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The Charley Perlberg Papers

American Popular Literature Collection

Introduction

In November 2007, Marilyn Perlberg transferred the papers of her late husband, Charley Perlberg, to Northern Illinois University. Property rights in the collection were transferred to Northern Illinois University Libraries. Literary rights are retained by Ms. Perlberg; any copyrights so stated in the materials will continue in force. Reproduction from this collection is provided at the discretion of Ms. Perlberg. The materials in this collection are available for research to qualified scholars as determined by the Northern Illinois University Libraries without restrictions.

Linear feet of shelf space: 6

Number of containers: 12

Scope and Content

The Charley Perlberg Papers consists of printed manuscripts, correspondence, and publicity related to novels written by Charley Perlberg under a variety of pseudonyms. The collection is divided into series based upon format. Series I consists of novels, and proposals for novels; Series II consists of short stories, and Series III includes published materials about Perlberg's work, mostly publicity clippings from appearances. Correspondence related to the physical manuscripts of particular stories, novels, and plays is located with those materials. Novels are organized within their series based upon original date of publication. Short stories are listed in the order that they occurred in the collection as donated. Dates of publication and reprinting are generally taken from the bibliography provided by the author's widow. Publicity materials are listed in the order that they occurred in the collection as donated. Annotations on post-it notes from Perlberg's widow, Marilyn, can be found throughout the collection.

Biographical Sketch

Charley Perlberg, a former member of the Northern Illinois University faculty in the English department, published over 20 western-themed novels under multiple pseudonyms beginning in 1980. Mr. Perlberg was born March 7, 1935. He earned his MA (1969), and his PhD (1973) in English from Northern Illinois University. He served as an instructor in the English Department at NIU from 1982-1986. He published novels under the pseudonyms Charley Barstow, Jake Logan, Joseph Meek, Duff McCoy, G.A. Carrington, J.D. Bodine, Cole Weston, and Craig Foley. He was a member of The Author's Guild, Novelists, Inc., and the Ozarks Writers League. He has served as a judge for the Oklahoma Writers Federation Teepee award (1997), and the Western Writers of America Golden Spur Award Best Novel of the West (1992). Mr. Perlberg passed away on September 17, 2002, and is survived by his wife, Marilyn.

Inventory of Collection

Collection Processor: Lynne M. Thomas
Last Updated: June 1, 2008

Series I: Novels | Series II: Short Stories | Series III: Publications about Perlberg

