The papers consist of personal correspondence, two unpublished manuscripts, and newspaper clippings concerning Michael Shepley, his family, and his friends. There are also several publications relating to gay rights activities in New York City in the early 1970s. The papers are arranged alphabetically by topic/personal name and date from 1947 to 2020. The bulk of the papers date from 1967 to 1976 with significant gaps from 1987 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2017. Perhaps the most significant portion of the papers is the Shepley family correspondence in which Michael comes out to his family in a letter dated May 15, 1967. His parents’ replies are present. There are also a few other letters written by Michael from high school and from college, including his college year abroad in London (f.9). Newspaper clippings about Michael’s parents and grandfather included in the papers demonstrate the familial and social expectations that he felt were significant (f.10). The two unpublished manuscripts, one untitled and the other titled "Tethered to Show Business," are autobiographical essays that focus on Shepley's difficulty in coming to terms with his sexuality. The untitled essay is about a high school crush he had while at the Loomis School in the late 1960s (f.11). “Tethered to Show Business” is a much longer work in which Shepley explores how his interest in movies, theatre, and television from a young age helped him find a place of peace as he struggled with his sexuality. He discusses his family life, childhood relationships, coming out to his family (f.13/p.111-113), and the influences of a 1964 LIFE magazine feature, “Homosexuality in America” (f.5) upon his teenage years. In addition, Shepley relates his experiences when he returned to St. Louis for the summer after high school graduation and recalls a location in Forest Park where gay men met (f.13/p.115). He concludes with reminiscences about driving various stars around St. Louis as part of his publicity assistant position at the The Muny during the summer after college graduation before he moved to New York City. Arthur Bell (1939-1984) was an author, journalist, and gay rights activist who lived in New York City. In 1964, he met gay rights advocate and author Arthur Evans, and the two had a relationship until 1971. Bell was one of the twelve founders of the Gay Activists Alliance in 1969. Michael Shepley read Bell's book Dancing the Gay Lib Blues: A Year in the Gay Liberation Movement (1971) and wrote to Bell. Bell replied to Shepley on December 7, 1971, and the two men, who became friends and journalistic associates, exchanged more notes and postcards (f.3). In a humorous letter dated January 11, 1974, Shepley wrote a letter posing as his own attorney, Richardo Romero (a character from the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie Swingtime), in which he enumerated Bell’s influence upon Shepley’s behavior. Shepley and Bell worked on Out magazine as editors and contributors (f.8). Shepley saved several of Bell’s articles on entertainment and gay issues, mostly from The Village Voice (f.1). Bell died of a complication of diabetes in 1984. Shepley saved newsletters and press releases related to gay activism and community life in New York City in the early 1970s. There is one publication listing sources for assistance at the onset of the AIDS crisis (f.6-7).