Wednesday.

Dear Carl:

Thanks for your kind note. I have been intending to write or 'phone you, to say thank you for a pleasant evening. It's three o'clock now, isn't it?

How do these things get about?

It is the awful truth. But, who knows if I'll ever get through with the damned thing. Certainly not I.

I had thought of entering it in the A. & C. Boni contest. I understand, though, that they are a bit dissatisfied with what is being submitted. It is being whispered about that anything literate is sure to be awarded the honor. That's discouraging. Of course, it would be nice to get a thousand dollars, just so, and, — the publicity. Not so nice, however, to be merely the best of a bad lot. What do you think?

I like Knopf. He does things so well, sends them out looking attractive, — nice type, bindings, title pages, and everything, — but, he seems very hard to please, (see Mr. Llewlyn Powys and hear Miss Jessie Fauset). True, good makeups deserve good books.

Forget you? D'you know any more jokes? But, I must say, you're a trusting soul. The thing might turn out to be utter rot, you know. When I first started, I honestly thought it was really good; now, something more than half way, I'm afraid it's frightfully bad. Too, I'm getting rather bored with it. I wonder how many half finished novels there are knocking about the world. Perhaps, it may be good enough for Knopf. Certainly you would know, if anybody.

Mrs. Valentine was with us for two days last week. She spoke, with evident pleasure, of your visit on Commencement day, and she was charmed with Fania. So was Mrs. Penelope, (her mother, Mrs. Booth)

Again, gramercy!

Mr. Carl Van Vechten,
150 West Fifty-fifth Street,
New York City.

51 Aububon Avenue,
Jersey City, N. J.

My dear Carl:

It was nice to have your letter yesterday when I got
back from tiresome visit in Philadelphia among the ultra-
religious.

Thanks awfully for the clippings. They are pathetically
amusing. Have you noticed that when Nordics talk against
the admission of Negroes to their homes, etc., it is rank
predjudice, but when we take the same attitude about white
folks it is race loyalty? I met Floyd Calvin some five
years ago just once. He is a fool, a boor and a snob.

Rudolph and Jane Fisher were over here Sunday. "Bud"
told us that he biew in on you unexpectedly one day last
week and thought that he had gotten into a house in the
wrong neighborhood because "the place was full of niggers".
Incidentally, we were all cross because we didn't know that
the WEAF Players were to read The School for Scandal. We
tuned in accidentally just in time to here the announcer say
"Ladies and gentlemen you have just heard - etc. it was
horrid of Fania not to tell us."

Yes, we did have a good time at your house last Thurs-
day. I enjoyed every minute of the whole SEVEN hours. We
almost spent the night, didn't we? isn't Mr. Heyward in-
teresting to meet? - and natural? You know, theoretically,
i hate all Southereners as "a matter of principle", but
actually, i have never yet met one that i didn't like. I'm
terribly anxious about his play. I mean i hope that he is
able to get the people he wants to do it.

I've read all three of the books you gave me. Pablo de
Begovia is marvellous. A tale of a Negro ruffian told in
this naive manner would be interesting. (I think somebody,
Mencken perhaps, has made this suggestion somewhere.)

I enjoyed interpreters and interpretations although a
great deal of it was beyond me. The sardonic manner, how-
ever was enough to hold me, if my curiosity hadn't. But
it did. I've picked more information from the constant
reading of your books than from any other source though,
certainly i don't read you merely as a text book. The
Merry-go-round is delightful. I read every one of the
papers even the ones that I have read recently in other
things. I specially like "in Defense of Bad Taste" and "De
Senectute Cantorum." And the catalog!

My love to Fania,

Yours for crime and punishment,

November 19, 1926

over

1.

Why doesn't someone write a paper for, say, opportunity
or the crisis, on Carl Van Vechten tracing in earlier works
his interest in "your people"?

2.

You must have known Bert Williams very well, or have
seen him very often. Which?

3.

Where is the man from whom you got "The wife of his
youth."

Mr. Carl Van Veensten
150 West Fifty-Fifth Street
New York City

[1 Dec 1926]

51 Audubon Avenue,
Jersey City, N. J.

My dear Carl:

Thanks for your letter. This is not merely in reply. I was intending to write you anyway to say what should have been said Saturday, but I am not good at saying these things.

This. If the Knopfs don't take the thing, I will, of course be disappointed, but, nothing more. Not surprised, or shocked, or cross. And, I am more grateful to you than I know how to say, for reading it and taking it to them, regardless of the outcome. I realize very well that any aspiring author, black, white, or green, would thank his stars for such favor from such source. And, certainly, had I been told, in the not so distant past, that I was to fail into such good fortune, I should have considered the prophet a little mad, to put it mildly.

So, even if, because of the things lack of merit, or of publishing conditions, they don't take it, I won't feel that you have "violated my hospitality", - which, incidently has been returned seventy time seven -, but that you have gone out of your way to me a great kindness, which leaves me eternally in your debt.

Now, your letter: Yes, I do think the thing is perhaps not so much too short, as too thin. The truth is that I got awfully tired of it about the middle of the Copenhagen episode. That and the last chapter ought to be longer. I should hate terribly to have to write even one more word for the damned thing, but I suppose I could if I absolutely had to.

I don't think the title is so good either.

Yours for the further "violation of hospitality", or as George Gershwin (wasn't it?) put it "Do it again". And, my love to Fania.

Monday, Seventh.

[Mar. 1927]

My dear Carl:

I've finished and taken in my book. It's pretty rotten - in more ways than one. I wanted very much to ask you to read it first again, but I feared that would be imposing too much on your good nature. Besides, the manuscript was in a terrible condition that I was actually ashamed to have you see it. It had, however, to be that way or not at all. Heaven forbid that I should ever be bitten by the desire to write another novel! Except, perhaps, one to dedicate to you. For, why should Langston Hughes be the only one to enjoy noteriety for the sake of his convictions? Elmer says that if I do get the present one published that 'your people' will run me out of these United States. (He didn't use the words 'your people' either, in referring to them)

Mr. Salpeter did you very well in yesterday's World. I did object, though, to his calling you a 'pretty' man. Handsome. But, pretty: And why didn't he begin or end his article with "Carl Van Vechten is the best thing that ever happened to the Negro race"? Or, doesn't he know that?

We missed you at the N.AACP. But I must say that you didn't miss much by missing it. Elmer was devastated because Fania and Miss Brown were not there.

We had a delightful time at hour house on the truthful George's birthday. We are both agreed that it was quite the most pleasant and interesting party we have been to for a long time. Comfortable and congenial too. Please tell this to Fania for us and give her our love.

You too.

Monday, fourteenth.

My dear Carl:

It is pleasant to look forward to seeing you and Fania on Wednesday evening. And good of you to ask us.

Thanks for the clippings. They are very perceptive and very interesting. I always did admire the English.

We are preparing to move to Harlem sometime between the twenty-fifth and the first. This, I know, will be a relief to all friends of ours. A convience, too, to them, as well as to us.

I have been reading some stories for the Opportunity contest. Sifting. Very diverting. One contains this prize, "I have decided to cast my Rubikorn with you." (The italics are mine)

Until Wednesday,

To: Mr. Carl Van Vechten
150 West Fifty-Fifth Street
New York City

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CARL VAN VECHTEN

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LOVE AND CONGRATULATIONS FORTY EIGHT MORE

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LOVE BLESSINGS AND ALL OTHER GOOD THINGS FOR YOU

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Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bes
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1929

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
150 West Fifty-fifth Street
New York City

Mr. Carl Van Vlecken
150 West Fifty-Fifth Street
New York City