Series I: Novels

  • Box 1
    Folder 1
    Content: Showdown Country. [1980]. Rough typescript with holograph markings.
  • Box 1
    Folder 2
    Content: Showdown Country. [1980] Copy-edited manuscript w/ editorial markings & cover letter.
  • Box 1
    Folder 3
    Content: Hard Rider. [1981]. Copy-edited manuscript.
  • Box 2
    Folder 1
    Content: Vengeance Breed. [1982] Rough typescript with holograph markings.
  • Box 2
    Folder 2
    Content: Vengeance Breed. [1982]. Carbon copy of clean submission typescript.
  • Box 2
    Folder 3
    Content: Vengeance Breed. [1982]. Copy-edited manuscript.
  • Box 2
    Folder 4
    Content: Vengeance Breed. [1982]. Page proofs.
  • Box 3
    Folder 1
    Content: Tong War. Ryder #4 [1987]. Copy-edited manuscript.
  • Box 3
    Folder 2
    Content: Badlands Blood. Ryder #6 [1987]. Chapter synopses.
  • Box 3
    Folder 3
    Content: Badlands Blood. Ryder #6 [1987]. Rough typescript with holograph markings.
  • Box 3
    Folder 4
    Content: Badlands Blood. Ryder #6 [1987]. Photocopy of original typescript.
  • Box 4
    Folder 1
    Content: Badlands Blood. Ryder #6 [1987]. Revised typescript to fit Ryder series.
  • Box 4
    Folder 2
    Content: The Hangman. [1989] Series "bible" [concept document]
  • Box 4
    Folder 3
    Content: Quick Drop. Hangman #1. [1989] Typescript.
  • Box 4
    Folder 4
    Content: Quick Drop. Hangman #1. [1989] Typescript w/annotations of selected chapters
  • Box 4
    Folder 5
    Content: Blood Knot. Hangman #2. [1989]. Typescript.
  • Box 4
    Folder 6
    Content: Panhandle Payback. Cutter #1. [1990] Copy-edited manuscript.
  • Box 5
    Folder 1
    Content: Rough Trade. Mountain Jack Pike #15. [1993] Page Proofs.
  • Box 5
    Folder 2
    Content: Passion's Road. [1987?] Typescript. Summary, Ch. 1-10. Unpublished romance novel, as Pauline Ashland.
  • Box 5
    Folder 3
    Content: Passion's Road. [1987?] Typescript. Ch. 11-18. Unpublished romance novel, as Pauline Ashland.
  • Box 5
    Folder 4
    Content: Passion's Road. [1987?] Typescript. Ch. 19-end. Unpublished romance novel, as Pauline Ashland.
  • Box 5
    Folder 6
    Content: Passion's Road. [1987?] Revised Typescript. Ch. 1-10. Unpublished romance novel, as Pauline Ashland.
  • Box 6
    Folder 1
    Content: Passion's Road. [1987?] Revised Typescript. Ch. 11-18. Unpublished romance novel, as Pauline Ashland.
  • Box 6
    Folder 2
    Content: Passion's Road. [1987?] Revised Typescript. Ch. 19-end. Unpublished romance novel, as Pauline Ashland.
  • Box 6
    Folder 3
    Content: Time Trippers. [199-?]. Printed proposal for unpublished SF novel, including synopsis and sample chapters. 80,000 word version.
  • Box 6
    Folder 4
    Content: Time Trippers. [199-?]. Printed proposal for unpublished SF novel, including synopsis and sample chapters. copy 2. 80,000 word version.
  • Box 6
    Folder 5
    Content: Time Trippers. [199-?]. Printed proposal for unpublished SF novel, including synopsis and sample chapters. copy 1. 65,000 word version.
  • Box 6
    Folder 6
    Content: Time Trippers. [199-?]. Printed proposal for unpublished SF novel, including synopsis and sample chapters. copy 2. 65,000 word version.
  • Box 6
    Folder 7
    Content: Time Trippers. [199-?]. Printed proposal for unpublished SF novel, including synopsis and sample chapters. copy 3. 65,000 word version.
  • Box 7
    Folder 1
    Content: The Flintlock Saga. 1993. Proposal for trilogy of books that was accepted by a book packager that went out of business before publication.
  • Box 7
    Folder 2
    Content: Pioneer Heritage Series. 1998. Fact-Sheet for proposal for series of books, adapted from Flintlock Saga.
  • Box 7
    Folder 3
    Content: Pioneer Heritage Series. 1998. Proposal for series of books, adapted from Flintlock Saga. copies 1-3.
  • Box 7
    Folder 4
    Content: Pioneer Heritage Series. 1998. Proposal for series of books, adapted from Flintlock Saga. copies 4-5.
  • Box 7
    Folder 5
    Content: Pioneer Heritage Series. [1998.] Longer version of proposal for series of books, adapted from Flintlock Saga. copy 1. 70,000 words.
  • Box 7
    Folder 6
    Content: Pioneer Heritage Series. [1998.] Longer version of proposal for series of books, adapted from Flintlock Saga. copy 2. 70,000 words
  • Box 7
    Folder 7
    Content: Pioneer Heritage Series. [1998.] Another version of proposal for series of books, adapted from Flintlock Saga. copy 1.
  • Box 8
    Folder 1
    Content: A Hard, High Country. [199-?]. Proposal for unpublished novel. Original typescript and photocopy of original typescript.
  • Box 8
    Folder 2
    Content: Trail Man's Law. 1991. Proposal for unpublished novel.
  • Box 8
    Folder 3
    Content: Harker's Guns. 1991. Proposal for unpublished novel.
  • Box 8
    Folder 4
    Content: Badge Packer. [199-?]. Proposal for unpublished novel. (2 copies)
  • Box 8
    Folder 5
    Content: Redemption at Pronghorn Creek. [199-?]. Proposal for unpublished novel for inspirational fiction market..
  • Box 8
    Folder 6
    Content: Meacham. [199-?] Unpublished manuscript. Also marketed as Gundown Trail.
  • Box 8
    Folder 7
    Content: Kidnap. [199-?]. Unpublished manuscript, developed from Meacham.
  • Box 9
    Folder 1
    Content: Bold Rapture. 1991. Unpublished partial manuscript for romance novel as Paulina Ashland.
  • Box 9
    Folder 2
    Content: The Calico Wagons. [199-?]. Proposal for unpublished novel for inspirational fiction market. copies 1-3
  • Box 9
    Folder 3
    Content: The Calico Wagons. [199-?]. Proposal for unpublished novel for inspirational fiction market. copies 4-6.
  • Box 9
    Folder 4
    Content: "Millville". [198-?] Fragment of unpublished manuscript.

