Tulane University's
Louisiana Research Collection

Cory MacLauchlin’s critical biography of John Kennedy Toole will be released on March 26, 2012, and Cory will be in New Orleans to mark the occasion. Butterfly in the Typewriter: The Tragic Life of John Kennedy Toole and the Remarkable Story of A Confederacy of Dunces gives readers the benefit of MacLauchlin’s in-depth research, in archival resources as well as by finding and interviewing many people who knew Toole during his lifetime. In Special Collections, we have had the pleasure of meeting and working with Cory MacLauchlin during his many research trips, over the last several years. His primary resource in learning about Toole’s life and writing has been LaRC’s Manuscripts Collection 740, John Kennedy Toole Papers ; his research also led him to the staff and collections of Tulane University Archives, Rare Books, and other New Orleans libraries and archives. We’ve also enjoyed learning about the book’s progress over time, by following his blog, which has now been incorporated into...

John Kennedy Toole: the omega point , Joe Sanford’s award-winning documentary about the life of novelist John Kennedy Toole, was shown at the Prytania Theatre today as a Louisiana Feature entry in the 21st annual New Orleans Film Festival . The venue of this event was especially fitting, as the old single-screen movie house itself provides the setting of one of the funniest chapters in A Confederacy of Dunces , when our fictional leading man Ignatius Reilly attempts to attend an evening show at his neighborhood movie theatre in uptown New Orleans. Today’s show was much calmer than that, as an appreciative audience enjoyed the colorful, poignant, and beautifully-crafted film. As explained in a question and answer session afterwards, the authenticity of the documentary was assured by the avoidance of editorial speculation. Even the comments by scholars interviewed in the film were almost entirely factual rather than judgmental. The result of this careful work was a thought-provo...

We have so many things to celebrate in New Orleans! The Saints Super Bowl victory was savored yesterday in the form of an elaborate and phenomenal heroes’ parade, the first of its kind, being called “Lombardi Gras” and “Dat Tuesday.” We’re happy to note another award—Filmmaker Joe Sanford’s documentary, John Kennedy Toole: the Omega Point , recently won the Rising Star Award for Excellence in Film at the 2010 Canada International Film Festival. See the blog post dated Feb. 9, 2010, in Butterfly in the Typewriter: The Brilliant and Tragic Life of John Kennedy Toole , with further details and accolades. Congratulations to Joe Sanford and his associates in the process of creating this documentary, especially our friends Cory MacLauchlin, and Joel Fletcher, both featured in interviews in the film. We look forward to a local screening before long. Posted by Susanna Powers

John Kennedy Toole—the Omega Point is a documentary film in production by writer/director Joe Sanford. Collaborators on the project include two Toole scholars who have worked extensively with our Manuscripts Collection 740, Joel Fletcher (author of Ken & Thelma ) , and Toole biographer Cory MacLauchlin (see Eira Tansey interview posted here Feb. 16, 2009). The film features conversations with Joel Fletcher and Cory MacLauchlin, as well as Dr. Kenneth Holditch (UNO), Dr. Pat Rickels (University of Louisiana Lafayette), Dr. Jane H. Bethune (Salve Regina University), Dr. Billy Merck (Washington State University), and others. Shooting of the documentary should be finished by July. A colorful four-minute video preview of the documentary is viewable on the film’s web site. Posted by Susanna Powers