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Holly McGhee papers

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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Holly McGhee is New York City-based author, agent, editor, and founder of the children's literature agency, Pippin Properties, Inc.

McGhee was born in 1963 to Don and Gabrielle McGhee and grew up outside of Utica, NY. She has two sisters, Laurel McGhee and, fellow author, Alison McGhee.

McGhee graduated from Cornell University in 1985 and subsequently began her career in publishing. Before starting Pippin Properties, Inc., she worked in various roles at the American Bible Society; Harper & Row; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; and Michael di Capua Books, where she served as Associate Publisher and Executive Editor.

In 1988, McGhee established Pippin Properties, Inc., a boutique literary agency, which she founded as an independent literary agent. As of 2024, the all-woman agency grew to include five employees and agents. Pippin represents 188 children's book authors and artists and has brought over 812 works to publishers. It is based in Bryant Park, New York.

McGhee is also the author of several published children's books. Her earliest works were written under the pen name, Hallie Durand, including Matylda, Bright and Tender (2017), Come with Me (2017), Catch that Cookie! (2014), the Dessert trilogy (2011-2012), and the Mitchell series (2013). She wrote and published Listen (2019) and What the World Could Make (2021) as Holly McGhee.

The Holly McGhee papers measure 5.2 linear feet in eight boxes and date from 1947 to 2020, with the bulk of the material dating between 1979 and 2018. The papers largely document McGhee's personal life, family, writings as a children's book author, and early career in publishing. McGhee's career as a book publisher is not well represented.

This collection is of value to researchers hoping to learn about McGhee's early career, her writing, and her family. It also represents publishing and editorial work is also documented through material from various phases of the publishing process of several of the children's books McGhee authored.

This collection is organized in four series, I. Youth and education; II. Family material; III. Author and writings; and IV. Other personal material.

Series I. Youth and education mostly contains McGhee's writings from elementary school through college at Cornell University from 1981 to 1985.

Series II. Family material contains the following subseries, a. Correspondence, b. "McGhee Family Chronicles," and c. Other family material.

The correspondence is mostly between Holly McGhee and members of her immediate and extended family. The letters between McGhee and her grandmother, Christine McGhee are notable as they offer insight into Holly McGhee's life and career between 1980 and 1999. These letters mostly consist of Christine McGhee's responses to Holly McGhee's letters (most of which are not included in the collection) which address Holly McGhee's early career at jobs including internships; the American Bible Society; Harper & Row; and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. There are also letters referencing the first months of McGhee's publishing company, Pippin Properties.

The "McGhee Family Chronicles" consist of narrative-style typed documents that detail the lives of various members of McGhees' family and of newsletter-style family updates written by Holly McGhee or other family members that consist mostly of jokes, humor, and allusions that would likely be best understood by the family.

Series III. Author and writings documents the writing and publishing processes of several of McGhee's published children's books, including Catch that Cookie!, Come with Me, the Dessert trilogy, Matylda, Bright and Tender, and the Mitchell series. This material notably includes research and drafts, contracts, editorial notes and correspondence, editorial dummies, F&Gs (folded and gathered printing drafts), payments, advance reader's copies, and marketing and promotional material.

Series IV. Early work in publishing, includes material from internships and short-term jobs and from her roles at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, HarperCollins (Harper & Row), and Michael di Capua books under HarperCollins.

Series V. Other personal material includes various certificates, non-family correspondence, documents, nametags, and a newspaper article about McGhee.

Sold by Gerald Cloud (Petaluma, CA), 2019, 2022, and 2023.

Publisher
University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Finding Aid Author
Kelin Baldridge Smallwood
Finding Aid Date
2024 April 2
Access Restrictions

The bulk of this collection is open for research use, however, Box 2, Folders 1, 6, 16, 24, 50, 55, and 60 are restricted until 2100 due to the presence of banking and personally identifiable information.

The use of the physical DVDs is restricted. The computer files originally stored on the DVD have been processed and are available for research use (see items described as "Digital Content (Reading Room Access Only)" along the right-hand side in the Collection Inventory). These computer files are reading-room access only on a dedicated computer in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library.

