[ca. 1925 May 19]

CARL VAN VECHTEN

150 WEST FIFTY-FIFTH STREET

Your letters are so very charming, dear Langston, that I look forward every morning to find one under the door. I have been lucky during the past week! The poems came this morning and I looked them over again. Your work has such a subtle sensitiveness that it improves with every reading. The poems are very beautiful, and I think the book gains greatly by the new arrangement and title. Knopf is lunching with me today and I shall ask him to publish them and if he doesn't some one else will. Would you permit me to do any introduction? I want to.

Frankie came, and thank you. I know the song, but with different words. There are, I suppose, two thousand versions. This is a good one. It's too bad that you didn't take down every syllable that fell from the lips of that holy cook.

I'm glad you liked The Blind Bow-Boy. I think you'd better read Peter Whiffle next, if you really want to read any more; I'll send it to you.

Of course, I got the Gulf Coast Blues at once. I'm doing a paper about Blues for Vanity Fair and anything you know about them, or if you even know the names of any other good ones, will help.

I've never even heard of the Little Savoy; I wish I had been with you that night. I have never, in my experience of twenty-five years, seen a fight in a Negro cabaret; on the other hand I've never been in a white place when there wasn't one. The difference, I suppose, is that white people almost invariably become quarrelsome when they are drunk, while Negroes usually become gay and are not inclined to fight unless they want to kill some one. I'm going on a Harlem party tonight; if you were here we'd take you with us.

I hope to meet Rudolph Fisher some time. I read Ringtail and found it full of picturesque detail, but not as good, on the whole, as The City of Refuge.

You will find your name, by the way, in the note I have written about Countée Cullen in the June Vanity Fair,

[ca. 1925 May?]
20

CARL VAN VECHTEN

150 WEST FIFTY-FIFTH STREET

No letter came from you this morning, dear Langston, just as I was getting used to finding one daily under the door! My news is this: that I handed The Weary Blues to Knopf yesterday with the proper incantations. I do not feel particularly dubious about the outcome: your poems are too beautiful to escape appreciation. I find they have a subtle haunting quality which lingers in the memory and an extraordinary sensitivity to all that is kind and lovely. "Sweet trumpets, Jesus!" The request for your biography was no idle one. I hope you will take it seriously. When the book is done I shall need it . . and please make it as long as possible. Did you tell me, by the way, that you had been photographed by Nik Muray? I can get one from him with no trouble, and from any one else with very little. Yesterday I sent you Peter Whiffle and The Tattooed Countess . . . So now you have all my novels. One Clara Barnes appears in both these books.

Laurel and Bayleaves to you!

Thursday

CARL VAN VECHTEN

150 WEST FIFTY-FIFTH STREET

Dear Langston,

I hope eventually you received the telegram I sent you yesterday. Western Union telephoned me several times that there was no one home to sign for it but I instructed them to keep on trying. I wanted you to know immediately that Knopf was publishing your book. He will write you and send you a contract. I think it is a little late for the fall list but you will probably appear in January 1926. I shall write the introduction and the cover design will be by Covarrubias. I hope you are happy about this, because I am.

Also, I have spoken to Vanity Fair about you and they are extremely desirous of seeing your work. I am almost certain that after seeing it they will publish some of it. Please, therefore, send twenty or thirty poems, so that she can make a selection, to Miss Margaret Case, Vanity Fair, 19 West Forty-fourth Street, New York City. Of course, don't send anything that has been printed before, and send as many jazz or cabaret things as you happen to have on hand. But you know Vanity Fair and you will know what best will suit them.

And know you must know why I asked for biographical data. I felt convinced that these things, and others, would happen and I wanted to be prepared. Don't bother about anything "psychological" (unless it is important and easy for you to set down) but send me a chronological list of the places you have lived (including date and place of birth), the schools you have been to (and for how long), and your jobs. And you'd better send me one of your new Washington photographs, even if I secure the New York one.

Lilacs and pansies to you!

