Steinbeck Archive Project
This project will benefit the Carl Albert Center Congressional Archives at the University of Oklahoma. We will be contributing searchable, plain text versions of letters written to Democratic Congressman (OK) Lyle Boren. The letters concern Congressman Boren's speech before the House of Representatives condemning John Steinbeck's 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath and its representation of "Okies."
The Plan
- Grab a letter
- Open our shared Drive folder here
- Create a new file with the following name (without quotes): "CAC_CC_007_2_6_49_0###" and replace the last three numbers with the page numbers you are transcribing, e.g. Pages 14–15 would be called "CAC_CC_007_2_6_49_0014–15"
Transcription
- Look over the document. If it is a single-column letter, begin transcribing from the top. If a multi-column document, transcribe as a single column: begin at top-left, transcribe to the bottom of first column, then continue at the top of the next column
- Spaces and line-breaks should be replicated, but numerous blank lines should be transcribed as a single blank line
- If anything is illegible, as a friend. If neither can read it, replace the word with
?, including the square brackets - If there is marginalia on the document, the following should be placed in the text:
^ Insert text of marginalia hereincluding square brackets and caret
Footnotes for "The Reception of The Grapes of Wrath in Oklahoma":
Can you find others? It is important to realize that the entire run of the Oklahoma City Times is available—on microfilm at The Oklahoma Historical Society. An important consideration in archival work is weighing cost and availability. How do you think this will affect future writings about this event?