This collection contains poetry and essay manuscripts, correspondence with other poets concerning the Tennessee Poetry Journal, professional and personal correspondence, teaching materials, and other files relating to Mooney's life and career, dated 1949-1971.

Series I: Personal and Professional Papers, 1949-1971, undated – This series includes Mooney’s manuscripts and published works, reprints of his essays and poetry, personal papers, and personal and professional correspondence. Also includes correspondence about Mooney written by his colleagues.

Subseries A: Published Material, 1949-1970 – This subseries contains manuscripts, published works, and reprints of Mooney’s literary criticism essays and poetry anthologies. It includes the manuscript for Poetry Southeast, 1950-1970 (1968), as well as the manuscript for The Grave of the Dwarf and Other Irish Sketches (1968).

Subseries B: Poems, undated – This subseries holds Mooney’s poem manuscripts and notes. These poems were included in his poetry anthologies and in the Tennessee Poetry Journal and other publications.

Subseries C: Mooney Personal Papers and Correspondence, 1960-1971 – This subseries represents Mooney’s professional and personal life through correspondence he sent to and received from his friends and colleagues. House plans for Mooney’s home in Martin, Tenn. are also included in this subseries.

Subseries D: Correspondence between Mooney and Rose Graubart Ignatow, 1968-1970 – This subseries contains correspondence from artist and writer Rose Graubart Ignatow, whose husband, writer David Ignatow, contributed poems to the Tennessee Poetry Journal. Rose Ignatow sent Mooney letters, photographs of her family and artwork, small drawings and paintings, and news clippings.

Series II: Academic Papers, undated – This series includes academic papers from when Mooney studied at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. It also contains material Mooney used to teach English literature at the University of Alabama, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, the University of Southern Alabama, and the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Subseries A: Academic Material, undated – This subseries holds research material for Mooney’s dissertation on Edgar Allan Poe, as well as exam submissions, papers written for classes, and lecture notes from when Mooney attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Subseries B: Teaching Material, undated – This subseries includes poetry, vocabulary note cards, newsletters, news articles, published works and manuscripts, photographs and drawings used for teaching college level literature classes.

Series III: Tennessee Poetry Journal Papers, 1967-1971, undated – This series contains manuscripts of the Tennessee Poetry Journal, correspondence regarding its launch and publication, and correspondence between its editors and contributors.

Subseries A: Tennessee Poetry Journal Material and Festival Tapes, 1967-1971 – This subseries contains Tennessee Poetry Journal manuscripts and poetry submissions, correspondence between editors and the journal’s advisory board, and correspondence regarding the journal’s launch and submission solicitation. This subseries also includes reel-to-reel tapes from a springtime poetry festival held by the journal’s editors and contributors.

Subseries B: Tennessee Poetry Journal Correspondence, undated – This subseries includes correspondence between the journal’s contributors, editors, publishers, and others interested in subscribing or contributing to the journal.