John Sayles

Biography

The author of four novels and two short story collections, writer of 100 screenplays, director of eighteen feature films and recipient of the 1983 MacArthur Fellowship, John Sayles uses the medium of motion pictures to showcase the connection between the political and the interpersonal.  Beginning his professional filmmaking career as a script writer for Roger Corman’s low budget genre films, Sayles transitioned in 1980 to direct his own low budget project–Return of the Secaucus 7.  That film, recognized in 1997 by the Library of Congress and placed on their National Film Registry, launched a new generation of American independent filmmakers and catapulted Sayles as the godfather of a movement.  For the next four decades, he has written a range of films that promote progressive political ideals without being propaganda. The result is a staggering array of stories built on a foundation beholden to a realistic depiction of race, class, gender, sexuality and race.  Among the many titles are: The Brother from Another Planet, Matewan, Eight Men Out, Passion Fish, Lone Star and Honeydripper.

Overview of the Archive

Along with his longtime life and producing partner, Maggie Renzi, they donated some 230 boxes of archival material spanning Sayles’ entire career.  The U-M collection includes scripts, production documents, legal documents, photographs, storyboards, correspondence and more. There are personal journals and notebooks, business records and props. Also included are manuscripts of some of Sayles’ novels, short stories, and plays and showcases his uncredited work as a writer on such films as Apollo 13.

“We chose the University of Michigan over other excellent archives and libraries because we wanted to see John’s work studied as part of the curriculum at a great university”

Maggie Renzi, partner and producer

Sayles Symposium

In June 2014, the University of Michigan celebrated Sayles’ legacy with a symposium “Declarations of Independence; John Sayles as Author, Auteur, Founding Father.” In addition to Sayles himself, speakers included actor David Strathairn, producer Maggie Renzi, script supervisor Mary Cybulski, composer Mason Daring and U-M lecturer and screenwriter Jim Burnstein.

The exhibit “Sayles Pitch” was researched by the students of Screen Arts & Culture 455.

More on John Sayles

Holdship, D. (2014, May 20). Sayles Pitch. Michigan Today.

Associated Press (2013, October 9). John Sayles gives his archives to U-Michigan. Times Union.

Browse the Screen Arts Makers & Mavericks Finding Aids at the University of Michigan Library’s Special Collections Research Center.