HOWARD UNIVERSITY
WASHINGTON, D.C.

March 7, 1934.

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

My dear Johnson:

Heartiest thanks for your recent letter. I value
your approbation and appreciation highly, and in these days
when we are mentally as well as economically depressed, a psychic
boost means a lot, and is mighty welcome.

Your suggestion about a critical study of the Negro in
American Literature clinches a much postponed intention. I have
been waiting all along for a year or half year on sabbatical to
get it done, but something always seems to happen to postpone it.
The first real set-back was when the stenographic notes to eight
lectures that I gave at Fisk in the spring of 1928 were lost. A
white "lady stenopgrapher", employed after several local tran-
scribers had fallen down on my vocabulary, just suddenly got
"too busy" to transcribe her notes, despite the pleadings of Pres-
ident Jones. Really I think it was her Confederate ancestors, who
kicked her in the shins of memory. However, I am much more mature
now and the perspective is better, so may I solemnly promise you
and myself to get right down to the travails of pregnancy. I'll
welcome and look forward to the earliest possible chance of talking
the matter through with you, and can then thank you warmly and
personally for the thoughtful and generous encouragement.

Best remembrance and best regards to you and Mrs. Johnson,

Professor James Weldon Johnson,
Fisk University,
Nashville, Tenn.

April 27, 1937

Dr. Alain Locke
Box 636 Benn Franklin Sta.
Washington, D.C.

My dear Locke:

I am taking this first opportunity to acknowledge
personally the receipt of"Negro Art Past and
Present", and "The Negro and His Music" and to
thank you especially for the inscriptions. I have
not yet had a chance to read the books through
carefully but I have glanced them over and they
strike me as being extraordinarily valuable contri-
butions to the whole literature on Negro Art. I
shall be glad to use them as reference books especi-
ally in my course at New York University.

I shall be passing through Washington early in June
and I hope I may have the chance of seeing you. With
kindest regards, I am

JWJ:ew