Resources on Romulus Linney
Romulus Linney Online Exhibit
Who was Romulus Linney?
Romulus Linney was a playwright, novelist, and professor. Raised in Boone, North Carolina and Madison, Tennessee, he was the son of Maitland and Romulus Zachariah Linney III. Linney had two daughters, Laura and Susan. He graduated from Oberlin College and received his MFA in directing from Yale School of Drama.
His connection to Appalachian State University began in 1951 when he took a course on "Folklore and Ballads" from Cratis Williams, the father of Appalachian Studies. Linney maintained and strengthened his ties with the University for the rest of his life. In 1995, ASU bestowed Linney with an honorary doctorate and he returned to campus in 2005 as the Belk Distinguished Lecturer.
The author of three novels, four opera librettos, twenty short stories, and eighty-five plays, Linney was a founding member of The Signature Theatre Company in New York City and taught playwriting at several universities including Columbia University's School of the Arts and the University of North Carolina.
Romulus Linney...Back Home in the Mountains is an online exhibit featuring photographs, video and audio clips, and archival materials from the Romulus LInney Papers to showcase the life and work of Romulus Linney. This online version is based on the exhibit currently on display on the fourth floor of Belk Library.
View the exhibit, Romulus Linney...Back Home in the Mountains
Romulus Linney Papers
The Romulus Linney Papers are available for use by researchers in Special Collections at Belk Library. Materials in the Linney Papers include manuscripts of his novels and plays, personal and professional correspondence, theater programs and playbills, and production photographs and posters.
Guide to the Romulus Linney Papers
Romulus Linney Book Collections
Romulus Linney's extensive book collection has been divided into two separate collections. The Romulus Linney Theatre Book Collection contains books about playwrights and the theatre and is available in the library's main stacks. Linney's collection of research books, his own works, childhood books, and Appalachian books is non-circulating and is housed in Special Collections. All of Linney's books are searchable through the library catalog. For a complete list of the books in the Linney collection, search "ASU Romulus Linney" in the subject field.
Romulus Linney Book Collection Bibliography
The Romulus Linney Celebration
The Belk Library and Information Commons and the Department of Theatre and Dance hosted a series of celebratory events to commemorate the life and works of author and playwright Romulus Linney. Most events took place on the ASU campus on September 20-21, 2012 and included the dedication of the Romulus Linney Papers and a tribute to Linney featuring stage readings by many of the actors who originated roles in Linney's plays.
Participants in the panel, "Being a Working Actor in Professional Theatre", from left to right: Paul L. Coffey, David Van Pelt, Adrienne Thompson, Keith Martin (moderator), Laura Linney, Jim Houghton, T. Cat Ford, and Scott Sowers
