The 19 letters were written by Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary between 1942 and 1945. In the fall of 1942, McQuary met Lewis as a student in his creative writing class at the University of Minnesota. When the class finished in December, Lewis moved to New York City. During his time in Minneapolis, April to December 1942, Lewis nearly completed his novel Gideon Planish.
In these letters, Lewis discussed a wide variety of topics, giving a sense of his life while living in New York City. Lewis elaborated on his search for and described his new apartment at 300 Central Park West. Despite moving to New York City, Lewis longed for his University of Minnesota pupils and Minnesota, urging Joan to visit him in New York City, possibly working for him as a secretary. Lewis often mentioned spending the coming summer in Minnesota.
The finding aid for the Joan McQuary Collection of Sinclair Lewis Letters can be found here.
Visit the University Archives for more information.
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [July 14, 1945]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [June 13, 1945]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [April 19, 1945]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [November 4, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [June 7, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [May 27, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [May 5, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [May 4, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [May 1, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [April 21, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [April 19, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [April 17, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [April 13, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [April 6, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [March 14, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [February 24, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [February 19, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [January 26, 1943]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary
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Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary [December 24, 1942]
Sinclair Lewis
Letter, Sinclair Lewis to Joan McQuary