BYU I Finding Aids Title: Vardis Fisher Papers Call No: MSSI 5 Dates Covered: 1895 1963 Abstract: The Vardis Fisher Collection is mostly letters and other forms of writing that the Fisher Family composed and sent via mail to communicate with one another. Scope & Content: The Vardis Fisher Collection is mostly letters and other forms of writing that the Fisher Family composed and sent via mail to communicate with one another. These letters include the personal thoughts, ideas, and feelings of Vardis Fisher himself as well as those of his immediate family. The collection includes three Hollinger boxes of correspondence. Biographical History: Vardis Fisher was born in Annis, Idaho, March 31. 1895 Moved to isolated river basin home. 1901 Graduated from Rigby High School, Rigby, Idaho. 1915 Married Leona McMurtrey, September 10. 1917 Birth of son, Grant; drafted into U.S. Army; corporal. 1918 Bachelor of Arts, University of Utah. 1920 Birth of son, Wayne. 1921 Master of Arts, University of Chicago. 1922 Death of Leona McMurtrey Fisher, September 8 1924 Ph. D. (magna cum laude) University of Chicago. 1925 Assistant professor in English, University of Utah. 1925 1928 https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 1/7
Sonnets to an Imaginary Madonna. 1927 Married Margaret Trusler; Toilers of the Hills. 1928 Assistant professor in English, Washington Square College, 1928 1931 New York University. Summer in Europe 1930 Returned to Idaho ranch; Dark Bridwell. 1931 In Tragic Life; taught summer at Montana State University. 1932 Taught summer at Montana State University 1933 Passions Spin the Plot. 1934 We Are Betrayed. 1935 Director, Idaho Writers' Project and Historical Records 1935 1939 Project of Works Progress Administration. No Villain Need Be 1936 April; birth of son, Thornton Roberts. 1937 Forgive Us Our Virtues. 1938 Children of God; wins Harper Prize for Fiction: Divorced 1939 from Margaret. Married Opal Laurel Holmes. 1940 City of Illusion. 1941 The Mothers; Darkness and the Deep, first volume of 1943 Testament of Man. The Golden Rooms. 1944 Intimations of Eve. 1946 Adam and the Serpent. 1947 The Divine Passion. 1948 The Valley of Vision. 1951 The Island of the Innocent. 1952 https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 2/7
The Island of the Innocent. 1952 God or Caesar?; trip to Europe, autumn and early winter, 1953 1953 54 Alan Swallow assumes publication of Testament; Jesus 1956 Came Again; A Goat for Azazel; Pemmican. Trip to Europe and Middle East, autumn and early winter, 1956 57. Peace Like a River. 1957 My Holy Satan; Tale of Valor; Trip to Europe, autumn 1958 and early winter, 1958 59. Love and Death, collected short storied 1958 Orphans in Gethsemane, last volume of Testament, 1960 published. Suicide or Murder? 1962 Thomas Wolfe As I Knew Him and Other Essays. 1963 Extent: 1.5 linear feet Creator: Fisher, Vardis Contributor: Provenance: This collection was a gift to BYU Idaho Language: Eng Arrangement: Forms: Access Restrictions: Open to Public Conditions of Use: Permission to publish material from Vardis Fisher Collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Librarian. https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 3/7
Preferred Citation: MSSI 5; Vardis Fisher Collection; Manuscripts; Brigham Young University Idaho Special Collections, David O. McKay Library,Brigham Young University Idaho. Related Collections: Subject Terms: English; Idaho Writers Notes: Inventory (Describe series, subseries, folders, etc.) 1 1 9/18/1915 1 2 10/1/1915 1 3 10/15/1915 1 4 1/23/1916 1 5 3/9/1916 1 6 9/30/1916 1 7 8/4/1917 1 8 12/8/1918 1 9 8/29/1919 1 10 10/2/1921 1 11 11/20/1921 1 12 12/24/1921 1 13 1/15/1922 1 14 3/15/1922 1 15 4/11/1922 1 16 4/21/1922 1 17 6/8/1922 1 18 6/22/1922 1 19 8/23/1922 1 20 11/9/1923 1 21 10/19/1924 1 22 11/2/1924 1 23 1/6/1926 1 24 9/25/1926 1 25 12/11/1926 1 26 4/24/1927 1 27 5/1/1927 1 28 5/19/1927 1 29 5/23/1927 1 30 5/26/1927 1 31 5/29/1927 1 32 9/21/1927 1 33 11/13/1027 1 34 11/27/1927 https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 4/7
1 35 12/14/1927 1 36 Prints of a play Vivian Fisher (Vardis' brother) participated in, as well as written a history of Joseph Cylvenus Fisher https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 5/7
2 36 1/3/1928 2 37 1/8/1928 2 38 1/15/1928 2 39 1/22/1928 2 40 1/29/1928 2 41 2/11/1928 2 42 2/21/1928 2 43 2/26/1928 2 44 3/8/1928 2 45 3/14/1928 2 46 3/30/1928 2 47 4/12/1928 2 48 4/21/1928 2 49 5/16/1928 2 50 11/10/1928 2 51 3/19/1929 2 52 4/3/1929 2 53 6/5/1929 2 54 8/15/1929 2 55 11/30/1929 2 56 6/10/1930 2 57 4/4/1933 3 58 8/20/1934 3 59 10/1/1934 3 60 11/18/1934 3 61 1/6/1935 3 62 3/12/1935 3 63 7/10/1935 3 64 1/6/1936 3 65 No Date 3 66 No Date 3 67 No Date 3 68 No Date 3 69 No Date 3 70 8/15/? 3 71 2/12/? 3 72 No Date 3 73 4/9/? 3 74 12/28/? 3 75 No Date 3 76 No Date 3 77 Rigby Squealer 1915 3 78 Rigby Squealer 1915 3 79 Rigby Yearbook photos 1915 3 80 Rigby Yearbook photos 1915 https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 6/7
4 1 Fisher Homestead Pictures 1990 2 Fiath pomoting Stories, White Horse Prophecy, Idaho Humanities 1997, Articles about and writ 4 3 Correspondence Aug. 23, 1922 4 4 Early Impressions & Observations on Vardis Fisher, His Life and Works by Dennis Glenn Bitton 4 5 Research Notes & Questions 4 6 An Essay for Men by Vardis Fisher 4 7 Darkness and the Deep 4 8 Idaho Primitive 4 9 Fifteen Against Death Excerpt form the Mothers 4 10 Rocky Mountain Review 4 11 The Southern Review 4 12 Vardis Fisher remembered by Di Bowler 4 13 Children of God 4 14 Children of God (A Condensation) 4 15 Vardis Fisher and the Idaho Guide 4 16 William Golding and Vardis Fisher 4 17 The Novelist and his Background 4 18 The Western Writer and the Eastern Establishment 4 19 The Mavericks 4 20 A Trivial Excursion in Modesty 4 21 Laughter Loose in Box 4 Books in the Clore Collection, containing writings by or about Vardis Fisher Idaho Librarian Volume 42, Number 4 October 1990 Vardis Fisher was not a Mormon Articles by, or about Vardis Fisher https://inet.byui.edu/sites/specialcollections/_layouts/15/print.formserver.aspx 7/7