Correspondence, 1967-2010 and undated

Series 1 consists primarily of correspondence between Merrill Leffler and authors associated with Dryad Press. The correspondence is both with authors published by Dryad Press and with aspiring authors who contacted Leffler about Dryad publishing their work. These individuals include Leffler's former students and people he met at poetry workshops, readings, or conventions. Much of the correspondence concerns both professional and personal matters, since Leffler's personal life is closely intertwined with his publishing efforts. The correspondence consists of both handwritten and typed letters, postcards, and aerograms. Major correspondents include Rod Jellema, Neil Lehrman, Myra Sklarew, Herman Taube, and Paul Zimmer. Notable items include a 1975 Robert Lowell letter to Marguerite Harris, a copy of President Bill Clinton's 1994 letter to Herman Taube, and 1985 and 1995 letters from Elie Wiesel to Herman Taube. The series also includes letters from unidentified individuals. One folder titled "Multiple Addressees" contains copies of correspondence addressed to more than one individual. The names of these are enumerated in "Multiple Addressees" folder heading. There is also a folder of form letters sent to authors whose manuscripts were not accepted for publication.

Series 1 is arranged alphabetically by folder heading and chronologically within folders, with undated material at the end of the folder. Single pages of correspondence to individuals were grouped alphabetically and filed together; the names of these individuals are enumerated in the folder heading. Manuscripts of works published by Dryad Press and photographs originally enclosed in correspondence are in Series II and Series VI respectively. Manuscripts sent to Merrill Leffler for his personal review were retained with their related correspondence.