Sunday

CARL VAN VECHTEN

150 WEST FIFTY-FIFTH STREET

Dear Langston,

Every time you write you send me the titles of
wonderful Blues. I hope you will keep this up, because
I want to have the largest collection available. The
Soft Pedal Blues is very amusing, especially the war
whoop. I played it for Paul Robeson last night.

I certainly had relatives in Catskill County in 1830.
My ancestors landed here in New Amsterdam in 1638, and
the record distinctly mentions "two Negro servants."
Perhaps these are their descendants. Perhaps . . .
Anyway if you can trace their present whereabouts it
would amuse me.

Your adventures en espagnol entertain me vastly. I
hope Ricardo will come with you in August.

Alan Locke was here last week and came to see me. He
showed me the contents of his Negro Anthology. The
announcement of your contribution was a little
disturbing. Of course, you know that you cannot publish
in book form anything included in your own book without
permission from Mr. Knopf. I think there could be no
objection to using the poems in the Survey Graphic, but
Locke had a further section labelled "Jazzonia," and I
think it would be a decided mistake to publish any of
the jazz poems in book form before your book appeared.
You see, this anthology will appear a good three months
before your book appears; everybody will buy it and if
it contains a sufficient number of your best poems it
will quite take the edge off the sale and reviews of
your own book. If it were coming out after your book there
could be no such objection. Even so, it is the part of
wisdom to be sparing in contributions to anthologies.
However, this is merely personal advice. Mr. Knopf's opinion
in the matter is the final one. He and Mrs. Knopf are now
in Europe, but perhaps you have settled the question with
him already?

bien a toi,

June 29, 1925

Dear Langston,

Do you like this for an introduction? Anyway, I hope so.
When you return it to me will you point out any errors of
fact that occur in it.

I adored Argument and if I were in Washington I imagine
I should spend most of my time on Four-and-a-half Street.

Yesterday Rudolph Fisher came to see me and won me
completely. I liked him immensely and was very sorry to
have him leave.

I expect to see you on the fifteenth or thereabouts, and
whenever Ricardo (you have never mentioned his last name)
comes to New York, ask him to telephone Circle 8699.

caviar and emeralds to you!

August 3, 1925

150 West 55th Street
New York City

CARL VAN VECHTEN

150 WEST FIFTY-FIFTH STREET

Dear Langston,

I may not be able to get to your reading—I have had
an engagement on that evening for some time—but I'll
do my best. Of course, I want to see you while you are
here. Let me know when you are coming and going and I
will arrange a rendezvous.

Vanity Fair has accepted three of your Blues, for the
April number, and I have asked them to hurry along the
cheque. They want me to write another note about you.
Will it be safe to say that you are attending Lincoln
and where is Lincoln and is it a college or an institute
or a university? Please let me know about this at once as
they are screaming for the note.

I am enclosing a letter which will interest you. Please
return this to me.

I'm glad you got your Lincoln money so that you can
do what you want to do. How is your autobiography? I am
working madly on Nigger Heaven. It must be done sometime
in March.

everything you desire to you!

January 17, 1926

CARL VAN VECHTEN

150 WEST FIFTY-FIFTH STREET

Dear Langston,

Guy Johnson of the University of North Carolina (co-author of The Negro and His Songs, with Odum) has been here and yesterday he spent the whole day with me, while Rosamond Johnson took down folk Blues. Some of them are delightfully filthy. I like:

Got a rainbow on ma head,
So, it ain't gwine to rain . . .

I gave him five of your Blues to take back to Paul Green, the editor of the Reviewer. I thought it would amuse you to have them appear in a white Southern magazine.

Also I gave Rosamond The Midwinter Blues and Lament over Love, to see if he could set them. If any one else has these, flag me off.

I hope you will like what I have written about you for Vanity Fair. . . Do you go to Kinkin Lincoln next week?

Taylor Gordon gave a theatre party at the Lafayette Friday at midnight. I must say the show was wonderful. Some of the dirtiest lines I've heard around those parts.

tulips and hyacinths to you!

February 7, 1926

The Second draft of Nigger Heaven finished Friday. I start the third in a couple of days.

