WAR & NAVY
DEPARTMENTS
V-MAIL SERVICE
OFFICIAL BUSINESS

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE TO AVOID
PAYMENT OF POSTAGE, $400

(CENSORS STAMP)

MR. LANCSTON HUGHES
674 ST. MICHAEL'S AVE,
NEW YORK CITY
U.S.A. APT. 1B

MSN: 36415429
To: William M. Coney
(Recipient's name)

282 REPL. CO.
(Recipient's address)

APO 711 SAN FRANCISCO

Calif. to Richmond

Dec. (Box) 247, 1945

Dear Song,

BUY
WAR BONDS

March 1, 1948

Dear Waring:

Thank you very much for sending me your new poems,
which I have submitted to Arna since he is the final
judge in this matter. We are already using several
of your poems in the anthology, so would you kindly
send him immediately biographical material relating
to yourself, including place and date of birth, edu-
cation, present occupation, and army experience and
rating, as well as previous publications. Make it
good, as you will be sitting up on library shelves
and school desks for years to come.

Sammy just sent me the music of SIX SHADES OF BLUE
which is swell. I am heading for the Coast next
week and taking these songs with me.

All good wishes to you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Waring Cuney
1122 Tinton Avenue, Apt. 39
Bronx, New York

July 30, 1952

Mr. Waring Cuney
1122 Tinton Avenue
Bronx 56, New York

Dear Waring:

For the new German anthology of American Negro Poetry:

Miss Eva Hesse
bei Koniger
Romerstrasse 6/111
München 23, Germany

wishes to use your poem NO IMAGES. She tells me there
is a small payment. I imagine when German marks are
translated into dollars, it won't be much. But it
might speed matters up if you would write her granting
her permission to use your poem, to the address above,
since she has sent the entire listing of the anthology
to me. It looks good, and I think you'll be happy to
be in it. She is, so Germans assure me, an excellent
translator, and highly thought of in literary circles
in the Western Zone. She has translated a great deal
of American poetry for magazines there.

Lots of good wishes to you, as ever,

August 24, 1953

Dear Waring, [signature]

I have written Bruce about the Lincoln anthology, but unfortunately I cannot meet with you until after Labor Day, as I am in the process of completing a book that must be turned in very shortly. Besides that, I have to go out to the Middle West next week. Meanwhile I will be thinking of ideas on how we can get the book published.

My best regards to you and hoping to see you soon, I am

December 8, 1953

Dear Waring:

I am now turning the completed manuscript of Lincoln University Poets: Centennial Anthology, over to Bruce and yourself to carry forward with the additional details remaining, and the negotiations for its publication. I am, of course, available for further consultation and I trust you will keep me informed of progress along the way.

Whatever further biographical material I receive
I will send along to Bruce.

I suggest that you or Bruce write J. Saunders Redding
and urge him to send us his *forward* very soon now.
Also, you might remind Dr. Bon again concerning the
*Introduction* by either himself or Dean Hill.

All good wishes to you.

Mr. Waring Cuney
1122 Tinton Avenue
Bronx, New York

December 21, 1953

Dear Waring,

Cullud don't like the word "black" much, particularly applied to women, I've learned from long experience, so I don't believe they'd appreciate the general tenor of the Gordon sonnet. I wouldn't include it, if it were me. Not in a college anthology. Unless we find something extraordinarily good from now on, I think we'd better let the book stay as it is.

I trust you received a copy of Redding's Foreword I sent you.

Happy Holidays,

February 15, 1954

Dear Waring,

Good news! They've got the money for the anthology.
So, can you come by tomorrow, today when you get
this—if you get it! Tuesday, February 16, at 7 P.M.
for a committee meeting at my house. Bruce says he
can come then. Phone in the afternoon and let me
know. I sent you a wire today, Monday, but they
claim it was undelivered, could not locate you there.
I asked that they try again, and am sending this Special
Delivery, too, just in case. Hope to see you.

