THE BROWNIES' BOOK

A MAGAZINE FOR CHILDREN

DU BOIS AND DILL, PUBLISHERS
2 WEST 13TH STREET
NEW YORK, N. Y.

EDITORIAL
DEPARTMENT

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS
EDITOR

JESSIE REDMON FAUSET
LITERARY EDITOR

to and of their articles.

 Hoping that you will be able to comply
with some of my requests, believe me

Yours truly,

JF/FF

THE BROWNIES' BOOK

A MAGAZINE FOR CHILDREN

EDITORIAL
DEPARTMENT

February 10, 1921.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
Apartado 35,
Toluca, Mexico.

Dear Mr. Hughes:--

I was very sorry to learn that the January copy of the Brownies' Book had not arrived. One had been sent, I can assure you, but another has been sent since then, which I trust you have received.

Of course, I was disappointed at not been able to count on the Easter story, but I shall be very glad indeed to have any or several articles from you concerning things in Toluca, Even if the child life there is sad, it would not be a bad idea, do you think for our children to know something of the sorrows of children in other countries? Ours is not the brightest lot in the world, but I am convinced that it is also not the saddest one, and there is some compensation in knowing of other peoples' sorrows. I shall trust to your judgment in the event of your writing a sad story, not to make it too long or too harrowing..

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THE BROWNIES' BOOK

A MAGAZINE FOR CHILDREN

EDITORIAL
DEPARTMENT

February 25, 1921.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
Apartado No. 35,
Toluca, Mexico.

My dear Mr. Hughes:

Your manuscript about Mexico has come. I am completely charmed with it. I hope that you will like the illustration that I am having made for it enough to send me something else at your earliest convenience.

With many thanks for your kindness and promptness, and many good wishes, believe me,

THE BROWNIES' BOOK

A MAGAZINE FOR CHILDREN

EDITORIAL
DEPARTMENT

May 23, 1921.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
Apartado NO. 35,
Toluca, Mexico.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am glad you liked the illustration for your Mexican article. I think Miss Wilkinson will be interested in illustrating more of your writings and I know I shall certainly be glad to publish them.

I find both the play and the poem very attractive. The play will probably appear in the July BROWNIES' BOOK. Send me as many articles as you care to. I am quite sure I shall be able to use them from time to time.

It gave us great pleasure to know that one of our contributors had already had his name in our papers and both Mr. DuBois and myself were very much interested in what you said as to your future career. I hope you will be able to continue with your preparation as I am sure success is awaiting

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70 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, N. Y.

W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR
JESSIE REDMON FAUSET,
LITERARY EDITOR

July 11, 1921.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am in receipt of your manuscripts both for The BROWNIES' BOOK and The CRISIS. Need I say that I am very much pleased with nearly all of them and expect to use them all sooner or later. I am particularly pleased with "A Mexican Market Woman". It seems to me that you do this sort of thing very well in that you convey atmosphere. I wish some time you would do me what would amount to a full page of this sort of thing either for The CRISIS or The BROWNIES' BOOK. I would try to have some decoration for it. If it is for The BROWNIES' BOOK I know I can do this but I am not so sure about The CRISIS as we have so little space.

Thank you for your continued interest. You know I am always glad to hear from you.

JF/PF

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August15, 1921

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I found your letter very interesting. You can't imagine how pleased I am to think that appreciation is coming to you thus early. I am sure you deserve it.

I received your article on the volcano. no this morning. Tell me Isn't the name of the volcano "Xinantecatl" rather than "Xin antecalt"? I looked for it in the encyclopedia for it but could not find it mention ed. I am leaving for France Wednesday, but the article will be used in my absence.

Would it be too much trouble to set us at rest on this point? Send your answer to Miss M.G. Allison and she will attend to the matter.

