Series II. CORRESPONDENCE, 1924-1990 (#17.8-38.1, Phon-62.1-Phon-62.4)

Series II, CORRESPONDENCE, 1924-1990 (#17.8-38.1, Phon-62.1-Phon-62.4), contains letters from Curwood's friends, family, and professional contacts, as well as a carbon copies of many of Curwood's replies. Letters from friends and family contain news about family and friends; accounts of daily activities, such as shopping, cooking, housekeeping, and errands; child rearing; trips taken; and other topics. Letters from professional contacts include invitations to participate in conferences, job offers, and information on current areas of study. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically, then chronologically.

Particularly revealing are letters exchanged by Curwood and her husband, James L. Curwood. The exchange begins during their short courtship and focuses on the first few years of their marriage when Curwood was a student a Cornell University and then living in Boston while James held several jobs, including as a valet for families in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Curwoods married the summer between Sarah's junior and senior years at Cornell University and the marriage was kept a secret due to fears that Sarah would lose her financial aid if their marriage were discovered. James' letters frequently express his frustration and annoyance over having to hide their marriage and Sarah's replies often echo his frustration and contain assurances that she loves him. The Curwood's letters contain frequent reference to their sex life. From the beginning of the exchanges, they established a code language in which they referred to their sex organs as "Edgar" and "Nellie," Sarah's period was referred to as "grannie" or "grandmother," and the notion of their future child was "Tommy."

Soon after the Curwoods were married, Sarah discovered that she had gonorrhea. Her letters contain references to Edgar making Nellie sick and she encouraged James to see a doctor because she feared James was the source of the disease. She also chastises James because he had assured her before they married that he had seen a doctor and been given a clean bill of health. For his part, James' responses were initially sympathetic and apologetic but evolve into claims that he had been to a doctor who found no indications that he had ever had gonorrhea. While refusing to take responsibility, he also assured Sarah that he didn't doubt her fidelity.

Sarah and James were reunited during the Thanksgiving. Sarah's letters reveal that during one of their sexual encounters, James didn't use a condom and she feared that she was pregnant. Much of the conversation is couched in references to the presence, or lack thereof, of grannie and mentions of Tommy. Sarah's letters often express her hopes that she isn't pregnant because it would force her to leave college, she and James would have to establish a home, and she doubts their ability to financially support a baby. James' responses range from trying to soothe her fears to expressing his hurt that Sarah blamed him for the situation, his belief that she was thinking only of herself, and anger that she doubted his ability to provide for his family. Eventually, the pregnancy becomes a reality. In a letter postmarked December 28, 1936, Sarah recounts how her mother attempted to help her abort the pregnancy, writing, "mother is giving me pills, I have to take hot foot baths, she also gave me a shot of gin last night." The abortion attempt failed, but Sarah suffered a miscarriage soon after.

James and Sarah's letters also document their disagreements over how Sarah should conduct herself. Letters reveal Sarah's dedication to obtaining an education and James' beliefs that she should leave Cornell to help support them with a job as a domestic worker. Occasionally, Sarah mentioned events she attended and people she socialized with. On several occasions, James replied with scathing letters criticizing Sarah for being self-centered for socializing while he was working so hard, being naive in her interactions with men, and thinking herself better than him. These letters generally ended with claims that James was only trying to give Sarah the benefit of his world experience because he loved her and wanted to spare her from making mistakes due to her sheltered background. Sarah responded to James' critiques with apologies and measured defenses of her actions and comments with occasional bursts of anger over James' criticisms. These brief, angry exchanges give way to affectionate exchanges in which both Curwoods express their love and desire for each other and plans for their future together.