Mr. Waring Cuney, 1122 Tinton Avenue, Bronx 56, New York

Sent: May 28, 1954

5:50 PM

TRIED REACHING YOU BY PHONE ALL WEEK TO REMIND YOU OF LINCOLN
BOOK PARTY AT LIBRARY TONITE. PLEASE COME.

Langston

STRAIGHT WIRE

(Langston Hughes- Le 4-2952)

FOR: LANGSTON HUGHES

FROM: WARING CUNEY

SUBJECT: POEMS OF THE NEGRO RENAISSANCE

edited by Waring Cuney and Langston Hughes

To contain outstanding poems by: Gwendolyn Bennett,
Arna Bontemps, Sterling Brown, Anita Scott Coleman,
Countee Cullen, Waring Cuney, Langston Hughes,
Georgia Douglas Johnson, Melvin Tolson, Claude McKey.

May include also one or two poems by: Mae Cowdery,
Richard Bruce, Jessie Faucett, Angelina Grimke,
Donald Jeffrey Hays, Frank Horn, Pauli Murray,
Esther Popel Shaw.

This book will cover a large group of poems at present
uncollected, of interest to students of poetry, and to
students of Negro life in America. These poems originally
appeared in such magazines as OPPORTUNITY, SURVEY GRAPHIC,
poetry periodicals of the 1920's and later, and in the
"little magazines" of the NEW NEGRO movement such as FIRE,
CHALLENGE, BLACK OPALS, THE SATURDAY EVENING QUILL,
EBONY AND TOPAZ etc.

Other anthologies have covered the entire field of Negro
Poetry. This book will concern itself with the best poems
of the literary movement which became known as THE NEGRO
RENAISSANCE. In addition to the representative poems of
that period, it will contain poems by the poets who are
still writing, showing their subsequent development.

1

July 17, 1954

Dear Waring,

I think your outline is fine. Except
that I would add to the top poets Jean Toomer and
James Weldon Johnson, whose GOD'S TROMBONES was a
book of that period, and his best. Also, for better
effect, you might list the well-known names first,
so the editor's eyes will light on them.

Also, I think I'd say, "If desired, line
cut illustrations by Bearden might be included". Since
publishers usually object to art work, unless absolutely
necessary, on account of the expense involved.

Man, I'm skipping spaces on this typewriter.
Can't blank the typewriter, either! Tired, I reckon.
Been trying to answer a BIG pile of mail all at once
today, letters from everywhere in all the drawers!
I believe it would take from now till Christmas to clear
them all up. So I'm just taking a few off the top.

I'd say just type the outline up and start
it on its rounds. Anthologies are not the easiest books
in the world to sell to publishers, so don't be too
downcast if it has to go to several. Good luck!

Sincerely,

January 8, 1955

Dear Langston,

I have made out a list of some of the "art work"
from the copies of Opportunity which I have. If you like
you can send it along the advisory editors to help them
make selections for *Opportunity Poets*.

TO: LANGSTON

FROM: WARING

SUBJECT: **OPPORTUNITY POETS**

EDITORS: LANGSTON HUGHES and WARING CUNEY

CONTENTS: SIXTY TO SIXTY-FIVE POEMS BY: LANGSTON HUGHES, GWENDOLYN BROOKS, OWEN DODSON, MARGUERITE WALKER, STERLING BROWN, GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON, ARNA BONTEMPS, GWENDOLYN BENNETT, HELENE JOHNSON AND WARING CUNEY.

FOREWORD: LESTER GRANGER

INTRODUCTION: ARNA BONTEMPS

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES: WRITTEN BY THE POETS.

COVER: AARON DOUGLAS

This is an invitational anthology. The League will ask the poets to send ten poems each with a carbon copy to me. I will assemble the book. You will write the material for the cover. The League will find a publisher and promote the book as one of its fund raising activities.

