To be considered for future grants, arts groups and young people studying the arts may contact the CREATE Foundation at (662) 844-8989.

By M. Scott Morris

Daily Journal

TUPELO - A late writer's literary legacy will provide money for the arts in Tupelo.

Elaine Dundy, author of the acclaimed "Elvis and Gladys," bequeathed $600,000 to establish the Elaine Dundy and Roy Turner Endowment Fund for the Arts.

Turner, a Tupelo native, was an amateur historian when Dundy came to Northeast Mississippi in 1981 to research her book about Elvis Presley.

"She paid me $5 an hour and gave me the most fantastic summer of my life," he said during Wednesday's announcement of the gift at the CREATE Foundation, which will administer the endowment.

That summer led to a lasting friendship between Turner and Dundy. She also developed an affinity for Tupelo.

Shortly before she left London to research her book, Dundy had a drug overdose. Turner said she found much-needed comfort in Elvis' hometown.

"She told her friends that coming to Tupelo and getting to know the people of Tupelo literally saved her life," Turner said. "She wanted to leave something of herself to honor what Tupelo did for her."

Dundy was a well-known author before she began work on "Elvis and Gladys." Her first two novels, "The Dud Avocado" and "The Old Man and Me," recently have been released as New York Review of Books classics.

Other works include the novel, "The Injured Party," as well as non-fiction books, "Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch" and "Ferriday, Louisiana." Her autobiography, "Life Itself!," was released in 2001.

Royalties from all of her books that are in print will contribute to the endowment. Talks are ongoing about a movie and a Broadway show based on "The Dud Avocado," which could boost royalties.

"I hope everyone realizes what a massive gift it is," said Turner, who also helped Dundy research "Ferriday, Louisiana."

The $600,000 and any future royalty money will not be touched, Turner said. He estimated that about $30,000 in interest will be available each year, and a board will decide how the money is spent

The first plan is to purchase a silver screen for the Lyric Theatre, which was a movie theater when Elvis and Turner grew up in Tupelo.

Contact M. Scott Morris at (662) 678-1589 or scott.morris@djournal.com.