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Born to a working class family in Chicago, James T. Farrell (1904-1979) rose quickly to be a leading figure for 20th century naturalism in American literature. An exceptionally prolific writer, Farrell published works spanning over five decades; however, his critics expressed that his output led to poor craftsmanship and editorial discretion throughout his later works. In addition to his professional works, Farrell produced a seemingly inexhaustible amount of correspondence, diaries, articles, and musings which covered a wide range of topics from politics to baseball. The currently available portion of this collection consists of over one hundred linear feet of personal and professional correspondence. Having kept many copies of his own drafts and letters as well, the correspondence provides a nearly complete view into Farrell’s conversations with publishers, politicians, family, fans and critics. Perhaps most importantly, this collection represents Farrell's legacy — an insatiable writer who fought to leave his mark on the world.