Mainly typewritten letters, with some handwritten letters, postcards, and telegrams. Correspondence has been arranged chronologically and not divided by author or recipient.
There is sparse correspondence from Van Valkenburgh to Goldman from 1918 (when Goldman was in prison) and between the two in the 1930s, but the bulk of the correspondence dates from the 1920s. In this period, most letters from Goldman were written in Canada, France (including St. Tropez), or London.
The correspondence covers a range of personal topics, including Goldman's experiences living in exile from the United States, her writing process (especially of writing Living My Life), the pair's financial struggles, and their opinions on popular literature. Relationships with other prominent anarchists are the subject of frequent discussion, and the two occasionally detail ideological and personal disputes with each other or with their comrades. The correspondence also covers personal and professional tasks that Van Valkenburgh undertook on Goldman's behalf, including connecting her with publishers, visiting and writing to her friends, mailing books, raising money for her living expenses, and helping her promote her speaking events.
Political topics covered in the letters include ideological disputes among anarchists and between anarchists and communists, the Spanish Revolution, Bolshevism and the USSR, and the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy. They also frequently discuss the legal issues of other anarchists including Alexander Berkman, Carlo Tresca, Armando Borghi, and Sacco and Vanzetti. Goldman and Van Valkenburgh also debate topics including the future of anarchism in the Untied States and the role of political violence in the movement.