35

THE AMBASSADOR
Los Angeles

"SEE AMERICA FIRST"

Mr. Langston Hughes
P.O. Box 94

Westfield,
new Jersey,

4800 Carnegie Ave.,
Cleveland, Ohio,
January 19, 1931.

Dear Carlo,

Forgive me for worrying you to death—but once more the
MUJL-BONE. Last night I talked to Zora by phone. She said
she knew nothing about French handling her play, or how it
got to Cleveland. I told her how it got here, and that it
came in a terribly tangled up version with two first-act
endings, and two different third acts—one our, collaborated
version we did together, another evidently her new version—
seemingly leaving it up to the producer to decided which
endings and which acts he wanted. I told her the director
here, Mrs. Jelliffe, couldn't make head or tail of it but,
liking the version I have here (the one we did together) she
wishing to put it on, and would Zora be willing that she do
it, using the script we had originally planned? Zora would
not answer yes or no, but kept stalling over the phone and
asking what good it would do her to produce it in Cleveland.
Then I asked Zora was she attempting to sell the play alone
under her name? She replied that at first she hadn't intend-
ed to, "but, well—I'm writing you a letter." What she'll
say in that letter, I don't know...... Anyway, this morning
Mrs. Jelliffe phoned Barrett Clark, representative for French
and also, I understand, reader for the Guild. She explained
the whole matter to him, asking at the same time what he
could do so that she could go ahead with her production, as
time is getting very short. Barrett Clark said that he had

87

2.

gotten the manuscript through your having first sent it in to the
Guild and, feeling that the Guild would refuse it, he had, some
weeks ago offered it to the Gilpin Players here; that he didn't
know Zora Hurston but that he would get in touch with her at once
and see if he could persuade her to allow the Cleveland production
to go through, and under our joint names, (since he had not been
aware before that I had any thing to do with the play.) He is to
wire Mrs. Jelliffe after he has talked with Zora....Now, Carlok,
the situation regarding the production here is this: The Gilpin
Players, probably the best Little Theatre Negro group in the country,
must open downtown with this play on February 15th, so you see how
pushed for time they are. The play came to them through French
quite without my knowledge, and bearing only Zora's name, but in
such a confused form that I don't see how the Guild or anybody
else read it. The Jelliffe's are friends of mine and swell people,
and realizing the predicament they are in for time, (and also being
interested myself in seeing a trial production of the comedy) I am
willing to overlook Zora's seeming attempt to get rid of the play
without my knowledge, and to do my best to patch up the script using
the two acts that I have, and the script of the second act which I
had worked on with Zora before she went South, and thus enable the
Gilpins to put it on out here and to begin rehearsals at once, doing
the play under Zora and my names, as she and I had originally intend-
ed. This is what I tried to make Zora see over the phone last night
but New York to Cleveland calls are expensive and I couldn't talk
all night. The Gilpins plan a two-week season for this play, opening
under the auspices of the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER'S Theatre of Nations
downtown (which means a great deal of publicity through the PLAIN-
DEALER) and later moving to the Ohio one of the big legitimate

3.

downtown houses here, as they have done in past seasons
with Rosseane, In Abraham's Bosom, and other plays, and with great
success. This is their first Negro comedy downtown, and they feel
that it would go over big, which would be fine for both Zora and I
from the standpoint of both publicity and royalties.
The Gilpin
Players are in a sense a semi-professional group and have been offered
try-outs by the Guild and other New York manggers before, and a pro-
duction here would mean that representatives of the New York people
would see it—which is important to us too, since the Guild has turned
it down, from all I can discover. So Carlo, would you, please,
get in touch with Zora and try to make her see all this. I am not
at all angry about her actions, because she always has been strange
in lots of ways, but I do hate to see a good Folk-play go to waste,
because for some reason I do not know, she no longer wants to work
with me. Tell her the Gilpins would be happy to have her come out
for rehearsals and the opening, if she wants to. This morning I
got some legal advice on the matter and with all the proof I have:
a file of notes in my own handwriting, pages of construction and
situations, carbons of the first draft, and the testimony of the
stenographer who worked with us for three or four weeks, Zora can
certainly do nothing at all with MULLE-BONE without my permission.
Why she should have set out to do so is beyond me. Of course,
I know that you knew nothing of all this until I wrote you, and I
hope it won't be putting you to a great deal of trouble, but would
you do what you can to get it untangled, and explain to Lawrence
Langner or some of the Guild people how sorry I am that such an
unfinished version ever reached them. Since time is so pressing
for the Gilpins, if you could send me a night letter or something
about Zora's attitude, I'd appreciate it immensely. Snowballs

