As students and community members walked into Hollings Library, they were met with a calming yet lively melody. Jazz notes floated through the air as individuals gathered around the live jazz band playing music from the Jazz Age. People danced in time to the music. In the midst of it all, students perused the display cases holding artifacts from the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald–and so much more.
The USC Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections partnered with the USC School of Music to hold a live jazz event in honor of the Special Collections’ Spring 2025 exhibit, “'Something significant, elemental and profound:' Celebrating 100 Years of 'The Great Gatsby.'"
USC has an extensive collection of artifacts related to "The Great Gatsby" and the life of Fitzgerald. A significant portion of this collection had been acquired by Professor Matthew Bruccoli, a USC English professor and devoted researcher of "The Great Gatsby." Bruccoli spent his life collecting materials related to "The Great Gatsby," even eventually befriending Fitzgerald’s daughter, Scottie Fitzgerald. In 1994 through a multi-year gift agreement, Bruccoli and his wife committed their collection to Special Collections and continued to donate over the next 20 years.
Michael Weisenburg, Director of Rare Books & Special Collections, curated the exhibit and explained that much of the collection comes from Scottie Fitzgerald and the Bruccoli collection. However, certain items on display, such as sheet music from the Rare Books Collection, were pulled in order to further characterize the Jazz Age and bring it to life.
Indeed, walking through the collection, one is struck by its expansiveness, from letters between Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, to international editions of the novel and several magazines featuring Fitzgerald's work, to local treasures such as a copy of the first edition of "The Great Gatsby" owned by an individual in Sumter, SC.
There is no doubt that "The Great Gatsby" continues to hold significance to this day.
“It has left an indelible mark on American identity,” Weisenburg said. “Not just among Americans, but among people all over the world. When they think of America, one of the things they think about is Gatsby.”
The live jazz event strove to not only highlight the Special Collections exhibit, but to showcase USC talent.
“We’re sitting in this room right now listening to those songs being performed by students here who have been trained in how to do historical jazz,” Weisenburg said. “So we’re actually getting to hear the novel in a way that you don’t experience when you read the book. So we’re immersing ourselves in the world of the novel in a way that’s material, that’s bodily.”
One of the USC student musicians, Christian Moreno Cova, explained the significance of this event to him, especially as his musical experience is primarily in contemporary jazz as opposed to the older jazz music he was playing during this event.
“Opportunities like this, to partner with different groups at the school to not only explore different things as a student but then provide a different experience that melds what people are doing in the libraries, in the English department–it’s a really cool way to express this in a different way,” Moreno Cova said.
Moreno Cova, a second year master’s student in Jazz Composition, also explained that he grew up in St. Paul, MO, the birthplace of Fitzgerald. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Moreno Cova was surrounded by landmarks of Fitzgerald’s life, including his home, a replica of which was displayed in the Special Collections exhibit.
“Being able to bring that and celebrate 'The Great Gatsby,' which is something I grew up knowing about and being aware of its history and the connection that this music had to it–being able to bring it to life is super cool,” he said.
One of the individuals dancing to the music, ballroom dancer Dr. Wanda Gale Breedlove, explained that she often attends Special Collections events. In fact, she had attended the opening event to the exhibit, where she and her dance partner performed the Charleston, a popular dance during the Jazz Age, with USC dance students.
Breedlove also explained the significance of "The Great Gatsby" and why individuals should continue reading it. “It identifies an era and it’s kind of a signature. It’s just as part of our heritage,” she said.
Weisenburg explained that exhibitions such as these can serve to educate not just students, but the local community.
“It’s important to do these types of exhibitions to make sure we’re sharing our history, our cultural history, and we’re making sure the general public and the student body know that this is for them,” he said. “This is part of their heritage. It’s not just something that belongs to the university; it belongs to all of us.”
Rachel Loging, an undergraduate assistant of the Special Collections who curated two of the displays, emphasized the importance of outreach with these events. "I think it really just helps with engagement and people understanding what is being brought about, what we have too," Loging said.
USC students also believed that holding collaborative events are essential to increasing awareness about the range of talent and scholarship we have at USC.
“I think events like this, especially around writers and books that have a lot of popular appeal, can do a lot to increase publicity, not only about the Collections, but also about the academic environment at USC,” said Jack Dedmondt, a graduate student at USC.
Gabrielle Proulx, an undergraduate USC student, shared similar sentiments. “I think it’s a great way for people to be immersed in different cultures, but also–this is history,” she said.
The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the spring 2025 semester. Special Collections will also continue to hold collaborative events with other USC departments, such as 5-minute Lightning Talks starting March 25. At this event, USC faculty from several departments, including the Darla Moore Business School, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sports Management, and more will share how "The Great Gatsby" holds relevance in their field.
