Materials related to Aerial Magazine, a poetry magazine founded by Rod Smith in 1984, that focuses on avant garde and experimental poetry. The collection includes submissions of poems related to Ariel/Aerial issues one through nine, letters to the editor, promotional material, financial records, and other printed materials.

Series I covers the materials related to issues 1 through 9 of Aerial. Documents in Series I are sub-divided for each individual issue. For issues 6/7, 8, and 9 the materials are sorted into "submissions," "letters," and "cover/draft." Submissions are poems that were submitted for the issue. Letters include correspondence to the editor regarding the particular issue. Finally, cover/draft consist of proofs, cover art, and other materials used in the production of the issue.

Series IV includes other printed material and ephemera included in the collection. Printed materials range from newspaper articles, catalogs, subscription notices, and reviews. Ephemera, such as brochures and flyers, are split between "Aerial Ephemera" and "Ephemera."