in you,

PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED

4800 Carnegie Ave.,
Cleveland, Ohio,
January 22, 1931.

Dear Carlo,

I hope never to worry you with this MULE-BONE business
again. You have been more than kind about it already.
A letter from Zora today assures me that she had re-
versed herself, so I guess the split is over. Some days
ago, however, I turned over the whole matter to Arthur
Spingarn, but now I shall wire him further that things
seem to be coming back to their original point....Zora
wired the Jelliffe's some three days ago Okaying the
proceedings out here—just a few hours before your first
letter came advising against the production. Since then
there has been two other wires from her of acceptance,
which the Gilpin lawyer considers equivalent to a contract,
so they have gone on full blast into production. To try
and stop it again now would cause I don't know what other
difficulties, and I am just about weary of the whole thing.
I am in no way responsible for the beginning of this Cleveland
business, and certainly wouldn't have chosen a production
here either first—but in the sense that I might not have
known what Zora was doing for months, it has been fortunate.
Then, too, the Gilpin Players and the *Cleveland Plaindealer*
drama people have been of great aid in untangling the thing
for me—a hundred dollars or so burnt up in wires and New
York phone calls—so that now I suppose they feel that
the play is due ... that effort and excitement.

2.
PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED

Zora has signified her intention of coming on here in a few
days, and allin all, to back out of the thing now would take
just a little more effort than I can muster, after this hectic
week which ended last night by my being in jail!.....A not un-
exciting experience, by the way.....My big-time cousin came by
the house about eight with another fellow and a car. I had just
finished some New York mail that needed to go off at once, so I
asked if they would drop me by the Post Office. They did, and
then started up Cedar, one of the big Negro streets here, full
of cops all the time. Later I remembered that I had still to
get in touch with Mrs. Jelliffe that night. We stopped near a
drug store and went in to call, when my cousin and I came out
we walked into the arms of two cops. It seems that some on
dented the back of a taxi cab. The cab driver accused us because
our car was parked near-by. He had no witnesses, but evidently
wanted to get the money out of somebody to pay for his dent. The
cops threatened to beat us into confessing, a whole squad of de-
totives and policemen arrived in two cars, the wagon was called
and off we went to the station. We were not allowed to use the
phone there, third degree methods were applied to the boy who
owned the car, the police and detectives using their hands and
clubs on him before us and the cab driver, the whole bunch of
them using oaths and insulting racial remarks, and insisting
that we pay this driver for his cab. Finally, getting no
satisfaction, they put us all in jail (not the cab driver),
kept us there until this morning, made us sign Suspicious
Person slips, and turned us loose. The boy must now pay a
large bill for towing and storage of his car by the police.
I've heard of other innocent Negrees being picked up often

PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED
5.

here and having to pay bills or fines before they get loose.
It seems to be a sort of graft the police are working in the
colored districts, where they walk in pairs after dark stopping
people and searching them for no reason at all....The jail
or under,
was bitter cold, with a board and no covering to sleep on, so
if I've caught my death o' cold blame the Cleveland police. The
walls were of steel, which made you just that much colder if
you leaned against them. So now I know what Bessie Smith really
meant by

Thirty days in jail

With me back turned to do wall.

