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The papers document the life and writings of Aleksander Wat, from his early poetry in the 1910s to the posthumous publication of his work by his wife Paulina and by Czesław Miłosz. Early material (prior to the end of the Second World War) is sparse and consists chiefly of correspondence, personal documents and photographs. Among the early material is documentation of the Wat's exile in Kazakhstan. Later material includes numerous notebooks that contain drafts of poetry and prose writings, and the audio recordings that formed the basis for his memoir Mój wiek.
The papers are of interest not only to researchers studying Wat's creative process and the context of his life, but also twentieth-century Polish literature, the relationship of authors to Soviet society, and the postwar Eastern European émigré literary community in France. Wat's repeated arrests and exile are documented in his notebooks, in personal papers, and in material related to his memoirs. His relationship to the émigré circle centered around the monthly Kultura in France is documented in correspondence with Jerzy Giedroyć, Gustaw Herling-Grudziński, Konstanty Jeleński, and Zygmunt Hertz. The posthumous success of his writings is documented in Paulina Wat's Correspondence in Series I, and in posthumously-dated material in the Writings series, which chiefly relates to the editing, translating, and publishing work of Paulina Wat and Czesław Miłosz.

The Annie Dillard Papers document the work and life of writer Annie Dillard. The papers consist of personal and professional correspondence, drafts of writings, notebooks and diaries, teaching materials, drawings, photographs, printed materials, audiovisual materials, computer disks, personal effects, and personal papers. The bulk of the collection consists of Dillard's writings and correspondence.

The Christopher Cox Papers consists of the writings, correspondence files, and personal papers of the editor, author, actor, director, and producer Christopher Cox, and of his partner, the art historian William Olander.

The Claude McKay Collection consists of correspondence, writings, personal papers, photographs and memorabilia documenting the life and work of Claude McKay.
Series I, Correspondence, consists of two subseries for General and Publishers Correspondence. There is correspondence with many well known writers and figures in the African American community from the first half of the 20th century, including Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Carl Van Vechten, Countee Cullen and Harold Jackman.
Series II, Writings, contains a variety of writings: articles, essays, short stories, novels, book-length autobiographical and non-fictional work, individual poems and collections of poems, and writings of others. There are holograph and typescript drafts of My Green Hills of Jamaica, and typescript drafts of Harlem: Negro Metropolis, an unpublished novel (Romance in Marseilles), and collections of poems, including The Selected Poems of Claude McKay.
Series III, Personal Papers, is organized into eight subseries: Books, Clippings, Financial and Legal Records, Invitations and Announcements, Material Relating to McKay's Death and Burial, Medical and Health Records, Postcards and Other.
Series IV, Subject Files, consists chiefly of clippings dating from the 1920s and 1930s on liberal politics, labor issues, race, and the countries in which McKay resided while abroad.
Series V, Photographs, consists of five subseries: Family, Snapshots of McKay, Other People, Places and Other. There are photographs from Soviet Russia in the early 1920s, and studio portraits of well known musicians and figures in the African American community.
Series VI, Memorabilia, contains clippings, photographs, program material and souvenirs from four separate commemorative events in honor of McKay from 1979-1990.

The Czesław Miłosz Papers document the life and work of the poet, essayist and Nobel Laureate Czesław Miłosz. The papers consist of writings, correspondence, photographs, personal papers, audio material, and printed material (including newspaper clippings, printed ephemera and clandestine samizdat publications), spanning the years 1880-2000, with the bulk of the material dating from 1940 to 1989. While some writings, photographs and personal documents pre-date the Second World War, the earliest correspondence dates from 1946.

The Elizabeth Jenks Clark Collection of Margaret Anderson contains correspondence, writings, photographs, sound recordings, and other papers of and concerning writer and editor Margaret Anderson. The material documents Anderson's life, work and personal relationships with many noted writers, poets, artists, photographers and performers of the twentieth century, including her close friendships with sculptor Elizabeth Jenks Clark and writer Solita Solano. The papers span the years 1886 to 1998.

