Atlanta History Center

Atlanta History Center

Atlanta, GA

Collection: Olive Bell Davis Papers.

Collection ID: MSS# 79-97

NUCMC: MS 79-97

Arrangement: The O’Connor correspondence is in “Box 1,” “Folder 2.” A finding aid is available at the repository.

Davis, a childhood friend of O’Connor, was an author of short stories, poems, and plays. She published her first novel, Exodus: 20 in 1959 and worked as a writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (“Davis”). The collection contains one letter from O’Connor and one letter from Davis, both dated August 1958.

Davis wrote to O’Connor discussing a visit to Andalusia and asked permission to publish an article about her. O’Connor’s letter in response states that while she does not mind having articles written about her stories, she does not want anything written about her personal life. The collection also contains a draft of the article Davis had written, entitled “My Friend, Flannery.”