So with all that, I'm evil in mind, and don't give a dam this morning
whether MULE-BONE is or isn't put on. Brazzle's mule, even in
manuscript, has done a mean piece of kicking, and it will probably
take all of us several weeks to get unbent again, although Zora
writes that she is busy "smoothing out her lovely brow," at
present,"...That would be great if Shumlin would consider the
play, and when Zora comes here I'll see if we can't get out a
script that would be in shape for his attention...In any case,
matter.
Carlo, you've been grand about the whole. Certainly I'm sorry
that all this mixup came about, and I trust Zora is, too—but
I guess now everything will be the same again. Thank God! So
with 7 wish bones, 11 rabbits' feet, and 777 load stones to
you, (but no mule bones whatsoever) I am, quand meme,

P. S. I have some music for Paul Robeson. Have you any idea
where one might send it to him?

103

Mr. Langston Hughes
The Crisis
69 Fifth Avenue
Manhattan

PATRONS ARE REQUESTED TO FAVOR THE COMPANY BY CRITICISM AND SUGGESTION CONCERNING ITS SERVICE

1201-S

WESTERN
UNION

NEWCOMB CARLTON, PRESIDENT

J. C. WILLEVER, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="2">SIGNS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>DL = Day Letter</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NM = Night Message</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NL = Night Letter</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>LCO = Deferred Cable</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NLT = Cable Night Letter</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>WLT = Week-End Letter</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

The filing time as shown in the date line on full-rate telegrams and day letters, and the time of receipt at destination as shown on all messages, is STANDARD TIME.

Received at 646 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas. Phone 2764

1932 MAR 8 AM 8 50

KN6 42 DL=NEWYORK NY 8 925A

LANGSTON HUGHES=

731 NEWYORK ST LAWRENCE KANS=

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="2">MINUTES IN TRANSIT</th></tr><tr><th>FULL-RATE</th><th>DAY LETTER</th></tr></thead></table>

PAUL INTERESTED BUT SAYS NO NEED FOR YOU TO COME TO NEWYORK
IMMEDIATELY HE PROMISES TO NOTIFY ME IF ANYTHING DEVELOPS
WHICH REQUIRES YOUR PRESENCE IT IS YOUR NAME ON THE PIECE
THAT INTERESTED HIM KEEP ME POSTED AS TO YOUR ADDRESS=
CARLO.

THE QUICKEST, SUREST AND SAFEST WAY TO SEND MONEY IS BY TELEGRAPH OR CABLE

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Langston Hughes, Esq.

Hotel Grand

51 Street and S Parkway

Chicago, Illinois

Received by Office
of First Address

CARL VAN VECHTEN

IOI CENTRAL PARK WEST

NEW YORK CITY

TELEPHONE: ENDICOTT 2-8748

CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Dear Langston,

I loved your letter, especially the news that you are writing an autobiography, which I have passed on to Blanche, as you requested. May I be so bold as to suggest that the best autobiographies are written with a point of view, i.e., ask yourself what your life is ABOUT. Do put in it the story of the white horse, which is one of the best stories I've ever heard. I have your pictures of Earl Jones for you, of course. He called me up to see a private viewing of Lying Lips. I couldn't go and I haven't seen it advertised here since. Do you know Gee Gee Williams who has made a hit in Kit Cornell's play?. I have seen BOTH Mikados and Mamba's Daughters several times. I hope you get here before this closes. The hot weather is hitting the theatres bad. The other day I wandered into the opening view of Picasso's Guernica which is bloody but magnificent. There were a lot of photographers present and they pushed me against the picture saying they wanted to photograph us. A smiling spaniard stood beside me and after it was over I was introduced to General Negrin. I guess that will send you!.. Estela, the beautiful Cuban mulatto rhumba dancer is in Mexicana, the colorful dance show put on by the Mexican Government. I'd love to hear Sea Food Mama on the pipe organ or any way but Walter Winchell has pretty much stopped it. The first time I heard it sung by Ella Fitzgerald at the Howard in Washington. What a gal!

much affection to you!

Sunday

You don't say a word about writing a play for Ethel Waters. I hope you are AT it.

1201S

CLASS OF SERVICE

This is a full-rate
Telegram or Cable-
gram unless its de-
ferred character is in-
dicated by a suitable
sign above or preced-
ing the address.

