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James Kilgo papers
Descriptive Summary | |
| Title: James Kilgo papers | |
| Creator: Kilgo, James, 1941-2002 | |
| Inclusive Dates: 1977-2010 | |
| Language(s): English | |
| Extent: 9 Linear Feet (9 boxes) | |
| Collection Number: ms3893 | |
| Repository: Hargrett Library | |
Collection Description
Historical Note
James Kilgo was an essayist and novelist whose work focused on the topics of hunting, nature, family, and personal introspection. He grew up in Darlington, South Carolina, the son of John and Caroline Kilgo. He completed his undergraduate studies at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina and earned his M. A. and Ph. D. from Tulane University in New Orleans. In 1967 he joined the faculty of the University of Georgia where he received much recognition for his teaching, including five Outstanding Honors Professor Awards and the Honoratus Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Kilgo's first book of essays Deep Enough for Ivorybills (1988) explores his hobby of hunting as a springboard for discusssing his experiences with nature. His second book of essays, Inheritance of Horses (1994) focuses on his connection to nature as it relates to his family life. Kilgo's first novel, Daughter of My People (1998), inspired by his own family history, brought him to national attention and earned him the Townsend Prize for Fiction. His final book, The Colors of Africa (2003) is a narrative of a hunting trip to Africa in 2000. Other works include The Blue Wall: Wilderness of the Carolinas and Georgia (1996), his memoir The Hand-Carved Creche and Other Christmas Stories (1999), and his contributions to Ossabaw: Evocations of an Island (2004). Kilgo passed away in 2002 at the age of 61, and was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2011.
Scope and Content
The collection consists primarily of drafts of James Kilgo's work, including early workings of essays from Deep Enough for Ivorybills (sometimes under working title "River Swamp"), as well as his books, Daughter of My People and The Colors of Africa. Other materials include essays, family research, Ossabaw Island research, correspondence, and handwritten notes for writing concepts.The correspondence spans several decades and includes letters from fellow Southern writers Mary Hood and Larry Brown as well as Judith Ortiz Cofer.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
James Kilgo papers, ms3893, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.