The Writings series (0.75 linear feet) consists of two subseries, Poetry and Prose. Poetry is further divided into Early Works and Later Works, and consists primarily of computer print-outs or photocopied versions of single poems by Madgett, arranged alphabetically by title, and sometimes accompanied by expository notes by the author. Early Works comprise juvenilia from the 1930s through 1948, much of which is in the form of photocopies of poems in Madgett's own hand or from bound typescript collections housed at Fisk University. Later Works span the years 1957 to 2003, although the majority represents unpublished or uncollected work from the 1990s. Three works in this section are represented in greater detail: the recent single poem "The Master Calleth Me," here in several stages of (photocopied) manuscript drafts; Madgett's celebrated volume of poems about her aunt, originally published under the title Octavia and Other Poems (Third World Press, 1988) and reissued (with substantial changes) in 2002 by Lotus Press (as Octavia: Guthrie and Beyond); and Madgett's oft-reprinted poem "Midway," the history of the reception of which is documented by correspondence, ephemera, and an expository statement by Madgett. In addition, the Poetry subseries contains musical settings of some of Madgett's poems, laminated broadsides featuring single poems, and book jackets from Madgett's published volumes.
The Prose subseries of Writings contains book reviews written by Madgett; essays and articles on a variety of subjects, literary and non-literary (arranged alphabetically by title); and a computer print-out of Madgett's unpublished autobiographical work, Pilgrim Journey. In the latter, the author describes her childhood, her development and career as a poet, and her work as a publisher, offering valuable syntheses of the literary aesthetic and social consciousness driving both her writing and Lotus Press.
