In the Spring of 1958, Spring Hill College's student literature magazine, The Motley, published an interview with Flannery O'Connor. The interview was conducted via mail with questions submitted by students. In this interview, Flannery addresses topics such as writing, Catholicism, and vocation, all with typical honesty and humor. This interview marks beginning of Flannery O'Connor's relationship with Spring Hill College.
In June of 1967, Henry A. Blackwell, assistant Professor of English at Saint Xavier College in Chicago, wrote a letter to Spring Hill College's Father J. Franklin "Frank" Murray regarding the Flannery O'Connor interview in The Motley. Blackwell was interested in obtaining a copy of The Motley for his research. Father Murray responds with a copy of the interview, mentioning his friendship with O'Connor. This correspondence is important because Blackwell's letter shows that the interview made waves among literary critics outside of the Spring Hill College community. It also serves as another insight into Murray's relationship with O'Connor. The letters between Blackwell and Murray are digitized below for the first time. The letters themselves remain in Spring Hill College Archives and Special Collections.
The Motley still publishes short stories, poems, and artwork of students of Spring Hill College. There are print editions of The Motley in Burke Memorial Library at Spring Hill College. To read current editions of the Motley online or to find more information, check out their website at the first link below. To read the older versions of Spring Hill College literary magazines, like The College Album; The Spring Hill Review; The SpringHillian, New Series; and Spring Hill Quarterly, please visit the second link below.
