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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 12.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 850 items) |
Abstract | James Sexton Layton, a writer, was born in Smithfield, N.C., about 1910. In 1961, Layton published The Enchanted Garden: A Poet's Quest (New York: Vantage Press). The collection contains a draft of a novel titled "Love and War," journals, diaries, notebooks, and letters of James Sexton Layton. The journals and diaries document Layton's social and intellectual life, including visiting, reading, writing, and similar activities, in Chapel Hill, N.C., and during his military service in World War II and when he lived in Europe following the war. Journals, 1947-1967, were dictated and then typed. Diaries, 1930-1990, are handwritten, except for the war diaries, which are typed. Letters include volumes in which Layton transcribed letters sent and received by him. The addition of 2004 includes journals, diaries, and letters that fill chronological gaps in the original deposit. Also included are college essays, poetry, some fiction and non-fiction writings that reflect on wartime service, autobiographical fiction, and a few miscellaneous items documenting Layton's work for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Latvia. Also included are hundreds of horoscopes and palmistry studies, a few unidentified photographs, and a Purple Heart for Military Merit medal. |
Creator | Layton, James Sexton. |
Curatorial Unit | Southern Historical Collection |
Language | English. |
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
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James Sexton Layton, a writer, was born in Smithfield, N.C., about 1910. He received an A.B. degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1938 and an M.A. in 1941.
From his journals, it appears that Layton served in the 17th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, U.S. Army, during World War II. From September 1945 until January 1948, he worked for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in the British Zone of occupied Germany. He then visited Brussels, Paris, and London and spent March-November in Liverpool, before returning to North Carolina. Layton lived in Hillsboro and Chapel Hill from 1949 until his death in 2001.
In 1961, Layton published The Enchanted Garden: A Poet's Quest (New York: Vantage Press).
Back to TopThe collection includes a draft of a novel titled "Love and War," journals, diaries, notebooks, and letters of writer James Sexton Layton. The journals and diaries document Layton's social and intellectual life, including visiting, reading, writing, and similar activities, in Chapel Hill, N.C., and during his military service in World War II and when he lived in Europe following the war. Journals, 1947-1967, were dictated and then typed. Diaries, 1930-1990, are handwritten, except for the war diaries, which are typed. The folders titled "Letters" contain volumes in which Layton transcribed letters sent and received by him.
The addition of 2004 includes journals, diaries, and letters that fill chronological gaps in the original deposit. Also included are college essays, poetry, some fiction and non-fiction writings that reflect on wartime service, autobiographical fiction, and a few miscellaneous items documenting Layton's work for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Latvia. Also included are hundreds of horoscopes and palmistry studies, a few unidentified photographs, and a Purple Heart for Military Merit medal.
Back to TopArrangement: by type of material.
The collection includes a draft of a novel titled "Love and War," journals, diaries, notebooks, and letters of writer James Sexton Layton. The journals and diaries document Layton's social and intellectual life, including visiting, reading, writing, and similar activities, in Chapel Hill, N.C., and during his military service in World War II and when he lived in Europe following the war. Journals, 1947-1967, were dictated and then typed. Diaries, 1930-1990, are handwritten, except for the war diaries, which are typed. The folders titled "Letters" contain volumes in which Layton transcribed letters sent and received by him.
Notes on "Love and War," journals, diaries, letters, essays, poetry, and other writings by James Sexton Layton. The journals, diaries, and letters chiefly fill chronological gaps in the original deposit. In addition, there are college essays, poetry, some fiction and non-fiction writings that reflect on wartime service, autobiographical fiction, and a few miscellaneous items documenting Layton's work for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Latvia. Also included are hundreds of horoscopes and palmistry studies, a few unidentified photographs, and a Purple Heart for Military Merit medal.
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-3648/1 |
Oversize papers |