The Glenway Wescott Papers consist of correspondence, journals, notebooks, manuscripts, personal and financial papers, research files,photographs, graphic items, clippings, objects, and audiotapes. The material documents Wescott's life, work, and personal relationships with many noted artists, writers, and performers of the 20th century including his long-time companion, Monroe Wheeler, many of whose papers are included here.
Series I, Correspondence, consists of six subseries: Wescott-Wheeler Correspondence (letters between the two men); Wescott Family Correspondence; Wescott Family Third-party Correspondence; Wheeler Family Correspondence; General Correspondence; and Third-party Correspondence.
Series II contains Wescott's Journals and Notebooks, an extensive collection of personal records detailing the author's life and thoughts from the late 1930s up to shortly before his death. Wescott's "journals" are in the form of three-ring binders, filled with notes, clippings, copies of letters, and images.
Series III, Writings, represents a portion of Wescott's original works. The writings are divided into five subseries: General Writings (including drafts of an autobiography, "The Odor of Rosemary"); Writings about People; Lectures, Broadcasts and Speeches; Writings about Glenway Wescott; and Writings of Others.
Personal Papers contains a range of material documenting the various activities of Wescott and Wheeler arranged in 18 subseries. Financial Papers, gathers together material in a chronological run, from 1925 through 1986. Series VI contains Wescott's own Research Files of various subjects. Photographs are grouped into ten subseries. Graphic Items consists of various image materials. Clippings covers a wide range of subjects, with a focus on art, book reviews, current events, essays and articles, and people. Series X, American Academy of Arts and Letters, concerns Glenway Wescott's membership in this organization, including the years of his presidency, 1960-62. Objects consists of pieces of realia received with the archive. Audio-Visual Materials is a collection of sound recordings and a videotape.
Series XIII, Additions transferred from the Monroe Wheeler Papers, contains items relating to GW which came to light during the processing of the Monroe Wheeler Papers and which could not be easily integrated into the existing archival arrangement.

The James Weldon Johnson and Grace Nail Johnson Papers provide evidence of the personal and professional lives of James Weldon Johnson, Grace Nail Johnson, and to a lesser degree, the Johnson and Nail families, spanning the years 1850 to 2005, with the bulk of material dating between 1900 and 1976. The papers chronicle Johnson's writing career and involvement in education, politics, and cultural affairs and consist of a variety of documents, including correspondence, writings, personal papers, scrapbooks, photographs, artwork, objects, and audiovisual materials. Johnson was involved in a number of significant movements and organizations during his lifetime, and, as a result, the Papers also provide insight into broader topics in American and African-American history during the twentieth century.

The Joseph Brodsky Papers document the life and work of Russian-born poet, essayist and Nobel Laureate Joseph Brodsky, with a particular emphasis on the time period of his residence in the United States (1972-1996). The papers consist of correspondence, writings, personal papers (including legal, medical and financial records), audiovisual material, teaching material, student papers, newspaper clippings and printed ephemera, spanning the years 1890-2004, with the bulk of the material dating from the period 1972-1996.

The papers, which date chiefly from after 1957, document the life and work of Polish-American author Jerzy Kosinski and include writings, correspondence, printed material, photographs, audiovisual materials, personal papers, and ephemera. The papers were collected by Kosinski's widow, Katherina von Fraunhofer-Kosinski (Kiki Kosinski). Correspondence includes fan mail and professional correspondence with writers, publishers and film producers. Writings include numerous revised drafts and proofs of Being There, The Hermit on 69th Street and other works. The significant quantity of photographs include informal snapshots, formal portraits and Kosinski's artistic projects. Audiovisual material includes audio and video recordings of interviews with Kosinski and broadcasts about Kosinski. Other papers include correspondence, photographs and other papers related to Mary Weir (Kosinski's wife from 1962 to 1966) and the Weir family.