William Eastlake papers

MS 383
William Eastlake in Vietnam, August, 1967

Photograph of William Eastlake in Vietnam, August, 1967.

Collection area: Literature

Collection dates: 1929-1997

About this collection

This collection consists of the papers of William Eastlake. Articles, book reviews, manuscripts, and photographs are either by or about William Eastlake. The articles contained in this collection are primarily short stories Eastlake contributed to various periodicals, but also included are articles about Eastlake from various newspapers and periodicals. The collection also contains clippings of book reviews for Eastlake's books, as well as many handwritten manuscripts for Eastlake's short stories and books.

Miscellaneous materials primarily include announcements and programs for Eastlake's lectures, book publishers' catalogs, and a calendar. The photographs in this collection are primarily of William Eastlake, but also included are photographs of his ranch in New Mexico and various other individuals.

Historical background

William Eastlake was a writer who was born on July 14, 1917. He grew up in New Jersey during the Great Depression, and following high school he hitchhiked across the country. Eastlake enlisted in the US Army in 1942. He served in the Infantry for four and a half years, and was wounded while leading a platoon during the Battle of the Bulge. Following the war, Eastlake spent several years in Europe. After returning from Europe in the 1950s, Eastlake settled on a ranch in New Mexico. He wrote many short stories and novels about New Mexico and the Southwest including Go in Beauty, The Bronc People, Portrait of an Artist with Twenty-six Horses, and Dancers in the Scalp House.

Eastlake also worked as a correspondent in 1968 in Vietnam for The Nation, and wrote several war novels including Castle Keep, The Bamboo Bed, and The Long Naked Descent into Boston. In addition to his novels, Eastlake was a lecturer at the University of Arizona, the University of New Mexico, and the University of California. He also contributed many short stories to periodicals, including New Mexico Quarterly, Harper's, and Evergreen Review.

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