Many thanks

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W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

October 30, 1921.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
111 Hartley Hall,
Columbia University,
New York City.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I was out of town this week end and so have been unable to answer your note sooner. I shall be very glad to see you late in the afternoon of any day excepting Thursday, or preferably at one o'clock Thursday, November 10, which would make it possible for us to have luncheon after all. I have an engagement which precludes my seeing you this Thursday. I hope this will be satisfactory. Will you let me know as soon as possible?

With many good wishes for your success, believe me

JF.PF

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W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

December 21, 1921.

My dear Mr. Hughes:

I am taking this late opportunity
to thank you for making the translation
for us. It was very kind of you. I
also hope that you will have a very
merry Christmas.

JF/FF

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May 17, 1922.

Dear Langston:

This is just a brief note to
let you know how much I liked the
majority of your poems. I certainly
do not think you are standing still.
We are using "The South" and "My
People" in the June Crisis.

By the way, there is a young
fellow, Donald Duff, who is affili-
ated with the "Liberator" who is very
anxious to meet you. He is a sincere
admirer of your verse. If your ex-
aminations will permit I am thinking
of having the two of you meet at my
house soon. Let me know about this.

JF.PF

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November
3rd
1922

Mr. Langston Hughes,
S. S. Oronoke,
James Point, N. Y.

My dear Langston:-

I just knew we would
not be able to keep up our Spanish les-
sons, and although I regret them breaking off very much, I am quite sure
you are having such a romantic and interesting time that you, at least, are
compensated. When you come back you will
be able to teach me many languages in
addition, won't you?

Are you writing any
poetry? Let me hear from you at any
time.

Dict JRF/W

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W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

December 12, 1922.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
S.S. West Hassayana,
Jones' Point, New York.

My dear Langston:

Will you help me out of a difficulty? You remember coming into my office in October on your return from Cleveland and telling me that Miss Helen Chesnutt of Cleveland, Ohio had been made head of the Department of Latin in the High School in which she was teaching. I believe you said to me at the time that I might verify the statement if I cared to, but that you were absolutely sure of its truth.

I handed the statement with that remark to the young lady who has charge of the "Horizon" and she inserted the statement in our columns. Now to our astonishment and chagrin Miss Chesnutt writes us telling us that the statement is absolutely untrue and expressing a great deal of disapproval with us for having published a statement without verifying it.

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TO FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, N. Y.

W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

Natural enough the brunt of the disapproval falls on my shoulders since I had accepted the item. Of course I was forced to write to Miss Chesnut and tell her that the statement came from you and that I had every occasion to trust you implicitly. Will you write her explaining how you came to think this was true? I should be glad to receive some explanation also.

I enjoyed your letter very much, especially your description of the hills. Some wonderful poems ought to be the result of that.

I hope to write you again very soon.

JF/PF

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April 18, 1923.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
Box 37,
Jones' Point, New York.

Dear Langston:

Only yesterday I was bewailing the
fact of your silence and now this morn-
ing I find your delightful letter and
your twelve poems. Quite enough to make
one believe in mental telepathy, isn't
it?

I have just glanced through the
poems and I am particularly struck with
"Winter Moon" which seems to me to be
quite perfect, "The Little Frightened
Child" and the "Young Singer". I will
tell you more about the others when I
have a chance to go through them
thoroughly.

Meanwhile I am delighted to know
that you are separated from us only by
a month. Do come in as soon as you can

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W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

after your arrival in New York. There
are a great many things which I shall
like to discuss with you, particularly
about vers libre.

I very much appreciate what you
said to me about my articles. I don't
suppose any writer or artist gets
tired of hearing kind words about his
efforts.

With all good wishes, believe me

Sincerely yours,

JF/PF

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THE CRISIS

W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

April 26th, 1923.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
Box No. 37,
Jones' Point, New York.

Dear Langston:—

Professor Kerlin is getting out a book on "Negro Poets". He would like to include in this, pictures of the authors mentioned. I take it that he is mentioning some of your work as he has written me asking me for a picture of you. Be sure to get this to him as it is a good opening for you. If you have to have one made, send him a black and white, shiny, unmounted print, as that makes the best cut. His address is 516 S. Walnut Street, West Chester, Pa.

