The General Correspondence series (2.25 linear feet) contains most of the correspondence in the collection that could not be considered "business records," arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent and chronologically therein; the majority dates from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Because Madgett included copies of much of her outgoing correspondence, the incoming and outgoing is filed together. The researcher will find correspondence with authors published by Lotus Press, with other writers of Madgett's acquaintance, and with other friends and acquaintances. Correspondence between Madgett and others about persons significantly represented in the collection is included under the relevant person's name, in files labeled with dates and the word "about." While the amount of correspondence that could be considered to be of a purely "personal" is small, Madgett's close relationship with many of the authors whom she published is evident in this collection, in letters that mix editorial advice and business matters with personal information and discussions of poetry and culture. Of particular interest is the correspondence with Paul Breman, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Emanuel, Gayl Jones, and Willie Williams (a poet whose writings from prison Madgett published). A few pieces of early correspondence attest to Madgett's relationship with Sterling Brown, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes.
Some of the material in this series overlaps with or will make most sense in the context of material from the Author Files series; in the case of the following authors, there is extensive correspondence between Madgett and the author about the details of book production, including editorial comments on manuscripts: Houston Baker, James Emanuel, Bill Harris, Ruth Kocher, Monifa Love, Peggy Ann Tartt, Jerry Wemple, and James Whitley. (Manuscripts by these authors can be found in Author Files. Letters enclosing manuscripts have been filed with the manuscripts.)
The General Correspondence series also contains a large volume of letters that Madgett received in the form of unsolicited submissions to Lotus Press. Because these letters are often personal in nature, and because Madgett's replies are often substantial and personalized, this correspondence has been filed--together with correspondence with other individuals who do not seem to constitute regular correspondents or to hold other interest for researchers--under the first letter of the correspondent's last name, at the end of each alphabetic division. In this case, manuscript enclosures have been retained with the original letters. This portion of General Correspondence evidences the care that Madgett took with younger writers, writers of African-American descent, and individuals who wrote despite serious challenges in their lives (including many who wrote to her from prison); in these instances, she typically responded with detailed advice about the writing of poetry and the prospects for publishing. In addition, these submissions often register the high esteem in which Madgett was held by readers and writers of poetry.
