Scope and Content Note
Series 1 consists of dictation belts (also called dictabelts) recorded on a Dictaphone machine installed in MacKinlay Kantor's automomile, beginning in the 1950's. Most of the belts were nested one inside the other and stored in packets, although there are some individual belts as well. The packets consist of varying numbers of dictation belts; for preservation purposes, not yet disassembled and counted.
As described in the Manuscript Division finding aid for the MacKinlay Kantor Papers , Kantor prepared descriptions of the materials he donated to the Library of Congress in successive installments over a period of fifteen years. Some of these descriptions and commentaries provide background information concerning the creation of his literary works.
Series 2 contains photocopies of descriptions and commentaries written by Kantor about many of the dictation belt recordings listed in Series 1 (the original notes are maintained in the Manuscript Division). Some of Kantor's notes tell stories about the development of the work.