The Isabella Gardner Papers contain manuscript and editorial material toward most of her books drafts of individual poems as well as letters to and from various editors, friends, and family.

The William H. Gass Papers consist largely of his own manuscript material: manuscripts and proof material toward his books, drafts of various stories, essays, and reviews, interviews, and a miscellaneous assortment of notes and other materials. Also present is a substantial amount of professional correspondence, primarily with universities, magazines, and publishers, as well as with his colleagues in academia and in the literary community.

The Hadas Papers consist primarily of her poetry manuscripts and material toward her books. Also included is correspondence with a number of literary figures, and Hadas' undergraduate and graduate school work.

The Richard Hazelton Papers consists materials relating to William Gaddis including correspondence, lecture notes, clippings, print material, and an interview with Hazelton.

The Herbert Howarth Papers consists of material relating to Howarth's book, Notes on Some Figures Behind T. S. Eliot (1964) and includes his letters to and from T.S. Eliot. Howarth submitted drafts of his text to Eliot for comment and several drafts of the book with marginal corrections by Eliot are housed in the collection. The collection offers a unique opportunity to view the response of the subject of a critical biography to the views of a biographer.

Consists of correspondence from Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes to Olwyn Hughes, Ted's sister. Also, included is correspondence from Hughes to Graham Ackroyd and Ian Hamilton and typescript and manuscript drafts of Adam and the Sacred Nine.

The Hurst Papers consist of a small quantity of correspondence (most of it between Hurst and her school friend Lois Toensfeldt), the manuscript for her novel Quiet Street, some diary material, and a group of clippings and memorabilia. Special Collections also holds Hurst's personal collection of her published work which includes a complete set of first and variant editions, translations, and other copies of her books.