Arrangement: chronological.

About 115 letters and postcards from Ezra Pound, all originals, typed or handwritten, and about 60 from Swansea, some of which are originals returned by Pound or copies made by Swansea.

About 85 of the letters from Pound were written in 1955. Subjects include Swansea's personal affairs and her academic and literary efforts, which included a thesis on e. e. cummings; plans for editing a poetry anthology and the Carolina Quarterly ; translations of Catallus; and the artistic efforts, legal problems, and affairs of other young admirers of Pound in Washington. Pound referred briefly to other writers in some letters and occasionally mentioned his own work. There is frequent general advice to Swansea as a struggling young writer and literature teacher and occasional remarks about the art of translation and about Pound's contention that he was misunderstood by critics. Other topics briefly noted include contemporary poetry in the United States, American youth of the mid-1950s, and Buckminster Fuller.

The remaining 30 letters from Pound were written between 1956 and 1960. Pound continued to comment on Swansea's personal affairs and literary involvement. He occasionally made brief reference to his attitude toward Fascism and more frequently referred to responses of white southerners to civil rights activities. There are also references to American history and the Beat poets.

Other correspondence includes nine letters, one from Raymond Preston and another from Chao Tze-Chaing, and postcards addressed to Pound and given by him to Swansea. Three postcards, possibly from 1953, may have been retained because of the art works pictured on them. Also included are 15 letters to Swansea from others or copies of letters from Swansea to others, including Sheri Martinelli, one of Pound's associates in Washington. There is also one letter from Dylan Thomas's wife, Caitlin Thomas, after Swansea phoned her to suggest a name for her first child.

Ideograms in Chinese characters made by Ezra Pound for Swansea, writings by Swansea and others, printed material about Pound, material about Pound given to Swansea by Alice Stevens, and other items. Writings include a chapter from an autobiographical novel by Swansea about her first meeting with Pound at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Other writings include an article by Pound entitled "Symposium--I. Consegna," a poem by Marianne Moore, and other works apparently by young associates of Pound.

Printed material includes items sent to Swansea by Pound or collected by Swansea. Included are articles about Pound written in English, Italian, and French; Chinese pamphlets; copies of Strike magazine and the bi-weekly Current; an article about segregationist John Kasper; announcements of publications of Pound's work; and other items. The Alice Stevens material includes a postcard from "Pounds Sr." (Rapallo, 1933); a page of notes, presumably made or copied by Swansea, about the Pounds' apartment, which Stevens apparently visited in 1931; and newspaper and magazine clippings about Pound and his work.

Other material includes a poster announcing a presentation on Pound by Swansea, a press release announcing Pound's selection as fellow of the Academy of American poets, and other items.

For photographs of Pound see series 4.

Arrangement: alphabetical.

Correspondence almost exclusively between actual or potential contributors and the editor. There are also a few letters to and from non-contributors who shared Swansea's literary and creative interests. Included are a few copies of letters from the editor.

Most of the correspondence deals with writers' progress, acceptances and rejections, future projects, and specific works that had been submitted. Included are letters from Doris Betts, John Carr, Fred Chappell, Laurence Ferlinghetti, Norman Mailer, Joyce Carol Oates, Lillian Smith, Alice Walker, and numerous other southern writers.

Other editorial material, promotion and publicity material, and business records from the Red Clay Reader. Editorial material includes Swansea's notes about the history of the magazine; poetry editor Amon Liner's notes about poems that had been submitted; rejection letter forms; and worksheets marking the progress of typesetting and lay-out of several issues.

Promotion and publicity material includes lecture notes, letters about lectures; letters written to review contacts, promotional circulars and letters, invitations to annual publication parties, and clippings about the Red Clay Reader. Additional clippings are included in scrapbooks in Subseries 2.5, and promotional photographs are filed in series 4.

Business records includes financial materials, business correspondence, and distribution files. The early organizational material includes notes about meetings, letters from lawyer Mark Bernstein about incorporation and tax-exempt status, and information about the formation of the Southern Review Corporation. Financial material includes ledgers, a few bank statements, check stubs, bills and receipts, and notes about the Red Clay Reader budget and grants. Distribution material includes patron lists and mailing lists of various organizations from which the editor drew names of prospective buyers. (Distribution files are located in subseries 2.3.)

Distribution files for the Red Clay Reader organized in four card boxes.

Arrangement: chronological.

Typed versions of articles, stories, and poems, almost all of which appeared in the Red Clay Reader. Arrangement is by issue number and by category within each issue. All manuscripts that were published are marked for the typesetter; many are marked with editorial changes as well. Manuscripts not published in the magazine include poems originally attached to editorial correspondence, other poetry and fiction not returned to writers, and a few unidentified poems and stories.

Note that manuscripts from the Red Clay Reader IV are missing because they were lost by the printer. A few other manuscript versions of material published in the magazine are also missing.

Arrangement: chronological.

One copy each of the seven issues of the Red Clay Reader and two scrapbooks of reviews and newspaper clippings about the magazine, its contributors, or editor.

Arrangement: chronological.

Graphics, including photographs and artwork, and about 300 printing negatives from the Red Clay Reader. Artwork includes drawings and photographs that appeared in the magazine or were part of groups of pieces submitted.