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The Biographical Materials series (0.8 linear feet and 1 oversize box) documents personal aspects of Ellison's life. The incoming and outgoing correspondence typically discusses articles that Ellison submitted for publication, as well as some letters covering his family and personal life. The series includes two diaries of Ellison's that contain his writings and drawings. One document of note is a folder documenting Ellison's participation in a government experiment involving use of LSD. The series also contains photographs of Ellison and news clippings of his articles. A few folders in the series contain press releases and photographs of the Air Force in France during the mid-1940s. Also found in the Biographical Materials series are oversize scrapbooks and photographs.

The Writing Drafts series (0.6 linear feet) consists of book manuscripts, as well as poems and journal articles drafts. Many of these typewritten manuscripts are filled with handwritten corrections and notes that serve as illustrations of Ellison's writing and editing process. While mostly undated, these cover Ellison's entire career as a writer from the 1930s to the 1970s. Some of these drafts were sent to magazines and publishers, such as The New Yorker and Random House, and were turned down. A small number of these contain hand drawn illustrations that correspond with the work.