The Vicki Hearne Papers consist of correspondence, writings, personal papers, photographs, audiocassettes, and clippings that document the development of her writing, from her works of poetry in the 1970s, through the books and articles she wrote in defense of dogs at the turn of the twenty-first century. Her writings reveal the connection between her work as an animal trainer and as an author and poet, both vocations informed by her readings and interpretation of philosophers including Plato, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein. Drafts of many of her works of poetry, non-fiction, and her book of fiction reveal the evolution of the works, and notes and comments by editors regarding works submitted for publication illustrate the nature of her relationship with her publishers. Letters from colleagues and friends, particularly her mentor, John Hollander, provide insight into the support she received from those individuals.