46

NEWCOMB CARLTON, PRESIDENT

WESTERN
UNION

SIGNS

DL = Day Letter

NM = Night Message

NL = Night Letter

LCO = Deferred Cable

NLT = Cable Night Letter

WLT = Week-End Letter

Received at

3F G 37 DL

CARMEL, CALIF.

NEWYORK NY 953A APR 19 1934

LANGSTON HUGHES

MAIL PO BOX 1582 CARMEL CALIF

DEAR LANGSTON AT LAST PROPAGANDA PLAY I LIKE STOP STEVEDORE PRODUCED
BY THE THEATRE UNION LAST NIGHT IS MOVING HISTORICALLY ACCURATE
SENSATIONAL AND TREMENDOUSLY EFFECTIVE STOP SHOULD BE SENSATIONAL
HIT STOP AM FORWARDING PROGRAM AND REVIEWS AFFECTION

CARLO

816A

Langston Hughes, Esq.
212 S. Pleasant Street
Oberlin, Ohio.

ans

Langston Hughes, Esq.
2245 East 80th Street
Cleveland, Ohio

McNaughton

151

PAINT AND POWDER

Outstanding Producers
No. 2—Martin Jones

Martin Jones who a year ago was just blooming forth as one of the younger producers today stands almost foremost in his field not only as a producer but a director and a valuable asset to the theatre since he can stage both drama, musical comedy and drevue. When his 'Mulatto' first started the press were most unkind but Mr. Jones knew how to draw audiences and he did. It's now not only one of the season's outstanding money makers but with almost everybody in the cast changed from time to time Mr. Jones has so carefully directed the destiny of his child that it looks like another Abie's Irish Rose and Tobacco Road and a second company will tour next year. Mr. Jones knew theatre as a boy for he selected 'White Cargo' and had his own money in 'The Squall' which brought Blanche Yurka, Horace Braham to fame. Besides Martin Jones is one of the few producers who has money, knows talent, takes an interest in his actors and has one of the greatest futures of any young man today as a producer and an actor is more than fortune to be signed with Martin Jones.

As he sits in his cool office one would never realize how important he is to Broadway. He Ivose the theatre, knows it and puts his mind on what he is doing. He's kind, considerate and is to the theatre today what George M. Cohan has always been—a friend.

Langston Hughes
66 St Nicholas Place
Manhattan

Langston Hughes, Esq.
1379 East Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, California.

CARL VAN VECHTEN

IOI CENTRAL PARK WEST

NEW YORK CITY

TELEPHONE: ENDICOTT 2-8748

CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Dear Langston, Has it occurred to you that about the most sensible thing you could do just now is to write a fine play for Ethel Waters? It would have to be fine and the character would have to be good, because Ethel will not advertise any bad Negroes, but you wouldn't mind that. I enclose my latest picture of this wonderful woman as Hagar in Mamba's Daughters.

Richmond Barthé's show at the Arden Gallery, on Park Avenue, is having a great success and drew fine notices. I am glad to see that boy get on.

I just had a note from Earl Jones saying his new film, Lying Lips, would be released soon! Isn't it fantastic! But I like Earl Jones.

If you can get that lovely creature Miss Holt to wake up and send me a postcard it would be most agreeable.

a lot of affection to you!

March 16.

