The Works series is divided into six subseries: A. Collections of Verse (1958-1978, 8 boxes, 12 galley files); B. Individual Poems (nd, 3 boxes); C. Mercy Street and other plays (1964-1969, 3 boxes); D. Fiction (nd, 1 box); E. Articles, diaries, and interviews (1960-1974,.5 box); and F. Presentations (1968-1974,.5 box). Each subseries is arranged alphabetically by title. An index to all of the works, arranged by title, is located at the end of this guide.

Holograph and typescript manuscripts of all of Sexton's major works are found in the Collections of Verse subseries, though there is less material, overall, for her two earliest books than for her later collections. Printer galleys are present for all of Sexton's books, except her first two collections, To Bedlam and Part Way Back and All My Pretty Ones, and the Pulitzer-prize winning Live or Die. The Awful Rowing Toward God displays the most draft revision work and includes a draft with comments by James Wright. Letters for Dr. Y includes an original grouping of the "horoscope poems" and Love Poems contains various versions of the"Eighteen days without you" series.

The Individual Poems subseries consists of original and carbon copy typescripts as well as holograph manuscripts of poems that were published individually, many of which were later placed in collections of verse, as well as some unpublished poems. Of special interest are versions of "All God's children need radios," "Flee on your donkey," "The Jesus papers," "Rats live on no evil star," and "The suicide note."

The majority of the Plays subseries is given over to the evolution of Mercy Street from an idea on a single sheet of paper to a final script. Multiple versions of the script with large quantities of Sexton's editing are present, as well as ideas for stage directions and types of people who should be cast for the roles. Fragments of other plays that Sexton was working on are also located here.

Sexton's efforts to diversify into novels and short stories are found in the Fiction subseries. Along with typescripts of the three short stories that appeared in The Book of Folly, are one unpublished and untitled novel, and unpublished short stories titled "The Bat," or "To Remember, To Remember," "Cowboy and Pest and the Runaway Goat," and "Hair." There is also a version of The Wizard's Tears, a children's story that Sexton wrote with Maxine Kumin, as well as fragments of other stories.

Subseries E contains edited and unedited typescripts of articles written by Sexton at various times, diaries she kept, and transcripts of interviews she gave. Among the articles are two essays of particular interest. "Feeling the Grass" describes her efforts to understand men's need for a perfect lawn, and "The Freak Show" tries to explain her mixed feelings of joy and fear when giving a public reading. The diaries include the notes Sexton kept on her experiences teaching in the experimental poetry program at Wayland High School, as well as more personal journals kept during the 1960s and into the 1970s. Interviews include transcripts of conversations Sexton had with George MacBeth about her poems "The Addict" and "With Mercy for the Greedy," as well as an interview with Barbara Kevles for Paris Review.

The Presentations subseries contains notes and scripts that Sexton created when she planned her poetry readings, speeches, and lectures. These notes include poems which she intended to read, introductory remarks, and outlines for her courses.