Janet Piper apparently wrote poetry almost compulsively. Her correspondence as well as literary and social criticism are oftentimes expressed in poetry.The collection consists of poetry and correspondence. There are six notebooks and one folder of what one would probably call collage poetry. She has collected items from the press, mostly New Yorker cartoons, and photocopied them, sometimes several to a page, and then typed a poem in response to the item. Due to the nature of the cartoons, these comprise mostly social commentary, oftentimes making literary references. Her correspondence, as well as sometimes being written in poetry, usually includes poetry as attachments. Some of her letters are essays or include long discursive essays. Included in the collection are bound manuscripts that comprise most of her books. Most of these items are photocopies. Series 4 contains a poem index that has been provided by the Sam Houston State University and is recreated here with their gracious permission. It is not current and her latest books are not indexed here. Their holdings do not completely overlap with that of the University of Iowa, but it was thought worthwhile to reproduce this index in the finding aid. The index is organized by poem title - book - page number. Not all listings have a corresponding page number. Below is the book key to the finding aid: AEL: An Examinded Life BMB: Behind This Mortal Pone CAS: Conversations and Soliloquies FOS: In Fervor of Sun FOSAP: In Fervor of Sun and Perspectives LW: Last Words LWR: Last Words Revised (UI does not have this title) SS: Skyscapes Copy refers to a holding at Sam Houston State which is not available at the University of Iowa. Copies may be available from the Special Collections Department of Sam Houston State University.