P.S. I received a book of raffles from Alta for the Urban League. And rather than sell raffles I thought up this idea. It seems more practical than the one which we discussed some time ago. If you care to you can relay the idea to Lester. Whether they can go through with it or not. it will be a gesture on our part as an appreciation of the role that the Urban League played in the development of Negro poets and their poetry. Don't get around much any more so regards to mutual guys and dolls. Hello to Toy, Emerson, Kit, and Adele.

September 19, 1956

q3

September 22, 1956

Dear Langston,

Vivian Hazell is the most. He must have been scared by
a ghost. I thought the white dove poem in *Lincoln University Poets*
was the most. But brother Hazell is the mostest.

I'm sending a final draft for the *Opportunity Prize Poets*
which I think is a must for you. In place of the usual biographical
notes, one or two lines mentioning books and poems by the poets
will do. And, several of the prize poems may be omitted.

can

Surely, the Urban League can/write eight or ten letters to the
surviving *Opportunity Prize Poets*. You and I won't need letters.
The letter should ask for not more than six poems from each poet
from which perhaps four will be used.

If *Opportunity Prize Poets* is limited to sixty, or sixty-five
poems at the most it will be a high calibre contribution and a credit
to the League. In fact, the kind of book that they could promote into a
money proposition, by advertising a special limited edition of only
one thousand copies autographed by the poets.

Well, the Cotton Curtain gang has decided that the Lord is *your*
shepherd but *you* shall not won't. They know the Lord don't like ugly
but they ar going to ugly anyhow. One of these days they'll run to the
rock and the rock will be burning too. One of these days there aint
going to be no hiding place down *there*. And you know who don't care.

Let me know if you think we could talk with Anne again. I will
do all I can as a contributor but the book only needs one editor.

TO: LANGSTON
FROM: WARING
SUBJECT: **OPPORTUNITY POETS**
EDITOR: LANGSTON HUGHES
CONTENTS: PRIZE POEMS FROM OPPORTUNITY CONTESTS AND OTHER POEMS

BY OPPORTUNITY PRIZE POETS:

GWENDOLYN BENNETT, ARNA BONTEMPS,
JONATHAN HENDERSON BROOKS, STERLING BROWN,
COUNTEE CULLEN, WARING CUNHY,
CLARISSA SCOTT DELANEY, BLANCHE TAYLOR DICKINSON,
DONALD JEFFREY HAYES, FRANK HORNE,
LANGSTON HUGHES, GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON,
HELENE JOHNSON, WALLACE THURMON,
LUCY ARIEL WILLIAMS.

DATE: 9/21/56

This is the best I can do for the Urban League and the
Opportunity Poets. If you can help by going on with the project
please do so. However, should anything happen with the idea, you
count on me to assemble the manuscript and type the table of
contents. I prefer being a contributor rather than an editor.
I think this title *OPPORTUNITY PRIZE POETS* is better than the
two previous plans that I had in mind. I decided not to bother
Anne or the people at the League. So this is your project to
develope if you can. I agree that it is a splendid idea but
a doubtful project.

February 25, 1956

Dear Waring,

Well, I am telling you, I wish I had you for my clipping bureau. Those picture of the Queen and the race in Nigeria are the most!

If you had been in my Seventh Avenue barber shop last night, you would have heard almost verbatim what I've put down in this SIMPLE column in a discussion that got so hot that even a minister cussed, then said to the manicurist, "Excuse me, lady."

In San Francisco last week I saw a great big Negro sitting all by himself in a cafeteria who suddenly yelled in a deep voice, "I'm a great dane dog!" Then he added quietly, "No, I'm not. If I was the world wouldn't treat me so bad."

A Dutch exchange student was just here who asked about you and NO IMAGES, too. If it were me, I'd call my book by that title. What? NO BOOK?

I'm off to Bucknell College for Brotherhood's sake where I think I'll read this column. And call attention to my hair cut.

1122 Tinton Avenue
Apt. 39

Bronx 56, New York

December 30, 1956

Dear Langston,

I wrote to William Worthy. He may find a translation
of _No Images_ in Norwegian for me. And, I guess you could
write an introduction about as short as the poem itself.

