The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-11-12
BOOK CHAT.
ny Mary VINO ovIngton.


II was my great good fortune
last winter and cary spring to travel
across the continent stopping on my
way to and from California. speak
ang in all in twenty-nine cities. In
many OF these places had the OPP
portunity to address not only Branch
meetings but clubs and other gath
erings OF representative people.
found. quite rnc0nscionsly, that
when | was not telling Of the Ma
tional Association for the Advance
ment OF Colored People, | was call
ing my hearers attention to books
and articles on the Negro Question
OF course. would not have Kept
on doing this. had my hearers not
been interested; but everyone was
interested l viii not dwell mere
upon my white audiences save TO
say they we're eager to get the
names of the latest books, but !
want to say how often was inn
pressed with the love ofreading
among the Colored and their deep
interest in learning Of the best
books regarding their own race.
On my return to New York, how
ever when | spoke to publishers OF
this interest they shook their heads
and said emphatically "the Negroes
don't buy books. There is no Negro
reading public TO rely on In mark
cling a book, We know, we've tried.
Now this Is very discouraging. OF
cource publishers won't print BOOKS
on the Negro question unless .tney
can sell them. We can't blame them
Tor that And outside OF few Inn
portant names, like Washington and
DnBois. Il is true that books on
the Negro question won't sell simply
because OF the unpopularity OF the
subject. To make them pay, the
DnbIisher must be able TO rely In
part on special buying public, that
"a. on a public that is Interested
IN the subject under discussion.
Thus. a book on the Sin Fem in
ireland viii appeal to group OF
irish Americans. A Christian Science
story has at once a clientele OF It's
own, and / for one would have sup
posed, from my knowledge OF the
intereste in race matters OF the read
ing Colored public that book on
che Negro would also have q Glen
felle among the twelve million Col
ored people in the United States.
nut am afraid the publishers
are right. Judging from the returns
on orders OF such publishers as
have questioned, not enough buyers
are 10 be found In the Colored
world TO pay for the paper alone
in any of the recent Negro books
(except Dark Water). ] am afraid
there isn't enough TO pay for the
paper In chapter. The Negro buy
ing public, am assured, does not
exist
OF course, there are books. some
az them excellent ones, that are not
published in the sense in which l
am using the term, books that are
printed and sold by the authors, OF
which this Is not true.
When the author is a public lee
eurer and himself disposes OF his
hook, he runs all the risk, but he
also gets all the profits, 1t is OF the
book published in the regular way
that l speak,
Last year there were eight es-
pecIally noteworthy books on the Ne
gro Question. list them alpha
beticaily by their publishers:
Appelton The Children OF the
Mist, George Madden Martin.
The COrnhill Pub Company Dut-
ton--Rachel, Angelina Grimke, The
Voice OF the Negro, Robert Kerlin.
Harcourt, Brace and Howe--Dark-
water. w. u. B. Dubois, The Shad-
0w, Mary White Oylngton, The Up
ward Path, A Reader for Colored
Children. All selections by Colored
zrthors.
Harper & Brothers The Negro
Ences America, Herbert ]. Selig-
mann.
Macmillan Company The Soul of
John Brown, Stephen Graham.
How many, Gentle Reader, as
they loved to say In olden times are
In your library, or yours, or yoursY
ASyery one OF them would interest
YOU tremendously. But you haven't
got them A few may have one
or at the most two. But there they
are. good books all, showing the Ne
gro as a man and an important
factor In America. Not always dress
ed up in his best clothes, but as a
living. human being. not as too Of
ten formerly diseased rapist or a
button.
( believe II Is just not knowing
how to get at books, most usual
complaint, and not knowing Just
what the books are, that makes II
possible for the publishers to say
that they do not find a Negro read
ing public. The public is there but
Ghe publisher doesn't yet know how
10 reach Il. Now what surer way
could there be of rsaching II than
% tell In the Colold press, the To-
cal press, that tho reading element
In the race always sees, what the
books are, and how to get themg
Many people suggested this to me as
/ went over tie continent, and the
press has generously responded al
lowing me from week to week space
for my Book Chat. want to tell
a little OF how books are written,
of the book itself and how to get
At. And In my next paper ! plan
20 start with THE Voice Of the
Negro,1 the volume by that cour-
ageous spirit, who dared to urge the
Governor OK Arkansas not to murder
the Fsaine men, and who has been
expelled from his position as pro-
fcssor In the Virginia Military In
htitute, Mr.. Robert T. Kerlin.