The George A. Romero Archival Collection to Acquire Papers of Author Daniel Kraus

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When we think of our favorite stories, we instantly focus upon what we enjoy the most about them. Such as why they caught our eye in the first place, or how they managed to captivate our imagination or terrify us or leave us in awe. But what we rarely ponder upon, is what went into the creation of those powerful pieces of art. Which is understandable, because we dive into stories to escape from everyday life, and experience something wondrous, and we also avoid a deeper analysis because sometimes… there really isn’t a deeper meaning to a particular tale. For it makes it clear that it is there to entertain us, and nothing more.

But there are stories out there, that deserve our awe and our understanding. Because these are the kind of stories that changed the face of cinema or literature or television, and they managed to inspire generations of creatives to get into the business and create more thoughtful and meaningful stories that ignite and inspire our imagination. And it just so happens that the University of Pittsburgh Library Collection, is taking the time to assemble a unique way for everyone to examine the works of a true horror great; the late George A. Romero.

For his films and their powerful commentary on modern America and its flaws have been fawned over for decades now. Simply because they were fearless in their opinions on civil rights and consumerism and politics and of course, they helped to bring horror into the mainstream and that is why the University has created the George A. Romero Archival Collection. A grand database filled to the brim with everything imaginable in regard to George’s incredible career in the industry, something that will allow for scholars and students to properly understand the genesis of his fascinating tales.

But while this archive will feature all kinds of incredible pieces from George’s storied career, it is also important to look at how his work has influenced others. Which is why it is magnificent to know that the works of his collaborators will be featured in the archives as well. For author Daniel Kraus, who helped complete George’s final zombie work, The Living Dead (to be released in August) is having his pages inducted into this prestigious collection and here is what is what the University and Daniel had to say about this acquisition:

The University of Pittsburgh Library System is pleased to announce the acquisition of the papers of New York Times bestselling author Daniel Kraus as part of the George A. Romero Archival Collection, expanding the scope of the archive beyond the unique and comprehensive portrait of the filmmaking pioneer. The new collaboration will serve as a treasure trove for demonstrating Kraus’ creative process behind his novels and will also support research for both horror studies and children’s literature, another collecting strength of the Archives & Special Collections Department at the university. 

“I’m the writer I am today because of George A. Romero,” says Kraus. “So it makes perfect sense to me that I follow his giant footsteps in placing my past work with the University of Pittsburgh. To be a part of the Horror Studies Archives is more than I could have dreamed as an elementary-school scribbler writing Nightmare on Elm Street fan-fiction in the 1980s.”

The Daniel Kraus Archive documents the beginnings of his career and includes juvenalia produced from 4th to 12th grade, as well as manuscripts and drafts of his published works: The Monster Variations, Rotters, Scowler, and The Life and Death of Zebulon Finch. Kraus, a rising star in the horror genre, is a prolific writer and has garnered critical acclaim for his works. Both Rotters and Scowler were recipients for the American Library Association Odyssey Award honoring excellence in children’s and young adult audiobook production.  Additionally, Kraus has worked in collaboration with some of the biggest names in horror films.  He co-authored Trollhunters and The Shape of Water with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.  He also finished George A. Romero’s epic zombie novel, The Living Dead, which releases on August 4, 2020 (Tor/Forge).  
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The University of Pittsburgh Library System, an active member of the horror literary community, and Kraus aim to work together to grow the collection, with plans to create programming and networking opportunities for writers and filmmakers in pursuit of the university’s mission to support academic research and activity around horror studies. Processing of the archive will commence this summer, but delays may be expected due to COVID-19 Pandemic conditions. 

If anything, this is quite the honor for certain, and we here at Nerds That Geek want to congratulate Mister Kraus for being able to have his creative process featured in such a magnificent and important collection and we look forward to watching this collection grow in the days and months to come. So that so many can discover how George Romero assembled his incredible ideas and how his work truly inspired others to follow in his footsteps.     

​Relevant Links
Website: https://danielkraus.com
Bio: http://www.danielkraus.com/about/
The University of Pittsburgh’s George A. Romero Archival Collection: https://romero.library.pitt.edu

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