George A. Romero Collection in May 2019, it has since grown to include the papers of Linda D. Addison, Gwendolyn Kiste, Kathe Koja, Daniel Kraus, and John Russo; the records for the Viscera and Etheria Film Festivals; the archives of the Horror Writers Association; and the papers and records of William ‘Chilly Billy’ Cardille and his Chiller Theater. Most of these collections document the creative processes of their contributors. The drafts, edits, galleys, proofs, research, and press that went into the creative works. Other collections document the community and the impact the genre has had upon our culture. This history is extraordinarily rich and truly enables one to understand the development of a work and its reach. It also serves as a powerful tool for students who dream of a career in writing or filmmaking. In addition to these collections, I have also sought to grow literary and film holdings; build an archive of horror scripts and ephemera not tied to one specific donor or creator; and find small press, special edition, and rare books. All of these contribute to building a creative history of the genre while also serving as a resource base for scholarship.
All these items are available for consult. Our collections at Pitt are intended to be research and teaching collections. We encourage anyone to come and use and learn from our primary sources firsthand. We view that as part of our stewardship responsibility – to not just ensure their preservation and care but ensure that they are accessible to inform and inspire. We have a robust program of teaching with primary sources in which we network with faculty to bring their students to our classroom. We curate materials that match their curriculum and give students an opportunity to have a different type of learning experience. It never ceases to be heartening when we see students become excited as they handle and examine rare books and archives; to see that moment of inspiration and awe as something clicks after reading a piece of marginalia or understanding the importance of materiality when holding a book hundreds of years old. This experience is not just limited to our University community but for all researchers who wish to visit and engage with our materials.
We have also embarked upon programming opportunities to engage both our University community and the public on topics related to the genre. The pandemic forced us move everything online, but ultimately, I think our Horror Studies Webinar Series has been hugely successful. I have had wonderful conversations with authors I admire and never dreamed of talking to as we explore their work and broader themes within the genre. We specifically framed the sessions around highlighting and recognizing diversity in horror. We plan to continue in this theme, one we call Expanding the Canon. It allows us to share with the world what so many of us steeped in the genre already know: that horror is and always has been a diverse genre both in its content and its creators.
All of these efforts support a central thesis: that horror has extraordinary social and cultural value. That genre studies generally and horror studies specifically is deserving of archival preservation and academic study. That rather than treating horror as a ‘ghetto’ genre, something at the margins to be maligned, it should be taken seriously. There is a reason that horror is present throughout all of human storytelling; there is a reason it has such a dedicated and passionate fanbase. It informs the human experience by laying bare out into the light our collective and individual fears and anxieties to interrogate and understand.
This project upon which we have embarked at Pitt is both exciting and ambitious. Our goal is larger than just this archive – we hope to emerge as a destination for the study of horror through the development of curriculum and eventually a Horror Studies Center that can confer certificates or degrees in the subject. As a lifelong horror hound, it is still supremely surreal to be part of this effort and be entrusted to build and curate these collections, but incredibly edifying. At heart I’m just the bookish horror nerd that somehow finds himself immersed in the genre in a way I never thought possible. I get to privately fanboy out a bit about seeing an early draft from Romero or Koja and then share that excitement with the world. At times it is an indescribable experience.
In closing – I invite all to come and learn from these archives; to support us if you are inclined. If you are a writer or filmmaker reading this: don’t throw your stuff away! The creative history of your work is important and represents a piece of cultural history. Think about an archive as a home for your material (need to clear out space in that spare room? We have space!). Join us for our programming, whether as a participant or attendee, as we explore the genre. Come to Pitt to study and add to the scholarship of horror studies. And keep unashamedly contributing to and loving this gory, subversive, and wonderful genre!
Learn more and keep in touch; one note, some of the collections mentioned above are in process with finding aids forthcoming:
Pitt Archives & Special Collections:
https://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Ask Us Questions and Contact Us:
https://library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
Horror Studies Blog:
https://horrorstudies.library.pitt.edu/
Newsletter:
George A. Romero Archival Collection Finding Aid:
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3AUS-PPiU-SC201903/viewer
Papers of Daniel Kraus Finding Aid:
https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3AUS-PPiU-SC202001/viewer
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