The fonds consists of manuscripts and drafts of literary compositions and other working documents, as well as professional and personal correspondence.

The primary emphasis of Stephen Morrissey’s correspondence is literary; however, family, friends, and business correspondence is also included. The letters in this accrual were written between 1963 and 2003. The scope of the correspondence is national and international and includes both incoming and carbon copies of outgoing letters. Correspondence in the form of emails begins around 1998. The correspondence is comprehensive and scholars can, in most cases, read the complete exchange of a specific correspondence.

Series B contains a collection of documents, poetry archives, and memorabilia from the Montreal poetry scene of the late 1960s to the early 1980s, photographs and documents up to 1996, and records related to two poetry magazines. The three boxes of documents and literary archives relating to the Montreal poetry scene contain: audio and video tape recordings of poetry readings; photographs by Stephen Morrissey including colour slides and black and white photographs of poets giving readings and colour photographs of poets; a collection of poetry magazines; posters for poetry readings, and information on poets handed out at their readings; broadsides of poems, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s; and items from the 1990s. There is one box of files for two magazines that Stephen Morrissey edited and published, what is and The Montreal Journal of Poetics, between 1973-1985.

There is one box of files for two magazines that Stephen Morrissey edited and published, what is and The Montreal Journal of Poetics, between 1973-1985. There are also three boxes of documents and literary archives relating mostly to the Montreal poetry scene. These boxes contain audio and video tape recordings of poetry readings; photographs by Stephen Morrissey including colour slides and black and white photographs of poets giving readings and colour photographs of poets; a collection of poetry magazines; posters for poetry readings, and information on poets handed out at their readings; and broadsides of poems, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. There are also items from the 1990s.

The eleven boxes of papers in series A contain original manuscripts, including working drafts and final drafts of texts from 1966 to 1998. These manuscripts, working drafts, and notebooks of Morrissey’s writings have resulted in seven published books of poetry; these are The Trees of Unknowing (Montreal : Vehicule Press, 1978), Divisions (Toronto : Coach House Press, 1983), Family Album (Vancouver : Caitlin Press, 1989), The Compass (Montreal : Empyreal Press, 1993), The Yoni Rocks, (Montreal : Empyreal Press, 1995), The Mystic Beast (Montreal : Empyreal Press, 1997), and Mapping the Soul, New and Selected Poems 1978-1998 (Winnipeg : The Muses' Company, 1998). As well, there are five chapbooks; these are Poems of a Period (Montreal, 1971), The Divining Rod (Edmonton : Greensleeve Editions, 1993), The Beauty of Love (Vancouver : The Poem Factory, 1993), The Carolyn Poems (Vancouver : The Poem Factory, 1994), 1950 (Vancouver : The Poem Factory, 1996), and several broadsides. Copies of the poetry books are included in the respective boxes.

File consists of MJP, series 3, # one - two, (Spring) 1985, Double Issue: This is the final issue of MJP, dedicated to F.R. Scott, seventeen pages with articles by Ralph Gustafson, Earle Birney, Endre Farkas, David McFadden, Stephen Morrissey and David Giannini. Letters received are included and copies of this issue are in the file.

File consists of MJP, series 2, # three - four, 1984, Double Issue: This issue contains eighteen pages with articles by Cid Corman, Stephen Morrissey, Ray Filip, two poems by Gerry Gilbert, and drawings by Beth Jankola. Numerous copies of this issue are included.

File consists of MJP, series 2, # two, Spring-Summer-Fall 1983: This twelve page issue contains articles by Richard Sommer, Stephen Morrissey, and Tom Konyves. Numerous copies of this issue are included in this file.

Contains additional copies of MJP, series 2, # one (see file twenty-two).

File consists of MJP, series 2, # one, Fall-Summer 1982: With this sixteen page issue Morrissey changed the name of the magazine to the letters "MJP". The issue includes articles by George Johnston, Beth Jankola, Guy Birchard, and two short articles by Ken Norris. Drawing of Jake Morrissey by artist John Walsh. Numerous copies of this issue are in the file.

File consists of Montreal Journal of Poetics, Spring-Summer 1980, issue # four, "To the Memory of A.J.M. Stephen Morrissey and John Glassco". This ten page issue concluded the first "cycle" of the magazine; articles by Gerry Gilbert, Guy Birchard, Claudia Lapp, Stephen Morrissey, and Ken Norris.