Carson McCullers (1917-1967) was an author, born in Muscogee County, Ga., as Lula Carson Smith. Her husband was Reeves McCullers. Her works included The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940) and The Member of the Wedding (1946). Collection consists of correspondence between McCullers and Tennessee Williams, Dame Edith Sitwell, and cousins, Jordan Massee, Jr., and Paul Bigelow; writings by McCullers; poems by Dame Edith Sitwell; and clippings; together with correspondence from McCullers' mother, Marguerite (Waters) Smith, to Massee and Bigelow, and other papers. Topics include the relationship between McCullers and Williams and their lifestyles, health, moods, travels, residences, and attitudes toward well-known contemporary writers, and McCullers' relationship with her husband, Reeves.

The Carson McCullers Papers span the years 1941-1995 and are divided into six series: Correspondence, Writings, Jordan Massee Notebooks, Photographs, Printed Materials, and Clippings. The Correspondence Series includes numerous letters from Carson McCullers to Jordan Massee, Paul Bigelow, Edith Sitwell, and other friends and family members. Most significant in the series is the correspondence between McCullers and Tennessee Williams, in which both writers touch on a variety of topics such as the writing process, health, marital problems, and their travels. Carson's relationship with her husband, Reeves McCullers, is a frequent topic.

The Writings Series, the largest in the collection, comprises typewritten manuscripts of several long as well as short published works of McCullers, including The Member of the Wedding (which has handwritten revisions) and The Clock Without Hands. Notable short writings include verses that McCullers wrote for children, an essay on literary criticism, and two short works that are inscribed and signed by the author. At the end of the series there are also two poems by Edith Sitwell.

The Jordan Massee Notebooks Series contains a catalogue that Massee compiled about the McCullers papers he owned, as well as a notebook with notes about McCullers and extracts from his journals.

The Photographs Series consists of five photographs, most of which are of Carson McCullers. Particularly noteworthy is a photograph taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson, where McCullers appears with the editor of Harper's Bazaar, George Davis.

The Printed Materials Series and the Clippings Series both contain reviews of writings by McCullers and materials related to their dramatization. The latter series includes two short essays by Tennessee Williams as well as numerous obituaries published after McCullers's death.

Co-owner (with John Zeigler) of the Book Basement in Charleston, S.C. Letters (some copies) to Edwin Peacock and John Zeigler, chiefly regarding their friend, author Carson McCullers. Many letters are from translators and biographers of McCullers (Virginia Carr, Jacques Tournier, and Robert Duparc). Includes letters from both Carson and Reeves McCullers to Peacock and Zeigler as well as copies of the McCullers letters to each other while Reeves served in the armed forces in France during World War II. Some letters were written by Carson McCullers to Peacock during her stays at Yaddo. Contains playbills of McCullers' plays, reviews of her books and plays, and other printed material concerning her as well as 56 photographs of the McCullers, their family, and their friends.

The Edwin Peacock Papers span the dates 1915 to 1997, with the majority of the items dating from the 1940s to 1997, and provide many insights into the life and work of Carson McCullers through materials in three series: Correspondence, Photographs, and Printed Materials. The Correspondence Series, largest in the collection, is comprised primarily of letters to Edwin Peacock and John Zeigler. Many are from translators and biographers of McCullers (Virginia Carr, Jacques Tournier, and Robert Duparc). There is also significant correspondence by the author's husband, Reeves McCullers, and copies of letters to each other while Reeves served in the armed forces in France during World War II.

The bulk of the Photographs Series consists of black and white snapshots primarily from the 1940s and 1950s. The majority of them represent Carson McCullers, her friends and family, including Edwin Peacock, John Zeigler, Mary Mercer, her sister, and her mother.

The Printed Materials and Clippings Series consists of documents related to the work of Carson McCullers. Formats include playbills, critical articles, reviews, and clippings. There is also a high-school essay on McCullers by the niece of John Zeigler, and materials related to various conferences and symposiums about the author.

Carson McCullers' psychotherapist, friend, and physician; resident of Nyack (Rockland Co.), N.Y. Chiefly letters to Dr. Mercer from Mary Tucker, Carson McCullers' piano teacher and long-time close friend, mostly about McCullers, with a few copies of letters from Mercer to Tucker. Topics include McCullers' mental and physical health; Mercer's care of the young woman; McCullers' work, long illness, death, and funeral; Tucker and Mercer's love and admiration for the author; and their opinions on various McCullers biographers. Later letters contain mostly information about Tucker's family. An unsigned letter from Carson McCullers, dated 5 May 1962, is also in the collection.

The Mary E. Mercer Collection of Carson McCullers-Mary Tucker Correspondence, 1959-1976, contain letters written primarily to Dr. Mercer by Mary Tucker, Carson McCullers's piano teacher and a long-time close friend. Most correspondence concerns the life and work of McCullers; however, there are also several letters written after the death of the author, regarding her biographers and the allocation of her papers to various libraries. Topics include the writer's mental and physical health, her work, and Tucker and Mercer's love and admiration for the author. There is also correspondence between Tucker and Mercer regarding various biographers of McCullers and the purchase of her papers by Duke University. The papers also include several copies of Mercer's own letters and a slide of Mary Tucker taken by Mary Mercer. Arranged in chronological order.