Use Restrictions

Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Collection Inventory

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4-H youth organization "career," correspondence, newsletters, and printed material, 1979-1985.
Box 5 Folder 1
American Library Association and American Association of Scholastic Libraries national poster contest article [Holly McGhee was the winner], 1979.
Box 5 Folder 2
Cornell University, commencement material and yearbook photograph, 1985.
Box 5 Folder 3
"Definitions," typed list of words with their definitions, circa 1982.
Box 1 Folder 1
Notebook, picture dictionary, and "flying comets" files, undated.
Box 1 Folder 2
Notes on college papers, "Lorrie Moore" and "Joyce Carol Oates report for William Shinker", 1981-1982.
Box 1 Folder 3
Writings: "Cats and Mice" and "Ceylon", 1983.
Box 1 Folder 4
Writings: "College writings", 1981-circa 1986.
Box 1 Folder 5
Writings: elementary school, circa 1970s.
Box 1 Folder 6
Writings: "Darwin for Myself", circa 1982.
Box 1 Folder 7
Writings: "Drink Up Angel" typed annotated draft, 1982, circa 1984.
Box 1 Folder 8
Writings: "Fight Again" and "George", 1982-1983.
Box 1 Folder 9
Writings: "The Krumine Spies" and "The Love of Chair (story about how dad made us wrestle)", circa 1983, circa 1986.
Box 1 Folder 10
Writings: "The Mealworm" and "Mrs. Ernest", 1982-1983.
Box 1 Folder 11
Writings: Newspaper articles, 1985.
Box 1 Folder 12
Writings: "On Calendars and Comforters" typed drafts, 1986.
Box 1 Folder 13
Writings: "Pharaoh," "Pick Through Gram's," and "Pago", 1982, 1984.
Box 1 Folder 14
Writings: "Remember the Porcupine Box", 1982 October.
Box 1 Folder 15
Writings: "The Rise and Fall of the Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor", 1980.
Box 1 Folder 16
Writings: "The Sandbar," "Shoes Die Too," "The Site of the Ee's," " The Star Rider," and "The Stray Cat", 1982, 1984.
Box 1 Folder 17
Writings: "The Tin Cans" typed annotated drafts, 1982-1983.
Box 1 Folder 18
Writings: "The Tradeoffs of Purity" and "To Humans with Euphoria, from Sapunko with Salvation", 1982, 1985.
Box 1 Folder 19
Writings: "Woodchucks" typed annotated draft, circa 1982.
Box 1 Folder 20