However, I have an idea for you to consider. Why don't
you eventually put out a _Pictorial History of the Negro Renaissance_?
From the Saturday Evening Quill you have Dorothy West, Helene Johnson,
Roscoe Wright, Eugene Gordon. From the Washington group, Sterling,
Mrs. Johnson, Bruce Nugent, Lewis Alexander and Clarissa Scott;
From Philly, Mae V. Cowdery, Jesse and Arthur Faucett. From
Baltimore, Pauli Murray, Bill Hill. I won't bother to list the
New York names. It is so easy to forget names. For instance Toki
from the Pittsburgh Courier is a former short story writer from
the Saturday Evening Quill. Any way it is a good idea, so I hope
you will think about it.

Hawkins is walking and talking out there to-day.

Waring Cuney 1122 Tinton Avenue Bronx 56, New York Apt. 39

Dear Langston,

How are you doing with the *No Images* anthology? I dropped a card to Owen Dodson. I think Isaw a translation in French some where a long time ago. Regards to members of your household and staff. I forgot the name of the girl who gave me the corn bread, but she is very photogenic. Roy should see her.

Waring

And another thing that stayee that I can not seem to get out of
my mind is that picture of The Presidents' Grandson wearing with a confederate
that I saw in the papers just before election.
soldiers cap on his head, tWhich-is-alright-because boys*like*to*play*soldiers.
son
B And*some*body*has*to*play*If*the*boys*up*at*Gettysburg Every bodys children
son
and grand children-have-to-play has a right to play. But why-did-theas far
as I know Ike is the first President that took his grand son right to
Gettysburgh where Lincoln made his four score and seven years ago speech, and
had a picture taken with him and his grand son we with a confederate cap on.
That cap stands for armed rebellion against the U.S. Government, that cap
stands for the right to buy and sell colored people as slaves. That-cap
stands-fer-everything-that-the-U.N.-is-as-against. That cap stands for Eastland,
Talmadge and every living Dixiecrat in the United States. That cap stands for
every thing that the Lincoln's Gettysburgh speech is against. That picture
is an invitation to every living Dixiecrat to bring his children to the
Gettysburgh battlefield to romp and play, with confederate hats, flags, and
confederate money. The next thing you know some Dixiecrat will have his
grandson sitting in Lincoln's lap down on the banks of the potomac with
a confederate flag. While you gentlemans is busy running the whole wel weird
world you better watch and see who is getting ready to run the United States.

January 21, 1957

The second letter I stands for incorporated, Murder Incorporated
The third and fourth letters which is S followed by another S stand for
Sovereign state. Where the life of a colored man is concerned any white
why man with a pistol in Mississippi is a sovereign state. I know that
you smart gentlemans know what sovereign means. But I want you to know
that your speaker J.B. Semple also knows that the dictionary says sovereign
means "excercising or possessing supreme jurisdiction or power". The next
I is igaroot from ignoramous. So we have Murder Inc by a sovereign state
of igaroots because thatis all the white folks of Mississippi ever send
to congress.

January 21, 1957

Hello Langston,

Didn't know about the Folk-Anthology - Tell them about there's a town in Alabama called Right-Off-Right-On. Just before the train pulls in to the station, the porter comes into the Jim-Crow car and says, "Next stop is Right-Off-Right-On, Everybody in this car better stay in their seats, except that old man in the corner with the lumps all over his head, He lives in that town. There's a sheriff meets every train, and if you get off this train shame on you because the name of the town means if a colored man gets right-off/ the sheriff gets right-on his head with a stick."

Well, the train stopped at Right-Off-Right-On and everybody stayed in theirs seats except the old man in the corner, He got off, and the sheriff said, "Come here, Tom." Tom walked over to the sheriff and took off his hat. The sheriff ran his hand over Tom's head full of lumps and bumps. There were so many knots on Old Tom's head that the sheriff couldn't find no place to put a new knot, so he didn't hit him at all. The sheriff just stood there looking at the car, swinging his stick. Jim Crow, till the train pulled away.

