Series I of this collection houses correspondence, book reviews, grade books, a manuscript copy of Snakes, Butterbeans, and the Discovery of Electricity, and other materials documenting James Perkins' work at Westminster College between 1979 and 2008. Of particular interest are the items showing his selection as a Fulbright Scholar and his work on Robert Penn Warren.

Series II of this collection houses research notes, publications, and other information that Perkins compiled while working on his 1972 dissertation examining the work of poet Kenneth Fearing.