JRF.W

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W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

JESSIE REDMON FAUSET,

LITERARY EDITOR

May 14, 1923.

Mr. Langston Hughes,
Jones' Point, Box 37,
New York.

Dear Langston:

I am very sorry indeed that I missed
you Saturday morning. I had a committee
meeting to attend and so did not anti-
cipate being in at all that day. I can-
not write you the letter I should like to
write because there are so many things
about which I should like to speak to
you, so here are just one or two words.

For one thing we are keeping your
poems because we hope to make the August
number of The Crisis one in which the
works of the younger writers will appear
and we hope to use several of your poems
in that number.

I should like to see more of the
"Conciiones de Andalucía". I think the
translation which you sent me was very
interesting and I am sure you could work

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W. E. B. DUBOIS, EDITOR

JESSIE REDMON FAUSET,

LITERARY EDITOR

it into something even better. Have a
try at it.

I quite agree with you about Conrad.
In some respects he is wonderful, but
usually he is difficult to read and I
don't blame you the least bit for passing
him by. Do write me a day or so before
you think of dropping in the next time.
I want very much to see you.

JF/PF

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69 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, N. Y.

W. E. B. DU BOIS, EDITOR
JESSIE FAUSET,
LITERARY EDITOR

24 June, 1924

Dear Langston,

I've had many letters about my book and many critical statements. None of them truly has brought me the great pleasure which I found in every word of your letter. It means much to me that not only one of my younger contemporaries is pleased with my work but that that contemporary is himself an artist. I'm afraid that last sentence is rather bookish which is certainly not what I intended it to be.

In July I hope to get to work on a second book, one dealing this time with "passing". This is absolutely confidential. Please do not pass this along as I do not want anyone to steal my thunder. I am going to call the book "Philippa Passes", - because that will carry the idea which I want carried to my colored readers and will carry a widely different idea to my white readers. Don't you think it clever?

It was such a pleasure to hear from you. I had been out of my office for a week attending a conference at Vassar. So I had received neither the letter itself nor the poems(of which more anon). Last night Harold Jackman was at my house and

I was bewailing my not having heard from
you. I said that I was a wretched cor-
respondent frequently because I did not
want to dictate a letter to my own per-
sonal friends, yet I often did not get
the time to write at length either by
long hand or by my own slow and painful
typing. And I concluded that something
of the same sort had happened to you and
that you did not have time to write the
kind of letter perhaps that you wanted.
You see I hated so to think that you could
really have forgotten me. And this morn-
ing here was my reward, three letters
from you.

I wish you might have been with us last
night. I had been so a picnic the day be-
fore. It had rained and I had got my dress
and feet soaking wet. I don't believe I've
ever been so wet in my life. So I woke
up in the morning sort of 'croupy' and my
sister thought it best for me to stay in.
She most unsympathetically went out. So
I mooned about and talked to Stephen and
was generally miserable. Yet I thought I
didn't want to see anyone unless it were
somebody unusually 'simpatico'. The bell
rang and in walked Harold. We had lots of
fun, had tea with ginger ale and lemon in
it and ice (which is more than you have
I'll bet) and grand potato salad and ev-
erything else edible in the ice-box-- not
much at that!

Then I played some music, both grand and
gay on the player. I forgot to say that
Harold had previously helped me with the
dishes.

I am so glad the money helped you. It was
such a tiny sum. I told Dr. Du Bois how

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you had used it and he said we must con-
trive to send you another small sum short
Some day, in fact already, the Crisis I've
no doubt will be very proud to know that
it was the first periodical to pay you
for your verse.