"Andrew," draft of a letter from Holly McGhee, undated.
Box 5 Folder 4
Aunt Marcia to Holly McGhee, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1994.
Box 1 Folder 21
Blake, Quentin, 1998.
Box 5 Folder 5
Brewer, Louise ["Weasie"] and William [aunt and uncle] to Holly McGhee, 1993-1994, 1997-1998.
Box 1 Folder 22
Brewer, Louise ["Weasie"] and William, from various others regarding memories of the Brewers for their 50th anniversary, 1998.
Box 1 Folder 23
DiCamillo, Curt, 2009.
Box 5 Folder 6
Dolan, Eamon [birthday card], undated.
Box 5 Folder 7
Gray, Sara to Holly McGhee, 1981.
Box 1 Folder 24
"Jean-Daniel, AFS brother", 1983-1984.
Box 5 Folder 8
Jerry and Myrna ["Jewish relatives"] to Holly McGhee, undated.
Box 1 Folder 25
Kirsch, George Elias, mostly to Gabrielle and Donald McGhee, 1959-1960.
Box 1 Folder 26
Kirsch, Reine ("Granny") to Holly McGhee, undated.
Box 1 Folder 27
McGhee, Alison (sister), 1978-1996, 2010, 2016, undated.
Box 5 Folder 9
McGhee, Christine ("Granny") from Holly McGhee, 1989, 1996-1999.
Box 1 Folder 28
McGhee, Christine ("Granny") from Holly McGhee, 1995.
Box 5 Folder 10
McGhee, Christine ("Granny") to Holly McGhee, 1980-1999, undated.
Box 1 Folder 29-34
McGhee, Christine and ? (grandparents) to Holly McGhee, cards, undated.
Box 1 Folder 35
McGhee, Don (father) to Holly McGhee, 1995-1996, undated.
Box 1 Folder 36
McGhee, Don and Gabrielle (parents) to Holly McGhee ["Sag Harbor week"], 1973.
Box 1 Folder 37
McGhee, Don and Gabrielle (parents) to Holly McGhee, cards, 1974, 1981-1982, 1991-1997, 2002, 2005-2006, 2010-2013, 2015, 2018, undated.
Box 1 Folder 38
McGhee, Don, Gabrielle, Doug, and Maxie (parents, brother, and ?) from Holly McGhee, childhood cards, circa 1965-1975.
Box 5 Folder 11
McGhee, Don, Gabrielle, Doug, and Maxie (parents, brother, and ?) from Holly McGhee at college, 1981-1983.
Box 5 Folder 12
McGhee, Don, Gabrielle, Doug, and Maxie (parents, brother, and ?) from Holly McGhee at college and early jobs, 1982-1985.
Box 5 Folder 13
McGhee, Don, Gabrielle, Doug, and Maxie (parents, brother, and ?) from Holly McGhee at early jobs, 1985-1989.
Box 5 Folder 14
McGhee, Doug (brother) to and from Holly McGhee, 1987, 1992-1994, undated.
Box 5 Folder 15
McGhee, Gabrielle (mother) to Holly McGhee, 1980-1985, 1988-1989, 1992-1995, undated.
Box 1 Folder 39-40
McGhee, Gabrielle from Tiara (Holly McGhee's friend), 1984.
Box 1 Folder 41
McGhee, Gabrielle to her parents, circa 1965.
Box 1 Folder 42
McGhee, "Granpa" to Holly McGhee, 1982, undated.
Box 1 Folder 43
McGhee, Laurel (sister) to Holly McGhee, 1979, 1983, 1989-1996, 2002, undated.
Box 5 Folder 16
Means, David, 1996.
Box 5 Folder 17
Moody, Rick (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux friend) and Julie Rose, 1989-1994.
Box 5 Folder 18
Murphy, Sandra, 1987-1993.
Box 5 Folder 19
O'Brien, Bill to Holly McGhee and Michael Steiner, regarding miscarriage, circa 1999.
Box 1 Folder 44
O'Neil, Elaine (Cornell roommate), 1982-1996.
Box 5 Folder 20
Pavelich, Karen (childhood friend), 1988.
Box 5 Folder 21
Smith, Randi (childhood friend), 1980s-1990s.
Box 5 Folder 22-23
Snell, Christine and family, 2007, 2010-2011, 2017.
Box 5 Folder 24
Steiner, Charlotte (Holly McGhee's daughter), from Kevin Henkes, 2000.
Box 5 Folder 25
Cards for Holly McGhee's birth, circa 1964.
Box 1 Folder 45
Charlotte Reine Steiner (daughter) diary, typed document documenting the first several years of Steiner's life, 1999-2008.
Box 1 Folder 46-47
Christmas memories, document with photographs and typed family stories, 2014.
Box 1 Folder 48
Grandpa McGhee story, typed document with photographs, undated.
Box 1 Folder 49
"Memories of a childhood in New York City," Gabrielle McGhee life story, undated.
Box 1 Folder 50
"The Steuber's Gazette," family newsletter [mostly jokes, humor, and allusions that would be best understood by the family], 1994, 1996-1999-2000, 2002-2004, 2006-2007, 2009-2015, 2017-2018.
Box 1 Folder 51
Wedding anniversaries, Gabrielle and Don McGhee, invitation, program, and letter, 1988, 1998.
Box 1 Folder 52
Writings by George Elias Kirsch, undated.
Box 1 Folder 53
Writings by Charlotte Steiner (relationship to McGhee unclear, Baby's Mother Coose, cloth books, 1947.
Box 7
Writings by Christine Hoffbell (Granny), memories, undated.
Box 1 Folder 54