E1939

175

CARL VAN VECHTEN
TELEPHONE: CIRCLE 7, top

180 WEST FIFTY FIFTH STREET

NEW YORK CITY
CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Dear Langston, Very glad to hear from you. When you get lost, you get lost. Everybody asks where you are and I say, Maybe in China! It happened that I was printing the pictures I took of you in Washington Square yesterday afternoon just before your letter came. So I'll send these to you soon. Arna Bontemps was here today and posed for pictures. I liked him so much. I've never had much chance to talk to him before. I think the pictures will be good too. Have you read about the recent discovery of Bland's (the man who wrote "Carry me back to ole Virginny" and who is often called the Black Stephen Foster) grave in a little cemetary outside Philadelphia? I wish youd write a poem about this and him some time? He deserves greater fame. Have you read about Dorothy Maynor (Norfolk, Virginia, black, short and stout) who made a sensation singing at a Boston Symphony party at Stockbridge. The Times gave her a column and a half. She sang Mozart. . and spirituals and is booked for a fall concert in New York. Or do you know the song, Mene Mene Tekel (about Mussolini and Hitler: the handwriting on the wall) sung by Dorothy Harrison, a colored lady garment worker in Pins and Needles? Or the new THREE CENT Booker T Washington stamp promised for next year? Sometimes I think we should keep a diary of these events from years to year. I'm sure you know that Joel Spingarn is dead and that there is to be a big production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Benny Goodman conducting the orchestra and with Maxine Sullivan and Butterfly McQueen in the cast. Sidney Peterson is going back to Puerto Rico (with Vera) next week. He has a sweet job. So he and his wife and Dorothy and her father are dining here Friday. I'm sure you know the Actors and the stagehands are having a row (both AFoL). I'm going to Atlantic City for THAT. Lucioni has bought a farm in Vermont to work in during the summers and I imagine his family will live there. His Ethel hangs over the mantel till she goes to Pittsburgh in the fall when I shall miss her frightfully. Have you heard Ella Fitzgerald's records of Have Mercy and I want the waiter with the Water. ? Both superb. . I just had a letter from Nora: so she must be in LA. Do you know a Fay Jackson from there who is here now? Are you breathless? I am.

happy days, siestas, and four Viva Chiles to you!

August 18.

[1939]

Also my oppidan!

Carlo,

X a new dring I discovered at the Paris.

Dadgy tells me DYWTFB is to be done in Mexico, completion
And what are you writing? Is that your new majority promised?

101 C.P.W.

POST CARD

AUG 10

7:30PM

7939

CORRESPONDENCE OFFICE

A G F A

TELEPHONE: ENDICOTT 2-8748

CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Dear Langston, Blanche is reading The Big Sea over the weekend. So we'll soon know what she thinks. I forgot to mention that I still share, and share strongly, your "patron's" dislike for that poem about the Waldorf. You will recall I have spoken of this before. I think it is bad economics and bad poetry. You could with equal fairness pick on an Elks' banquet and certainly your reviewers will be permitted to remind you that the "luxury" of the Waldorf is very picayune compared with the luxury of the Russian Embassy at Washington or with the dinners given to Ribbentrip and other members of the German mission to USSR in Leningrad. Have you seen these menus? With the wines listed they would run to about $100 a plate. But such matters are your own affair and I should never even faintly suggest you remove this poem. I only want to register my own distaste for it.

Speaking of Elks, they have been parading again and I have some more photographs (tho' not as interesting as last time as the Sun wasn't right and I had to stop early) for you. I think you will like the enclosed.

my continued affection,

November 12.

CARL VAN VECHTEN

(1939)

CARL VAN VECHTEN · IOI CENTRAL PARK WEST · NEW YORK CITY

TELEPHONE: ENDICOTT 2-8748

CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Dear Langston, I talked with Blanche this morning and discovered that she meant the chapters about me and Wallace Thurman were not sufficiently clear. (ie to the uninformed reader). Far from being too long, they may be too short. I was distressed to have them removed as they are, to my mind, an essential part of the book's integrity: so I'm glad this point is cleared up. When you look at these chapters then look at them from this angle: have you explained everything sufficiently to the uninitiated. I don't recall a chapter about the Dark Tower. There certainly should be something about this. In fact A'Lelia was such an unusual and picturesque character I. think you could let yourself go a little more on her. If I don't hear from you pretty soon, after my enthusiastic (and otherwise) letters and the number of telephone conversations I have had in your behalf with Blanche, I'll think you don't like me!

Brick was here for dinner last night in her most reserved a nd ladylike mood. But she was grand. Jimmie Daniel's has opened a new and chic club on 116 Street

four frolicsome spiders to you!

November 29, 1939

To Marian Anderson tonight with Essie.