There are many, many things I want to speak to you about. But first of all I must talk a little to you about your work. It has occurred to me lately that

I have said very little to you about
the quality and manifestation of your g
great gift. You know Langston I think
you have more promise than any American
poet of my literary acquaintance. I ra nk
you above Edna St. Vincent Millay for
while she has finish you have spiritual-
ness (I coined the word) which the first
and greatest essential of the poet. I
still do not care very much for your vers
libre. I have grown to like that combina-
tion which you do sometimes of rhymed
and free verse, but I do like very much,
oh more than that, I admire and am of-
ten envious of your rhymed verse. It is
usually very musical, it has a certain
perfectness which is very rare. I like
very much that dream variation which we
have just published.

But your free verse is two free. Usually
you get a big thought, sometimes a stupend-
ous one, and it runs away with you. Now
I am just carried away with your poem a-
bout the Johannesburg mines,

but I hate its style. I'm returning it in
the hope that you will revise and smooth
it. You know it is possible to be rugged
without being ... crude. You'll
be interested to know however that when I
read your poem to Dr. Du Bois he was satis-
fied with the form and said the thought per-
mitted it.

There is so much that I ought to and
want to say but time does not permit me.

Do you suppose we'll ever get caught up
in our correspondence? This is impoftant.
Will you mail us a good picture of Ras Ta-
fari? Also newspapers and clippings and
interesting reports? Every cent will of
course be refunded, and a little more.
Will you get this information to us at
once please?

I'm not able to say much as yet about
my trip to France. I'm expecting to arrive
there in the fall, in October. My funds
aren't behaving right. More of this anon.

Did I tell you my book had gone into its
second edition?

By the way would you like a picture of
me? What else can you say but yes? All I
meant was that you might like to have
a friendly face near you. I rarely be-
stow my phiz on anyone, but I think I
would like it to see France with you.

Write me whenever you can, dear Langston.

Your friend,

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W. E. B. DU BOIS, EDITOR

14 October, 1925

Dear Langston:

Have you seen Countee's book? It is very beautiful. What I want specially to speak to you about is the fact that he has many poems in his book inscribed to various people, among them Van Vechten, Walter White etc. It seems to me a great mistake that he has inscribed none either to Du Bois or to the Crisis, since unless I am mistaken, we I believe, were the first magazine to print his verse.

I am asking you not to make a similar omission, especially as I believe you say, or rather Van Vechten says nothing about Du Bois in the introduction. So if you conscientiously can do dedicate a poem or poems to him, since he has made many things possible for very many of us.

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members of the other boards. Anyway you
ought, it seems to me to be able to
get some money without going into debt
for it. In applying for the amount I
shouldn't ask for it for a small school
like Lincoln because there you'd get
just the mere formal "book-larnin' "
and no contacts to speak of. I would
mention Harvard as a matter of course
or one of the small, good Eastern schools
such as Williams, Dartmouth or Amherst.

My own preference would be Harvard. You'
ve seen enough of the world now to real-
ize how far prestige may carry one. And
Harvard certainly bestows that.

It would be a good thing for you to get
to work on this at once so as to be
ready to enter school next term. If pos-
sible try not to borrow money.

Lillian Evans, (Madame Evanti) is singing
here tonight at the International House.
We hope it will be a great occasion. It
will be a re-union for three of us; for
Laura Wheeler, Madame Evanti and myself.

Write me soon.

As always,

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January 21, 1926

Mr. Langston Hughes
1749 S St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.

Dear Langston:

The enclosed questionnaire speaks for itself. The problem as to what is acceptable material in the portrayal of the Negro is creating a pretty serious dilemma for those of us who are either actually creating or who are interested in the development of forms of Negro Art.

The editors of the CRISIS are keenly interested in obtaining your reaction to the queries here propounded. We think that coming from a Negro writer on the verge of his career your opinion would be bound to be stimulating and informative.

Will you favor us then with answers to these questions and will you, if possible, have them reach us no later than January 28? That would be doing us a real service. If, however, it is impossible for you to reply to us before that date, answer just the same at your next earliest convenience. For we really desire the expression of your opinion.