Correspondence with editor, payments, and dust jacket sketch, 2012-2014, 2018.
Box 2 Folder 1
Editorial dummies with notes, 2012-2013.
Box 4 Folder 1
Catalog, Understanding Our World, 2018.
Box 2 Folder 2
Correspondence, Jen Besser (editor), Refugees International, Garret Weyr, Tony Yuli (New York Times), and a special mailings list, 2016-2017.
Box 2 Folder 3
Events, printed material, 2017-2018.
Box 2 Folder 4
F&G (folded and gathered, unbound printed version of a book) and correspondence regarding the F&G, 2017.
Box 2 Folder 5
Foreign license advances and documents, 2018.
Box 2 Folder 6
Marketing and publicity, plan and correspondence, 2017.
Box 2 Folder 7
Notes and pitch notecards, 2017.
Box 2 Folder 8
Promotional material, stuffed toys, undated.
Box 3 Folder 10
Writings about Yvette PierPaoli (Pascal Lemaître's mother who inspired the book), 1992, 2001.
Box 2 Folder 9-10
Writings, "The Story Behind Come with Me" by Holly McGhee and Pascal Lemaître, undated.
Box 2 Folder 11
Class visits, thank you notes [mostly Beeman Elementary School, Vermont], 2010.
Box 2 Folder 12
Contracts, 2007, 2012.
Box 2 Folder 13
"Fanmail", 2010-2011.
Box 2 Folder 14
Hutch magazine, photograph of Normana Schaff (muse for Mrs. Howdy Doody), recipes, and sketch by Louise Steiner McGhee, 2009, undated.
Box 2 Folder 15
Payments and royalties, 2010-2011.
Box 2 Folder 16
Research in classrooms, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 17
Dessert First: Advance reader's copy, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 18
Dessert First: Catalogs, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 19
Dessert First: Class visits, East Kingston Elementary School, welcome poster, 2009.
Box 4 Folder 2
Dessert First: Character studies, correspondence, and sketches, 2007.
Box 2 Folder 20
Dessert First: Correspondence from Joanna Cotler, Kate DiCamillo, and Karen Lotz, 2008-2009.
Box 2 Folder 21
Dessert First: Drafts, handwritten, 2007.
Box 2 Folder 22
Dessert First: Foul matter, 2007.
Box 8 Folder 1
Dessert First: "Marketing plan on acquisition" menu, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 23
Dessert First: Payments and royalties, 2010, 2016.
Box 2 Folder 24
Dessert First: Publication and launch [congratulatory notes and party baking contest], 2009.
Box 2 Folder 25
Dessert First: Research, 2007.
Box 2 Folder 26
Dessert First: Research in classrooms [mostly Jefferson Elementary School], 2009.
Box 2 Folder 27
Just Desserts: Sketch by Louise Steiner McGhee and "inspiration from Holly's scrapbooks", 2010.
Box 2 Folder 28
Just Desserts: Sketch, undated.
Box 5 Folder 26
No Room for Dessert: Contracts, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 29
No Room for Dessert: Correspondence, Steve McQuade, 2011.
Box 2 Folder 30
No Room for Dessert: Dust jacket proofs, 2011.
Box 2 Folder 31
No Room for Dessert: Research in Jefferson Elementary School classroom, 2009-2010.
Box 2 Folder 32
No Room for Dessert: Research on Thomas Edison, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 33
Annotated drafts, circa 1986, 1992.
Box 2 Folder 34
Drafts, 1996.
