Marianne Hauser Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS Group 230

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection spans from 1933 to 2005, but many of the manuscripts and drafts are undated. Edited typescripts of her short stories and novels make up the majority of the collection. Reviews and correspondence are grouped with the relative works. In addition, there are published copies of Little Buttercup and her published short stories that appeared in Harper's Bazaar and Mademoiselle. Among the unpublished works are three plays in their entirety and several short stories. Two published books have been removed from the collection and are stored with the University of Florida's Rare Books. They include Indisches Gaufelspiel by Marianne Hauser (written in German) published in 1937 and Kaspar Hauser by Herman Bies (written in German) published in 1925. The Kaspar Hauser book has been heavily annotated by Marianne Hauser in English and was signed and dated by her in 1929. Her notes reveal early ideas for her book Prince Ishmael.

Her personal correspondence mostly includes letters from other writers and is separated from her business correspondence. Hauser's unfinished works, fragments, notes, and news clippings are grouped together. Most are basic outlines of story ideas and are untitled. There are also some character sketches. The news clippings appear to be mostly for story ideas, but some were saved because they were of general interest to Hauser.

An interesting aspect of the collection is Hauser's travel photos. In the late 1930s she traveled as a journalist to North Africa, India, China, Japan, and Hawaii. Her photos and negatives, along with the articles she wrote (in German) are organized by location as much as possible. In the late 1960s she traveled to Mexico and the Yucatan, and those photos are also included.

Dates

Creation: 1929-2005

Creator

Hauser, Marianne. (Person)

Language of Materials

Materials are written in English and German.

Access

The collection is open for research.

Biographical/Historical Note

Marianne Hauser was born in Strasbourg, Alsace, on December 11, 1910. She graduated from the University of Berlin in 1931 and from Sorbonne in 1934. In 1937 Hauser moved to New York City, and she became a U.S. citizen in 1944. She was fluent in French, German, and English. She worked as a literary critic for the Saturday Review of Literature, the New Republic, the New York Times, the New York Herald Tribune, and the Sewanee Review. She also was a columnist for Swiss and French periodicals and newspapers, which allowed her to travel throughout North Africa, India, China, Japan, and Hawaii from 1931-1939. She taught at Queens College in New York City from 1966-1978 and at New York University in 1979.

She wrote several short stories that were published in various magazines, and put together a collection of her short stories titled A Lesson in Music (1964). Hauser also wrote several novels: Monique (1934), Shadow Play in India (1934), Dark Dominion (1947), The Choir Invisible (1958), Prince Ishmael (1963), The Talking Room (1976), The Memoirs of the Late Mr. Ashley (1986), Me and My Mom (1993), and Shootout with Father (1998). Her last book was a children's book dedicated to her granddaughter Nell Charley titled Little Buttercup, the Happiest Bear in the World (2003). The main themes in her fiction concerned shifting realities and turning the familiar strange.

She was married to orchestra conductor Frederic Kirchberger and lived with him in Kirksville, Missouri. They had a son named Michael. The two divorced and Hauser returned to New York City. Affectionately known to her friends as "bear," Hauser kept close relationships even while she traveled throughout the world. She died at age 93, in June 2006.

Extent

11.6 Linear feet (20 boxes)

Additional Description

Abstract

Edits, drafts, and manuscripts of Hauser's novels, short stories, and journal articles. Also includes related correspondence and research, as well as personal correspondence and photos from several trips.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Acquisition Information

The bulk of this collection was donated by Hauser's son, Michael Kirchberger in 2006 and 2017. Some material was donated in 2012 by Stanley Clifford, including presentation copies of some of her books.

Alternate Form of Material

Digital reproductions of items in this collection are available online via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Please read the Permissions for Use statement for information on copyright, fair use, and use of UFDC digital objects.

Separated Material

Two books have been removed from the collection and are stored with the University of Florida's Rare Books. They include Indisches Gaufelspiel by Marianne Hauser (written in German) published in 1937 and Kaspar Hauser by Herman Bies (written in German with notes by Marianne Hauser in English) published in 1925.