With all good wishes believe me,
Sincerely yours,
Jessie FauSET
Your book came a few days ago. Beaute.

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just life. I know in one place in my
novel I speak of the "meaningless feroci-
ty" of life. I think that's a very good
phrase, don't you? I suspect that to
nature, we're not much more than beasts
in the jungle undergoing the same laws
of chance that jungle folk do. Only
we're a little more organized. I've been
reading with more pleasure than I've ev-
er read anything else of his, Van Vech-
ten's book on cats. He speaks of the pos-
sibility of of there being some secret
free masonry among them. I should
n't be surprised if there were. I also
should not be surprised if our oganizati
on meant no more and no less to Life or
Nature or whatever the big Pooh-Bah is
than theirs. From which bit of cynicism
you may deduce my mood.

The mood in turn is a result of the
persistent delay about my book. (All this
of course is entre nous). It is at Mac-
millan's who asked us by the by for fic-
tion but their literary editor, Littell,
is off in Bar Harbor and likely to be
there, it appears for centuries. Imagine
a publisher's Literary editor in Bar
Harbor! Anyway he won't be back until th
the end of October which puts a definite
quietus on my book's making its bow before
Spring.

How is your nice little mother:
and your brother with the adorable name
and the obvious adoration for you, how
fares he?

I could forgive Nugent's rather

too deliberate eccentricities but I am
not prepared to pardon his untidiness.
Can't you straighten him out on this?

The cold cream came and my beauty is
returning. Thank you for that and for the
review.

Yes read the "Green Hat". The style
I think is tosh, but Doctor DuBois, always
more farseeing than I, feels it serves a
special purpose of which more anon. Perhaps
he's right. Anyway I think the story it
self is immensely important, sociologically
and psychologically. If you're not in any
hurry to read it and I judge you're not
(drawing that conclusion from the point
where you are in your reading) I'll send
it to you but first it must go to some
one else.

Write me and come to see me.

As always,

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
% Harper
New York, N.Y.

247 Orange Road
Montclair, N.J.
Sept., 22, 1947

Dear Langston:

How are you? Well and
happy I hope... busy I know.

This is a hasty line to congratulate
you.. somewhat tardily... on your
recent successes. Of course Herbert
and I sped to see STREET SCENE and
found it so marvellous I couldn't
see why it didn't last.

I am extremely interested in yours
and Mercer's collaboration and hope
to get to that soon.

Meanwhile are you available? And will
you come over?. I'd like to
see you for reasons of friendship,
business and advice. All good
wishes.

As ever,

Montclair 2, 4845

To E. H.
"America"

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave
New York, N.Y.

Sent 1/19/48
Madam
&LOW;
Tram
&LOW;

January 19, 1948

Dear Jessie:

It was very nice to receive your letter. And what you say about re-reading the BIG SEA makes me want to sit down right now and write the second volume. I have been on the verge of doing this now for the last five years.

I have mailed you all of the poems for which you have asked and some more besides. I used some of the "Madame" poems on all of my programs now and people seem to like them very much—even in Canada, where I appeared for the Women's Canadian Club in Montreal last week.

Arna Bontemps is coming tomorrow for a week and we are selecting the poetry for a new anthology of Negro poetry that we are editing for Doubleday. Do you have any new poems of yours that we might select from for this anthology? If so, please post them to me within the next couple of days if you can so that they will arrive while Arna is here. If you wish, I can return the copies to you almost at once, as I have a typist every day now. There will be the customary anthology payments for the use of the poems. Arna has made some selections from things of yours in other anthologies, but we would like to see some new things as well, or old poems that have not appeared in other collections.

Love and all good wishes to you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jessie Fauset Harris
247 Orange Road
Montclair, New Jersey

March 1, 1948

Dear Jessie,

Having been out of town so much this year with only a few
days in New York between lecture trips, I am not sure that
I wrote and thanked you for being so kind as to send your
poems to me.