Box 2 Folder 35
Advance reader's copies and marketing plan document, 2019.
Box 2 Folder 36
Lithograph and first pass pages, 2018-2019.
Box 8 Folder 3
Advance reader's copy, 2017.
Box 2 Folder 37
Class visits, Remsen School, student sketches, 2018.
Box 4 Folder 3
Copy edited manuscript with notes, undated.
Box 2 Folder 38
Correspondence, editorial, Kathi Appelt and Joanna Cotler, 2014.
Box 2 Folder 39
Correspondence, "encouragement from David Small, Kathy Nuzum, and Jenny Brown", 1998, 2008, 2013.
Box 2 Folder 40
Correspondence, Laurel McGhee (sister) including "Flower Gypsy" story and notes by Alison McGhee (sister), circa 1980s, 1989, 2009.
Box 2 Folder 41
Correspondence, "notes of admiration," Doreen Cronin, Caitlyn Dlouny, Elena Giovinazzo, and Garret Weyr, 2016-2017.
Box 2 Folder 42
Drafts ["early strands," "bits that fed the book," and "story that became a part of it", circa 1980s, 1985, 1998, 2012, undated.
Box 2 Folder 43
Dust jacket, painting by Diana Cotler, 2016.
Box 2 Folder 44
Ephemera, 2017.
Box 2 Folder 45
First pages, 2017 February 2.
Box 8 Folder 2
"Inspiration", 2011, 2016.
Box 2 Folder 46
Notes, 2014.
Box 2 Folder 47
Notes, Joanna Cotler, first reader, 2014, 2016.
Box 2 Folder 48
Notes, Joanna Cotler, first reader, first draft, 2014.
Box 4 Folder 4
Notes, "Paul Austen talk at Maplewood Library" and "from editors/possible editors", 2015.
Box 2 Folder 49
Payments and advances, 2015, 2017.
Box 2 Folder 50
Pippin Properties keepsake book, 2017.
Box 3 Folder 11
Research on geckos, circa 2016.
Box 2 Folder 51
Sketch by Louise Steiner McGhee, "inspiration", undated.
Box 2 Folder 52
Study guide and student workbook, undated.
Box 2 Folder 53
Catalog, Candlewick Press, 2013.
Box 2 Folder 54
Payments, 2015-2016.
Box 2 Folder 55
Mitchell Goes Bowling: Correspondence, Karen Lotz ["editorial back and forth"], 2012.
Box 2 Folder 56
Mitchell Goes Bowling: Dust jacket sketch idea, 2012.
Box 2 Folder 57
Mitchell Goes Bowling: Editorial dummies with notes, 2012.
Box 4 Folder 5-6
Mitchell Goes Bowling: Notes and edits, 2011.
Box 2 Folder 58
Mitchell Goes Bowling: Notes and research ["at Hanover Lanes, New Jersey"], circa 2010-2011.
Box 2 Folder 59
Mitchell's License: Banner, undated.
Mitchell's License: Contract and advance due on signing, 2008.
Box 2 Folder 60
Mitchell's License: Correspondence regarding dummy with illustration from "Nicole", circa 2010.
Box 2 Folder 61
Mitchell's License: Correspondence from Karen Lotz including a sketch of the original Mitchell, undated.
Box 2 Folder 62
Class visits, thank you notes from Dr. Morris Gibson School, 2020.
Box 5 Folder 27
Deposit slip, "first check received as author", 2007.
Box 5 Folder 28
"Doug-don UHRani, ode to brother performed for family in 90s", circa 1990s.
Box 5 Folder 29
"Ode to a Grecian God," poem and note, 1990.
Box 3 Folder 1
Poem drafts "to FSG [Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux] colleagues" [including Charlie Anker, Mary Alice Moore, and Laurie Brom], circa 1989-1995.
Box 3 Folder 2
"What the World Could Make," first draft and notes by "Elena", 2018-2019.
Box 3 Folder 3

