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NORTH CAROLINA L I T E R A R Y RE V I E W
Winter 2022
2021 CRITTENDEN AWARD, WELL-DESERVED HONOR FOR “MR. NORTH CAROLINA,” ROBERT G. ANTHONY, JR. by John Blythe Some have called him Mr. North Carolina. It has a the exploration and colonial eras. And then there’s nice ring to it. And it’s an apt description. But RobThomas Wolfe. For the past decade or so, Bob has ert “Bob” Anthony is too modest to accept such been on the trail for illustrations of Wolfe’s Look a sobriquet. He prefers just “professional North Homeward, Angel. So far he’s found three sets. Carolinian.” That’s the phrase he used to describe As for writing about North Carolina history, you his job when The News & Observer named him Tar will find Bob among the contributors to two of the Heel of the Week in 2016. And for almost forty years most often used and critical references related to of working with the UNC Library’s North Carolina North Carolina: the previously mentioned EncycloCollection, that’s essentially pedia of North Carolina what Bob was. He retired as and the Dictionary of Curator last spring. He took North Carolina Biograon that job in 1994. You phy. He’s also written might say he was a steady about Wolfe’s “What presence. And we sure do A Writer Reads,” a litmiss him. tle-known short essay Bob ticks all the boxes for in which the Asheville the Crittenden Award. The native discusses some of major criterion is “adjudged his favorite books. And performance in the advanceBob co-authored a his—Elaine L. ment of North Carolina histotory of the North CaroWestbrooks, UNC University Librarian ry.” Jerry Cashion provided a lina Writers Conference, few more details in his Encyan annual gathering of clopedia of North Carolina entry on the award. He the state’s most well-known authors and poets that wrote that the recipient “engaged in the study, began in 1950.* You’ll also find Bob’s work in the writing, teaching, publication, preservation, restoNorth Carolina Literary Review, the North Carolina ration, or dissemination” of North Carolina history. Historical Review, and North Carolina Libraries. And The study of North Carolina history? Bob is the look for another Wolfe-related piece in the next perpetual student. You might say he’s been working year or two from Bob. He’s co-authoring a publion his PhD for four decades. But how could he do cation about the friendship and correspondence otherwise? The North Carolina Collection (we call it between Wolfe and Catherine Brett, who taught at the NCC) includes 323 thousand books, more than a school for special needs children in Pennsylvania. six thousand maps, fifty thousand reels of microBob has also served as an editor and publisher. filmed North Carolina newspapers, and more than Upon her death in 2002, Gladys Hall Coates left three million photographs. That’s a lot of resources money to support the publication of books about for a literature review. And so many potential PhD her husband Albert, the founder of UNC Chapel topics! One that recently captured Bob’s fancy: Hill’s Institute of Government, and UNC’s past William Jennings Bryan’s campaign tour of North presidents and chancellors. Bob was the person Carolina in 1896. Bob suggests that few, if any, left to work out the details. He organized an editoPresidential candidates visited North Carolina rial board, hired writers for several volumes, and prior to Bryan. Other topics that Bob returns to freforged an agreement with UNC Press to assist with quently: North Carolina maps, especially ones from publication and distribution of the Coates Univer-
“ Few people are more versed in the history, culture and literature of the state than Bob. He responds to all inquiries with generosity of spirit and gentle humor.”
JOHN BLYTHE is the Assistant Curator of the North Carolina Collection at UNC Chapel Hill. He is the most recent past president of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, which gives this award. OPPOSITE Bob Anthony exiting Wilson Library, UNC Chapel Hill
(Listen to his acceptance remarks for the Crittenden award here.)
* Wolfe’s “What a Writer Reads,” edited by Alice R. Cotten and Robert G. Anthony, Jr., was published in 2002 by the North Carolina Writers Conference and the North Carolina Collection of UNC CH Library, which also published (in 1999) Fifty Splendid Summers: A Short History of the North Carolina Writers Conference, 1950-1999, was compiled by Charles Blackburn, Jr. and Robert G. Anthony, Jr.. Read the latter online here.
