John Howard Griffin papers, 1920-2004

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Series II: The Devil Rides Outside



Box 1 Folder 32-43 Griffin, John Howard The Devil Rides Outside , [n.p.], Christmas 1949, 587 pp. t.ms. (carbon), In 12 folders

[The first draft of Griffin's first novel. Sent as a gift to Sally Gillespie. In reading the manuscript it becomes obvious that the news stories surrounding the novel's composition--stories which were promulgated by the Smith brothers who owned Smiths, Inc. of Fort Worth--were inaccurate: Griffin did not write a 900 plus page manuscript which was cut nearly one-third by the editor/publisher Gordon Smith; the novel did not begin as a non-fiction account of Griffin's experience at the Abbey of Solemes, the Benedictine motherhouse of Gregorian Chant.. The novel varies from the final Smiths published version in relatively minor ways. It does not open with the scene of the anonymous American musicologist being driven to the old monastery by the cab driver, but begins with the narrator in his monastic cell (which is the second scene of the published version). The original manuscript has a short Epilogue which was dropped from the published book. That Epilogue was Part III, whereas the book has only two parts, entitled ."The Cloister Within" and "The Devil Without". The original manuscript simply calls these first two parts, "The Monastery" and. "The Village." Otherwise, the manuscript runs closely to the published book. This does not indicate Griffin made several complete drafts from this 1947 first draft to the galley stage, in 1951. (The novel was published in 1952). It indicates that some sections were added later and some cutting was done from the original manuscript. The massive, poorly-written, obscenity-riddled typescript of 900 pages is a fiction of the publisher. Also, the press releases from The Smiths which referred to Griffin's blindness and his war heroics were considered in bad taste by the author. He preferred to use a pseudonym which he had used (several in fact) when he submitted magazines work. Several pieces were published under the name Lew Smollett and no mention of the author's blindness or war experiences were included. Griffin discusses these times in his letters to Sally Gillespie (see Series VII)



Box 2 Folder 44 Daniels, Brad Background notes about the The Devil Rides Outside and its subsequent censorship case, [n.p.], [1968], 7 page (photocopy


Box 2 Folder 45 Feature articles from Texas newspapers prior to the publication of The Devil Rides Outside, Texas, 1952, 9 page (photocopy


Box 2 Folder 46 Reviews of The Devil Rides Outside in Time; Saturday Review; NY Herald Tribune; Dallas Times-Herald; Fort Worth Star-Telegram and other national publications, [v.p.], 1952, 28 page (photocopy


Box 2 Folder 47 Griffin, John Howard Article on the censorship of The Devil Rides Outside Dallas Morning News, 1954, 1 page (photocopy


Box 2 Folder 48 Fadiman, Clifton To John Howard Griffin, Mansfield, Texas, 30 Aug. [n.y.], 1 t.l. (copy


Box 2 Folder 49 Sussman, Cornelia and Irving How To Read A Dirty Book, Franciscan Herald Press, [n.d.], 1 dust jacket, 5 page (photocopy

[Pages 102 - 111 of the book [Missing after exhibit]


Box 2 Folder 50 News stories about the censorship case Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, 1954, 26 page (photocopy


Box 2 Folder 51 Gerber, Albert B. Sex, Pornography and Justice, New York: Lyle Stuart, 1965, 9 page (photocopy

[Legal discussion of the Butler vs. Michigan case (Griffin's novel was the focus of a test case put forth by Pocket Books, publisher of the paperbackDevil)


Box 2 Folder 52 Griffin, John Howard To Father Gardiner, Mansfield, Texas, 26 June 1956, 1 a.l. (carbon), 2 pages


Box 2 Folder 53 Griffin, John Howard To The Editor The Michigan Catholic, [Texas], 29 July 1954, 1 t.l. (carbon), 4 pages


Box 2 Folder 54 Griffin, John Howard To Father Maino, [Texas], 15 August 1954, 1 t.l. (carbon), 9 pages


Box 2 Folder 55 Griffin, John Howard To Father Maino, [Texas], 7 October 1954, 1 t.l. (carbon), 8 pages


Box 2 Folder 56 Griffin, John Howard To Reverend Jobert J. Dwyer, [Texas], 13 August 1956, 1 t.l. (copy), 4 pages


Box 2 Folder 57 Griffin, John Howard To Paschal Varnskuhler, [Texas], 16 August 1956, 1 t.l. (copy), 4 pages


Box 2 Folder 58 Owens, Robert To John Howard Griffin, Denver and Anderson, SC, 9 April 1965 - 17 January 1966, 3 t.l.s.

[Re. playscript ofDevil


Box 2 Folder 59 Marshall, Bruce Statement on The Devil Rides Outside, [n.p.], 14 October 1953, 1 t.l. (copy

[Re. playscript ofDevil


Box 2 Folder 60 Pocket Books, Inc. To John Howard Griffin, New York, 7 May 1964, 1 t.l.s.

[With two related letters concerning a Polish edition ofThe Devil Rides Outside


Box 2 Folder 61 Presses de la Cite & Smiths, Inc. Promotional materials for The Devil Rides Outside, [v.p.], ca. 1952, 5 items


Box 2 Folder 62 Houghton Mifflin To John Howard Griffin, Boston, 1 April & 22 July 1969, 2 t.l.s., 3 t.l. (carbon replies


Box 2 Folder 63 Smith, J. Hulbert To John Howard Griffin, Fort Worth, 1 April & 22 July 1969, 2 t.l.s., 3 t.l. (carbon replies


Box 2 Folder 64 Canadian Broadcasting Corp. To Elizabeth Bonazzi, Toronto, 1985, 1 t.l.s.

[Regarding reading fromDevil


Box 2 Folder 65 Alexandrian Press To John Howard Griffin Estate, CA, 1984, 1 t.l.s.

[Requisition to reprintDevil


Box 2 Folder 66 Southern Methodist University Press To Robert Bonazzi, Dallas, Texas, 1987, 3 t.l.s.

[ Regarding reprintingThe Devil Rides Outside