Arna Bontemps and I have selected four for our anthology:
ENIGMA, LA VIE GUEST LA VIE, DEAD FIRES, OBLIVION, and
Doubleday will be writing you in due time for official per-
mission to use them. Meanwhile, would you kindly send as
soon as possible biographical material relating to yourself,
including place and date of birth, occupation, education,
and previous publication, to:

Mr. Arna Bontemps
Fisk University Library
Fisk University
Nashville 8, Tennessee

In a few days now I am heading for the West Coast, beginning
my sixth cross-country lecture tour which will keep me away
until June.

All my good wishes to you and my best regards to your husband.

Sincerely,

634 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York 30, New York

July 13, 1948

Dear Jessie!

Arna Bontamps and I are putting the finishing touches to our 1000-page anthology of Negro poetry for Doubleday, and are turning the manuscript in this week. There are still a few things hanging over, and one is that we want some of the Louisiana Creole poets who wrote in French to be represented.

Do you own the book, GREOLE VOICES (Poems in French by Free Men of Color First Published in 1945), edited by Edward Maceo Coleman, with a foreword by H. Carrington Lancaster, The Associated Publishers, Inc., 1945, because it is from this book that we are making the selection of two or three poems which we wish to put into English verse?

Your translations from the French have been so charming, and Arna and I like so much your poem OBLIVION: From the French of Massillon Gofcou (Haiti), that we are wondering if you might care to attempt an English rhymed adaptation of one or two of the delightful lyrics in GREOLE VOICES (Les Genelles). For example, the poem enclosed is one which we think might lend itself to English verse and which would not be too difficult to translate lightly and de-lightfully. If you feel that you might like to do this one for us, or any other one in the book which appeals to you, letting us have the translation within the next ten days or so, we would, of course, be deeply grateful to you, and it would be published as translated by yourself.

Incidentally, would you say that your poem OBLIVION should be described or presented as an adaptation or a free translation?

With kindest regards—

Mrs. Jessie Fanuet Harris
2470 Orange Road
Montclair, New Jersey

LH:HHS

JESSIE FAUSET HARRIS • 247 ORANGE ROAD • MONTCLAIR, N. J.

15 July, 1948

Dear Langston:

Thanks for letting me see
the enclosed poem. I'm not going to be
able to translate.. or adapt ... it for you
because I'm planning to go away very short-
ly and have heaps of things to do.

But even if I were free I doubt if the
translation of this type of poem would
be worth the time involved..... tout
simplement le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle.

There is inherent in the French language
a volatile quality which lends itself read-
ily to a poem like this. It is very diffi-
cult to capture. Coicou's poem is a dif-
ferent sort of thing and was easily adap-
table. I thought my translation showed the
thought better than the more literal one
which Mercer showed me.

Good luck to you and Mr. Bontemps in your
editing. .. By all means present OBLIVION
as an adaptation.

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York, New York

October 24

1949

Dear Jessie:

I am so glad to hear you are enjoying Hampton, as I have always found it a charming place to visit myself.

The magazine VOICES, to which you so kindly submitted some poems, is going to press this week. I imagine it will be out around Christmas, as it is to be the winter issue.

Concerning your request for information about agents to handle your books for the movies, from what little I know about the films, it is best to be represented by an agency on the coast. I do not have such an agency myself, but usually the publishers have agency connections. A few weeks ago I wrote my own publishers, calling their attention to the possible movie potentials of my own books of prose and suggested that they have their Hollywood representative call them to the attention of the studios. I do not know what agency they use there but I know that someone does represent them out on the West Coast. The only name of an agency which I can recall at the moment for California is the Preminger, which is, I understand, a very good one.

Of course, most of the better literary agencies in New York have connections with West Coast agencies too. But since your books are already published, it would seem to me that you might persuade your publishers to become active about them in relation to the movies. My next best suggestion would be that you contact any of the New York agencies and see if they are interested in case your own publishers do nothing.

