The Patricia Huyett Collection was gifted to the LaBudde Special Collections in April 2011 by Pat Huyett. Huyett, an alumnus of and English professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, was a Renaissance woman in the truest sense of the word, and this collection reflects those broad identities. Among the jewels of this collection are her personal journals, which range in emotions from whimsical to compelling. As she documents the experience of a young girl’s journey into womanhood, she freely expresses her most intimate thoughts; fears and the hopes of who she is and what she wished to achieve on a daily basis and ultimately in life. As one peruses the hundreds of pages of text throughout the collection, they are transported into a unique experience and provided an inkling of what life can hold when creativity and passion show no boundaries. Huyett pens her life’s lessons and cosmic imagination into the form of poetry, short stories, novellas and even songwriting. Also included in this collection is a series of correspondence, the bulk of which is personal; along with college papers, teaching materials, graphics and photographs.

This remarkable assemblage holds a wealth of inspiration for any researcher interested in following the path of creative writing or poetry. The psychological aspect is another avenue to be explored, as Huyett shares her innermost senses and reveals what motivates her means to an end. As a writer she is articulate with a sharp wit and an infinite compassion for her fellow beings. The journals are a glaring testament to the historic significance of personal histories and the fading practice of putting pen to paper in the form of diaries, letters, etc. This collection promises not to disappoint and could lay the foundation for future authorships.