Willard F. Motley Papers
Finding Aid: Willard F. Motley Papers
Repository:
Chicago Public Library, Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature
Willard F. Motley PapersWillard F. Motley was a Chicago-born writer, best
known for his novel Knock on Any Door, published in 1947, and
its later film adaptation in 1951. As an active member of
Chicago's Hull House during the 1930s, Motley founded Hull House
Magazine along with William P. Schenk (Peter) and Alexander Saxon. This
small literary journal became a testing ground for Motley's early works,
which led to Motley's acceptance to the WPA Writer's Project in 1940.
After the publication of Knock on Any Door, Motley successfully
published three additional novels, We Fished All Night (1951),
Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960) and Let Noon Be
Fair (1966).
The Willard Motley Papers include a series of correspondence between William P. Schenk and Motley, exchanged during Motley's time working with Hull House Magazine. Additionally, the collection includes a number of newspaper clippings tracking the reviews and publication of Knock on Any Door.
Selected Artifacts