The opera version of MULATTO, with music by Jan Meyerowitz, is being done at Columbia University for ten performances, starting January 18. I think on four weekends, so I hope they will still be on when you get back from Hampton.

My continued good wishes to you.

LH: HHS

October 2, 1950

Dear Langston:

I was of course delighted to see you at Sallie's and to behold
you as the recipient of the recognition which you so unquestionably deserve.
You are my most inspiring exemplar.. despite the fact that I follow you so
poorly... and sometimes I wish that Herbert and I were still in New York so
I could share perhaps in the literary aura which still surrounds you.

For I find that atmosphere has a great deal to do with fruition... at least
it does in my case. A certain kind of rivalry in the N.A.A.C.P., and above
all my constant awareness of my dear sister's belief and pride in me... those
and her insistent demand that I be about my business, plus my own eagerness to
get my material down on paper.... these were the factors which underlay my
assiduousness in those dear past days.

Now once again I want to accomplish two things and my desire is as insistent
as ever. But in one case I am blocked my lack of contacts and in the other by
lack of funds.

As to the first.... Langston, I think I shall die if I don't succeed in get-
ting THE CHINABERRY TREE and COMEDY: AMERICAN STYLE accepted in Hollywood.
In the first place it is hard for me to find agents. I did at length, by much
importuning (which I hate) succeed in learning the names of three. The first
one, (Countee's agent, generously supplied by Ida), said as far as she could see
all the themes with regard to color had already been employed... viz. Army
prejudice as exemplified in the HOME OF THE BRAVE; and Passing as shown in
LOST BOUNDARIES.

At that time she had not seen PINKY nor INTRUDER IN THE DUST. NO WAY OUT
(strong picture but awful title!) had not at that time hit Broadway. The
second agent made no comment other than that the companies of her choice
had not accepted the books.

The third woman working out of Brandt & Brandt told me that B. & B. endeavored
to get filmed only the books which they themselves had placed with publishers.
The irony of that was : B. & B. did place THERE IS CONFUSION, my first novel but
Stokes had taken the other three. That firm died out leaving my stuff with
Lippincott who does nothing despite the fact that THE CHINABERRY TREE is still
selling after 19 years with no advertising!

I have thought of you often with respect to my case. But I have hesitated to
approach you on the mere ground that years ago I, spontaneously, exhibited
appreciation and acknowledgment of your talent. If I hadn't done that I would
not have deserved the title of Literary Editor.

But now, as a struggling artist, I have no hesitancy in asking you to as-
sist me in finding an agent who, out of respect for your judgment will be
interested in seeking the value within these two books.

COMEDY: AMERICAN STYLE is a strong limning of the psychological and patho-
logical effect of color prejudice on colored people themselves. Not too
much of that has been done. I think, in films, plays or novels. If we

112

To recognize

could get some director, the poignancy of that effect then there really
would be something new under the sun and we'd be getting places.

I don't know whether you've read these two novels or not. If you have you
know that THE CHINABERRY TREE is very simply written. Actually the story
could be about white people in a small town except that there is some ex-
tra poignancy gained by mere juxtaposition of the two groups. But the main
point ixxx from my angle is that the more I read it over, the more I realize
the possibility of introducing to a curious white audience some essentially
Negroish elements.

So in this case I'd like you to do some collaborating with me in preparing
a script which would emphasize these elements. Of course you would be paid
for your services as an agent in each of an agent to place the two books, and
also as a collaborator with me in one of them.

So much as to my plaint about not being able to contact agents. Now as to
lack of funds. You see, being a married woman, I am harrassed by that ole
debbil. HOUSEKEEPING. So this year I am applying for an OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP
from the John Hay Whitney FOUNDATION.

The application asks me to "submit a list of names of persons from whom con-
fidential information may be obtained concerning your abilities, especially in
relation to the work you propose, and from whom expert opinion may be obtained as
to the value and practicability of your proposed work."