TELEPHONE: ENDICOTT 2-8748

CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Langston, my lad! Seven Moments of Love is a wonderful title for your next book of verse, which please begin to get ready(Big Sea is a marvellous title: Blanche and I and everybody who has heard it admires it passionately. I don't see how I escaped mentioning it). I like these VERY MUCH, especially No III which happens for no good reason(I LOVE 'em all) to be my favorite. I like the snatches of blues too. By the way Seven Moments cry for music and will be set like the rest of your KINKY verses. I Tell Noël that Dorothy May nor's first record is out(Victor): Ave Maria and Gretchen am Spinnrad, both Schubert. Her concert WAS at night and she got your telegram. See current issue of Life (Dec 11) for her bowing with me in the foreground! In the new Theatre Handbook edited by Bernard Sobel, just sent me, I read under Negro Theatre: "Laudable and generously helpful to the cause of all art have been Carl Van Vechten's KINK confirmations, recognitions and appraisals of Negro talent and growing culture. "Here is another clip on Mulatto. When you DO write a letter you certainly write one. I thought the farm had been foreclosed when I got all those papers from you today. I LOVE it. Did you hear a song Paul Robeson sang on the radio one Sunday afternoon, a wonderful number, but I don't know the name of it. John La Touche wrote the words. I hope some day to have the privilege of seeing Noël act or of seeing him in concert. How does he ever manage to get to the theatre on time!? In the meantime I am glad he is going in for these activities. I agree with you FULLY about the Harlem section of The Big Sea and if you keep it in and even enlarge it Ill stand back of you. You are the last historian of that period who knows anything about it and its got to be down and people will love it. I agree with you, it could be made more personal, and don't forget the Dark Tower. In fact whenever you can bring A'Lelia in Ill love it. Characters like that are endeared to me even when they are unpleasant and A'Lelia was never exactly that, altho' we used to fight like anything OFTEN. Then she would bring me to on a bottle of champagne in her bedroom and I'd fight with her again because she was giving me better than her other guests. I even liked Dr Du Bois once in her house when the matter of Madame Walker's hair restorer came up and W E B said, quick as a flash, "I always use it." You are probably right about pictures too. I was not advising them. I merely asked you to consider the question. I think a frontispiece of YOU wouldnt be a bad idea and you have lots of good ones by Weston and everybody and maybe I can take the best one yet next time you come east. Anyway you havent yet been done in color. Swingin' the Dream was wonderful in spots. They made the mistake of making it too expensive. Benny Goodman, who wasnt needed at all, set them back $2500 a week. Of course he played divinely and had several Negroes in his band including the old Small's drummer and Fletcher Henderson at the piano, but it interrupted the action. My adored Ella Fitzgerald is to be in Young Man with a Horn with Burgess

[ca. 1939 Dec]

187

914

X / mean ing / guy !

CARL VAN VECHTEN O IOI CENTRAL PARK WEST O NEW YORK CITY

TELEPHONE: ENDICOTT 2-8748

CABLE: CARLVECHT, NEW YORK

Dear Langston,

MISS Mary Bell lives at 18 Greenwich Park, Boston, or did the last time I heard from her. She used to clean for the sister of Madame Gaston Lachaise. The sister lives in Boston. It was through Madame Lachaise I heard of her and first ordered some pictures. Mrs Lachaise has quite a collection and admires them very much. So have I. So has Gertrude Stein. So have many. A dealer I know is anxious to give Mary Bell a show, but as I have not been able even to see her (I told you I want to Boston for that purpose) it has been impossible to make any arrangements. Please try to see her next time you are in Boston and see if you can get her to be more neighborly. Otherwise there is nothing to complain about her actions. If you send her money you get the xxx pictures in short order and she will even send the pictures and bill you for the payment. Her letters are divine. I have them all and you may see them some day.

hearts and flowers to you,

March 10. [Signature]

CARL VAN VECHTEN

AIRMAIL

Langston Hughes, Esquire
Hollow Hill Farms
Monterey, California

Noël Sullivan

291

Langston Hughes, Esq.
Noël Sullivan
Hollow Hills Farm
Monterey: California

WIRE AIR MAIL

Langston Hughes
Hollow Hills Farm
Monterey, California