Waring

Waring

January 27, 1957

IN THE SPIRIT OF

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York City

Dear Langston,

Thanks for the blues by Marcus Christian.
Let me know what afternoon or evening I can bring
Roscoe Wright by to meet you. I called you
a couple of Sundays ago but you were out. They
want to restore General Lee to full citizenship,
after which they will build am Memorial to him
next to Lincolns'.

2/6/57

Dear Langston,

Roscoe Wright is the $64,000 Question prize winner. His picture is on the first page of *History of the Negro* by Langston Hughes. He also won drawing and writing prizes in the Crisis Literary Contests years ago. "Who is Roscoe Wright?" You better take a break!

2/18/57

April 18, 1957

Dear Langston,

Thanks for the greetings from friends in Washington. I was in one or two of Burch's classes and he was a neighbor also, lived on Third Street near Rhode Island Avenue. Don't forget that Roscoe Wright expects to meet you when you have time. Regards to Toy and Emerson.

Dear Langston,

I'm very glad to know that my tickets are still good. Most anxious to see Simply Heavenly. I thought my tickets had expired. Will see the show as soon as I can. Your PSA reading was the most according to Roscoe and I want to order a copy of the book when it comes out. Roscoe wants you to autograph The Big Sea and I wonder as I Wander some time. Regards to Toy and M.

June 3, 1957

P.S. HELLO TO ADELE

I think the word like in the last lines of the John Henry number will make it more understandable, "I want to be like John Henry,"

And, "A Negro never knows any thing until he has to." will be an improvement on "A Negro never knows any thing when he has to." In fact "when" is bad, and worse when Simple says it.

Hope to see the show again later in the Summer.

Regards to every one.

JUNE 9, 1957

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York City, 12

BRONX
ST.

Thanks for the remarks by Arna concerning the
Blues. Since I am in the dictionary, I guess I'll
write a couple of blues. I've been advertizing
Simply Heavenly in my travels. I think I saw
Emerson at 116th Street to-day. I was on the bus.
Marilyn Berry is a capable little actress. Her work
is rather impressive. Maybe the line should be-
"I want to be strong like John Henry"-Tell Arna
hello when you write to him again and thanks for
mentioning me and the blues for the dictionary of
poetics. Regards, Warning JUNE 19, 1957

received a card from Dan Monroe
a week or so ago.

BRONX CENTRAL

Dear Langston,

Maybe you can get a laugh when Simple
decorates the white soldiers from Mississippi if
he calls them "Boys" - Boys I'm proud of you or
You boys are real soldiers or something similar.

Not the play needs any more laughs but one more
laugh never heart any one except the man who
laughed himself to death. MAYBE "YOU BOYS
STAND AT ATTENTION WHILE I PIN THESE
MEDALS ON YOUR CHESTS"

June 24, 1957

August 20, 1957

Dear Langston,

Congratulations!

Simply Heavenly is far out,
the most, and more, gone
with the dawn, plain gone,
real gone, dawn gone.

I'll take strawberry and
Marilyn Berry.

Congratulations!

BRON

Dear Langston,

If you dig the work these friends of
mine put down you will dig the most.

January 30, 1958

Dear Langston,

This is a true story for your folk-anthology.

During the war two Negro G.I.'s dated two pretty girls in a
Red Cross Club in Sidney, Australia. The following evening they met
in front of a theatre and enjoyed a picture toGETHER. After the show,
as the girls were neighbors, the foursome took a street car and the
G.I.'s escorted the girls to their homes a few doors apart on the
same street. The next night the soldiers met in the Red Cross Club
and both agreed that Australian girls were lovely, entertaining, and
hospitable. But one G.I. said, "Did you ever see such young chicks
beat for their choppers." His friend replied, "Aint it a shame? I told
my girl, 'Baby, you sure have a pretty tooth.' " The other replied,
"Man, you were lucky, I Told my girl, "You 'aint got no teeth but your
gums are so pretty.' "

Helloe to Toy and Emerson.