American Bible Society: Employee handbook [McGhee "lasted one month" at this job], undated.
Box 5 Folder 30
Coordinating Council of Literary Magazines: Internship printed material and form letter, 1983.
Box 5 Folder 31
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: Advertising work, 1990.
Box 5 Folder 32
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: Christopher Unborn by Carlos Fuentes, poster, undated.
Box 8 Folder 4
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: Denis Johnson printed material, 1991.
Box 5 Folder 33
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: The Great Eggspectations of Lila Fenwick, McMullan, Kate, uncorrected proof, 1991.
Box 5 Folder 34
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: Notes and cards from colleagues, 1989-1991.
Box 5 Folder 35
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: Old Mother Hubbard and Her Wonderful Dog by James Marshall, published book ["As an adult, it was Old Mother Hubbard that ignited McGhee's passion for kidlit"], 1991.
Box 6 Folder 5
Farrar, Straus and Giroux: Press (mostly clippings), 1990, 1993.
Box 5 Folder 36
HarperCollins: Bill Clinton inauguration, printed material, 1993.
Box 8 Folder 5
HarperCollins: Bill Shinker material, 1987, 1994.
Box 5 Folder 37
HarperCollins: Booklists and reviews, 1996-1997.
Box 5 Folder 38
HarperCollins: Correspondence from Larry Ashmead, 1987-circa 1995.
Box 5 Folder 39
HarperCollins: Maurice Sendak freize, undated.
Box 5 Folder 40
Harper Collins: Michael di Capua, Hirehorse Max by Ann Arnold, published book ["one of the first books McGhee acquired her name is on"], 1997.
Box 6 Folder 6
HarperCollins: Michael di Capua job offer, raise, and press, 1990-1991.
Box 5 Folder 41
Harper Collins: Michael di Capua, The Miami Giant by Arthur Yorinks and Maurice Sendak, published book, signed, 1995.
Box 7
Harper Collins: Michael di Capua, The Miami Giant by Arthur Yorinks and Maurice Sendak, tote bag, undated.
Box 7
HarperCollins: Michael di Capua performance reviews and goals, 1993-1997.
Box 5 Folder 42
Harper Collins: Michael di Capua, Whitefish Will Rides Again by Arthur Yorinks and Mort Drucker, published book with note fron Drucker, 1994.
Box 6 Folder 7
Harper Collins: Michael di Capua, Whitefish Will Rides Again by Arthur Yorinks and Mort Drucker,quilt made by Adrienne Yorinks, 1994.
Box 7
HarperCollins: Performance reviews and well wishes on associate publisher role, 1987-1988, 1991.
Box 5 Folder 43
HarperCollins: William C. Morris obituary, 2003.
Box 5 Folder 44
HarperCollins: Witch Hazel, original artwork by Margot Tomes, 1991.
Box 5 Folder 45
Letters of recommendation from industry colleagues for purchase of co-op, 2018.
Box 5 Folder 46
MacMillan: Advertising secretary performance evaluation, job description, and budget, 1985-1986.
Box 5 Folder 47
Press: Magazine articles, 1998, 2001.
Box 6 Folder 1
Resumes, 1985-1986, 1994.
Box 6 Folder 2
Speech script and pamphlet from McGhee's first panel as a literary agent, 1999, 2008.
Box 6 Folder 3

Autograph journal, Candlewick Press, autographs of Pippin clients to "Charlotte, Marshall, and McGhee", 2007.
Box 6 Folder 4
Certificates, Jury Service and the United Nations Association of the United States, 1981, undated.
Box 3 Folder 4
Correspondence, from "Kumiko" [Holly McGhee's 'friend from NYC internship"], 1983.
Box 3 Folder 5
Correspondence, rejection letter from Yaddo, 2016 March 15.
Box 3 Folder 6
"Jungian analyst invoice" and "RIIKE photocopy from college" document, circa 1982, 2018.
Box 3 Folder 7
Performance video, "The Library Song," 2nd grade class of Marshall Elementary School (McGhee's child's class) (140.8 megabytes), 2007.
Digital Content (Reading Room Access Only) pusp-1581-001
Nametags, 2004, undated.
Box 3 Folder 8
Newspaper article regarding McGhee's visit to Tuscan School, 2018 July 26.
Box 3 Folder 9

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