Series I: Novels | Series II: Short Stories | Series III: Publications about Perlberg

Series II: Short Stories

  • Box 1
    Folder 1
    Content: "Alien Lessons" [199-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 2
    Content: "In a 'Bot's Eye" [199-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 3
    Content: "Football Widow" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 4
    Content: "Getting Even" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 5
    Content: "Getting Even" [198-?] Typescript. copy 2
  • Box 1
    Folder 6
    Content: "Crash" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 7
    Content: "Crash" [198-?] Typescript. copy 2
  • Box 1
    Folder 8
    Content: "I Didn't Kill My Brother..." [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 9
    Content: "A Real 'Blast' of an Evening" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 10
    Content: "Oscar Must Die" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 11
    Content: "A Crime for Love" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 12
    Content: "The Stowaway" [198-?] Typescript.
  • Box 1
    Folder 13
    Content: [Current Stories. 198-?. NIU bluebook].
  • Box 1
    Folder 14
    Content: [It was dark under the trees...] [198-?] Holograph untitled ms.
  • Box 1
    Folder 15
    Content: [Secondary Mss. 198-?]. Includes typscript of "The Mahoney Investigation".
  • Box 1
    Folder 16
    Content: "Death in the Apartment Upstairs". [198-?]. Typescript.

Series I: Novels | Series II: Short Stories | Series III: Publications about Perlberg

Series III: Publications about Perlberg

  • Box 1
    Folder 1
    Content: Heartland Writers' Conference Newspaper. August 15, 1992. 2 copies.
  • Box 1
    Folder 2
    Content: Heartland Writers' Conference Newspaper. August 14, 1993. 2 copies.
  • Box 1
    Folder 3
    Content: NIU English PhD Alumni newsletter. [1992?]
  • Box 1
    Folder 4
    Content: Roundup Quarterly 3:4 (Summer 1991). Notice of Duff McCoy, Cutter #3: Savage Blood.
  • Box 1
    Folder 5
    Content: Branson Beacon. Nov. 18, 1990. Ozark Writers' League Column on Relocating to Ozarks.
  • Box 1
    Folder 6
    Content: Branson Beacon. Dec. 6, 1990. Ad for bookstore appearance.
  • Box 1
    Folder 7
    Content: Branson Beacon. May 8, 1991 . Notice of panel at Ozark Writers' League meeting.
  • Box 1
    Folder 8
    Content: Branson Beacon. May 15, 1991. Notice of book signing.
  • Box 1
    Folder 9
    Folder Photocopy of invitation for bookstore event. May 24, 1991.
  • Box 1
    Folder 10
    Content: Branson Beacon. May 22, 1991. Notice of book signing.
  • Box 1
    Folder 11
    Content: Taney County Republican. Dec. 4, 1991. Notice of talk at Forsyth Library.
  • Box 1
    Folder 12
    Folder Missouri Writers' Guild Annual Conference Schedule. April 24-25, 1992.
  • Box 1
    Folder 13
    Content: Branson Beacon. March 21, 1992. Perlberg named as judge in writing contest.
  • Box 1
    Folder 14
    Content: The News-Leader (Springfield, MO). May 24-26, 1991. Notice of book signing.
  • Box 1
    Folder 15
    Content: The News-Leader (Springfield, MO). May 19, 1991. Notice of book signing.
  • Box 1
    Folder 16
    Content: Branson Beacon--Republican--Missourian. May 29, 1991, p. 6B. "Ozarks Writers' League"
  • Box 1
    Folder 17
    Content: Daily Democrat (Kennett, MO). Jan. 16, 1992. Article mentions Perlberg as present at signing. With a flyer for the signing.
  • Box 1
    Folder 18
    Content: Program for group book signing held in honor of opening the [Springfield, MO] Center for Performing Arts. Sept. 16, 1992.
  • Box 1
    Folder 19
    Content: Photocopies of cover and dedication for Abilene Gun Down by Jory Sherman. [the book was dedicated to Perlberg].
  • Box 1
    Folder 20
    Content: Author biography [completed between 1995-1999?].
  • Box 1
    Folder 21
    Content: "News Release". Obituary written by Marilyn Perlberg, 2002.
  • Box 1
    Folder 22
    Folder Photograph of Charley Perlberg writing his first novel. March 5, 1979
  • Box 1
    Folder 23
    Folder Pre-publication flats for selected novels [14 items].