P.S. They are dying mighty fast in Washington this winter, Spoof Green, Pete Johnson already gone. Tom Williston and Jim Walker's wife are next to go. This is the third story that I have sent, what do they pay for stories? Mrs. Georgia D. sent me a copy of the poem that she wrote after Pete died.

January 22, 1958

Dear Langston,

(yesterday)

Was up in Boston last Tuesday./Shag and Bal asked for you.

I told them you were fine but according to the paper this evening
you have the flu. Hope you recover soon. Shag has one of your Simple
books. About a month or so ago I saw a man going into the U. N.
with a arm full of books. Simple was on top but I could not tell
whether they were all Simple or not. I told Shag the the crackers
have bred white flees for white dogs now. In Georgia they now teach
the white children, "Mary has a little lamb, its flees are white
as snow." Hope your flu germs are black, if they are white no doctor
can cure.

Dear Langston,

No preachers at Miss Grimke's funeral by request
of the deceased.

If any one is interested I think the men in
the picture of the founders of the Niagara Move-
ment can be identified by Mrs. Henri Bailey. Her
address is 1633 - 19th Street N. W. Washington,
D.C. Her husband is in the picture.

They say the first hundred years are the hardest
If the Little Rock kids don't integrate until
1961, the second hundred will be a bliperoo.
Hello to Toy and Emerson.

Miss Grimke left her money to a lady who has
money

June 22, 1958

Waring

October 9, 1958

Dear Langston,

Here is an old clipping by brother Rooks
and a picture of brother Sastroamidjojo who
looks more like your brother than brother
Rooks. I guess his friends call him by his
first name or Jojo for short, not Tojo.

Hello to all the folks. Sincerely,

138

November 13, 1958

Dear Langston,

Do you have *Jet* for November 1957? If so, please send me a copy of the story about a girl named Gabrielle Bradly, which appears on pages sixty and sixty-one of that issue. Thank you.

Enclosed please find picture of Mr. Sarnoff and Mr. Tempone.
Rather than write a poem about the picture, I re-wrote your poem
*Yes Sir*. Goes something like this - Rich old white man owns the
World, gimme your shoes to shine, no sir, no sir; I got a white man
to shine mine.

One of my cousins wrote me that Gabrielle is kin to me.
And, I gave your address to another cousin of mine, Welfred Holmes,
about two years ago. He is down at Morgan. Did he evr contact you?

Hello to Toy and Emerson, and Kit.

Mrs. Georgia D. has composed a song, *I Too Love America*. And, she hopes that it will take the place of the *Negro National Anthem*. I have not heard it but wish her all the luck in the world.

May 20, 1959

Dear Langston,

I gave Mrs. Martin permission to use the
poem which she requested. Her book seems to be
a big project. So I wished her luck and told her
that I was glad to be represented in such a book.

Thanks.

142

June 10, 1961

Dear Waring:

Arthur Spingarn, just back from London, tells me your book of poems is out, looks very beautiful, and that nobody can get a copy for love or money, since it is privately printed. Anyhow, bring it by, please, and let me take a look at it.

Did Albert Hague ever get in touch with you? (I gave him your address). Seems he said someone was doing one of your songs at the Latin Quarter.

Drop by for a drink. Long time no see.

# I THOUGHT OF MY TRUE LOVE

I was at the station
The train went by,
I thought of my True Love
I wanted to cry.

THE DAY we said Good-Bye
I WANTED TO SAY.
WHY DID WE SAY Good-Bye?
THE DAY we said Good-Bye,

I was on the front porch
The sun went down,
I thought of my True Love
Gone from this town.

I was in my room
The moon was bright,
I thought of my True Love
So far from my sight.

Waring Cuney