Over the past week the New York Public Library has been showing off some of Tom Wolfe's archival materials, including notes for both The Right Stuff and Bonfire of the Vanities. They acquired items from Wolfe's collection back in 2013, but this is the first time they're on display.
Through February 27th, the main branch will be displaying nearly two dozen selections from the expansive archive, for a free exhibit aptly titled: "Becoming The Man in the White Suit." You'll also find notes from Wolfe's first interview with Jerry Garcia, which would be used for The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and a letter from Hunter S. Thompson, who at the time was sending Wolfe his recently published novel: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. From the NYPL:
Tom Wolfe’s archive contains over 90 linear feet of manuscript drafts and outlines for most of Wolfe’s works, including Bonfire of the Vanities, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and The Right Stuff, as well as photographs and notebooks filled with interviews, drawings, research and correspondence. A frequent patron of the Library, as well as a long-time New York City resident and chronicler of its culture, Wolfe’s rich literary archive was a welcome addition to the Manuscripts and Archives Division, and was acquired with a generous gift from NYPL Trustee Katharine Rayner.
As of this month, researchers have also been able to access the Tom Wolfe papers from the Manuscripts and Archives Division in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
