Mary Meigs papers

The collection is divided into four sections: Correspondence, Writings, Artwork, and Other Materials.

Correspondence, is organized into Outgoing Correspondence, Incoming Correspondence, and Third Party Correspondence. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically. Outgoing Correspondence consists of nearly three hundred letters written by Meigs from 1954 to 1995; most of the letters are addressed to Anne Poor, or to former companions Barbara Deming and Ruth Barratt. Incoming Correspondence contains over six hundred letters received throughout Meigs' life, dated from 1942 to 1999; they include letters from Henry and Anne Poor, Edmund Wilson, and fellow Bryn Mawr alumna Hortense Flexner King. Third Party Correspondence consists of a small group of letters, including correspondence between Meigs, Elena Wilson, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University concerning the donation of Edmund Wilson's papers after his death.

Writings, is organized into Journals, Manuscripts, and Other Writings. Journals contains thirty-six handwritten journals dated 1977 to 2000 recounting daily experiences, reflections, and dreams; they describe Meigs' life as her first and subsequent books are published. Manuscripts is organized by book: The Box Closet, In the Company of Strangers, Lily Briscoe: A Self Portrait , The Medusa Head, and The Time Being. Documents for each book are organized into Materials, Notes / Drafts, Translations (when applicable), Published Excerpts, Correspondence with Publisher, and Reception. Materials consists of research gathered for the writing of each book. Notes / Drafts contains successive manuscripts, from notes and first drafts to printed proofs. The collection includes Translations into French for two of Meigs' books, Lily Briscoe, Un Autoportrait, and Femmes dans un Paysage, the French version of In the Company of Strangers; these works were translated by Michelle Thériault and Marie José Thériault, respectively. Published Excerpts contains selections published prior to or shortly after the publication of each book. Correspondence with Publisher contains chronologically cataloged correspondence, mostly from Mary Schendlinger of Talon Books, Ltd. of Vancouver. Reception contains chronologically arranged reviews and fan mail written in response to Meigs' works.

Other Writings contains Meigs' minor literary works and is organized into Essays, Letters to the Editor, Reviews, and Public Appearances. Each subseries is cataloged alphabetically. Essays contains short writings published by Meigs during the 1980's and 1990's on topics such as homosexuality, aging, and nature; correspondence concerning the publication of many of these works is included. Letters to the Editor contains three letters in defense of lesbian writers. Reviews contains six book reviews written by Meigs, two of which were published in the Bryn Mawr Alumnae Bulletin. Public Appearances contains speeches, interviews, and flyers announcing public readings by Meigs.

Artwork, is divided into Artwork, Gallery Opening Notifications, and Reception. Artwork contains three groups of unpublished illustrations: for Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea, and the epic cycle of the legend of Cuchulainn in Jean Markale's L'epopée celtique d'Irlande. Gallery Opening Notifications contains memorabilia from the 1950's to the 1970's concerning Meigs' art exhibitions, including both gallery and newspaper announcements. Reception contains articles and fan mail relating to Meigs' artwork.

Other Materials, contains Marie-Claire Blais, articles in French concerning Blais' artwork; Barbara Deming, a collection of memorials written shortly after Deming's death in 1983; Edmund Wilson, an article written by Wilson published in The New Yorker that mentions Meigs and his social circle; and Miscellaneous Articles.