Read the full article “Daniel Stern archive opens for research” on the Harry Ransom Center’s blog Cultural Compass.

This letter from Stern’s literary agent, Georges Borchardt, shows how Borchardt served as both an agent of Stern’s interest and a critical force in his creative work. Copyright © Georges Borchardt. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In this letter, Joyce Carol Oates advises Stern on strategies to leave media and advertising work and begin his professorial career. Stern and Oates began and maintained an amiable, professional relationship, and when he began writing short stories in the 1970s, he sent his work to her for publication in her Ontario Review. 

In this letter, Joyce Carol Oates advises Stern on strategies to leave media and advertising work and begin his professorial career. Stern and Oates began and maintained an amiable, professional relationship, and when he began writing short stories in the 1970s, he sent his work to her for publication in her Ontario Review. 

These pages from Stern’s journals are typical of his manuscript and typed recordings of and reflections on his daily activities. Stern’s journals often document his interactions with literary figures, such as, in this case, Jean-Paul Sartre, Al Alvarez, and Frank Kermode. Such journal entries are of especial interest because Stern’s later short stories, including those published in “Twice Told Tales” and “Twice Upon a Time,” reinterpret literary history and classic works. Copyright © Estate of Daniel Stern. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Copyright © Estate of Daniel Stern. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

These page proofs from 1989’s “Twice Upon a Time show” how Stern’s short stories were compiled, proofed, and published in book format. The listing of story titles on the table of contents is typical of Stern’s short stories; he reimagines class fictional tales, leaving their original titles, along with the name of their authors, in place. Copyright © Estate of Daniel Stern. Used by permission. All rights reserved.