Of course I am asking you to serve as one of "the persons" to evaluate my
"proposed work."

I am planning a set of biographies for use in both white and colored schools
and colleges. The writing is to be good, above par, thus making the mate-
rial especially acceptable in English classes; the information will be prac-
tically new; the implication will be that this ( the accomplishments of these
men & women ) is what can & does happen in America even after "all is said
and done."

The subjects would be men and women from among those following: Congressman
Dawson, Ralph Bunche, Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, Kathryn Dunham
Ethel Waters, Charles Drew, Frank Yerby, maybe even Joe Louis Mrs. Bethune,
Anne Hedgeman, Edith Sampson, very possibly Franklin Frazier, perhaps Adam Powell
(Between you & me what do you think of this list? I should pick up another
doctor or scientist, don't you think. or maybe Hernandez, the actor who
starred in INTRUDER IN THE DUST.)

I would need, you see, money for some one to replace me in my household, a
part time secretary and for travelling expenses to pick up fresh information.

Of course I am way over the age limit. of 35 years... but exceptions are
made in certain cases.

You might stress that my maturity lends assurance to my writing.

If you are willing to be one of my sponsors, could you manage to say just
"yes" or "no" Thursday at the celebration? In that case I could send in your
name at once. (They will contact you for your statement.)

I haven't forgotten that you are up to your neck in your own affairs. However
if you will write the letter about me as soon as they contact you I'll be only
too glad to await your convenience in the matter of getting an agent. Thanks
for reading all this. Sincerely, Jessie Fawcett

113

October 14

1950

Dear Jessie,

Since I did not see you the other night at the Shhomburg celebration at the library, I am dropping you this note to assure you that I am delighted to sponsor this application to the Whitney Foundation for an OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSHIP, and certainly I will give you a hearty send-off. I wish you the best of luck. (But in talking with Bob Weaver not long ago concerning some of the applicants I endorsed last year, whom he and I both thought worthy but who were unsuccessful in receiving fellowships, Bob told me that the Foundation leans strongly towards the younger and less well recognized people — which explains why most of those who received the first fellowships were in this category.)

I agree with you about the very great value which the themes of your books should be to Hollywood, especially since the films have opened up to Negro subject-matter in recent months. I have never been able to have any luck with my own books in Hollywood, even though my agent has a good representative out there, so I have no expert advice to offer you other than, to tap Hollywood at all, judging by what white writers tell me, takes much more than individual effort, and one of the top-notch agents is needed. My agent has even tried some of the foreign film companies but without success. But if you get an agent to handle your books for films, perhaps the Italian or French companies might be interested. Certainly I think they would be worth a try.

Of course, I have read all of your novels and have referred to them often in my lectures and in print as being most important contributions to the record of American Negro life. Unfortunately, I am in no position to collaborate with you on turning them into scripts, since I am some six months behind now on two contracts of my own — one for a play and one for a book, having been greatly delayed in my commitments this year by my two shows, THE BARRIER and JUST AROUND THE CORNER, both of which have had try-out productions but have not yet gotten to Broadway, and both of which have required a great deal of changing and reworking. THE BARRIER is now in rehearsal again to open for a pre-Broadway run on October 17 at the Flatbush Theater, to be followed by the Windsor in the Bronx. There is nothing like the theater to take up a great deal of one's time and, with another show under way, do to be finished this fall insofar as the libretto is concerned, besides the two above commitments that I mentioned, I do not see my way clear before next summer before taking up anything new. At that time I would like to be free to begin the second volume of my autobiography. It seems just about impossible for me to keep up with my own work, let alone attempting anything else. But you know my great admiration for you and I hope that you succeed with your projects. With very best wishes, as ever.

Sincerely,

MR. AND MRS. JAMES T. HARRIS

1200 FIFTH AVENUE

APARTMENT 2A

NEW YORK 29, NEW YORK

Mr. Fangston Hughes
20 East 127th St.
New York 35, N.Y.