Yaddo,
Saratoga Springs,
New York,
September 21, 1943.

Mr. R. O'Hara Lanier,
Hampton Institute,
Hampton, Virginia.

Dear Mr. Lanier,

When we met at Lincoln you spoke of the possibility of my coming to Hampton, which I would indeed be happy to do this season if you would care to have me. The month of October is now pretty well filled, but November is open except for November 16 at the New York Public Library Poet's Series, the 22nd at Scranton, and the 24th at Columbia University for the McMillen Theatre series. December is also open. In January I go to the Montreal Forum and on to the Middle West.

My customary fee is One Hundred Dollars plus rail expenses from New York. But if, as is likely once I know what date you may set, there are other engagements in the region, the rail fare can be eliminated. A couple of the North Carolina schools have written me, so I could probably do all within the same week.

As on my Western tour last season, I would be happy to appear at a neighboring USO or two for the service men without charge. Such additional appearances were requested last winter at Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Custer, and Kansas City.

With very best regards to you, I remain,

P.S. After October 1 my
address is:

634 St. Nicholas Avenue,
New York City, 10, New York.

Publicity
Photos

PLOW

Sent, 9/27/43.

WIRE---9/27/43: Monday November 29th would
be excellent for me best regards. L. H.

Yaddo,
Saratoga Springs,
New York,
September 27, 1943.

Mr. J. Saunders Redding,
Hampton Institute,
Hampton, Virginia.

Dear Redding,

I would of course be happy to come again to Hampton, and
Monday, November 29th is quite agreeable to me. The 15th
would be difficult for me as I have two engagements in New
York the following day, an Interracial Institute for the
Board of Education in the afternoon, and the Public Library
Poets Series in the evening....I am enclosing herein pub-
licity material, and photographs will follow under separate
cover....I've just spent a delightful summer writing here
at Yaddo, the old Foster Peabody estate now endowed for creative
workers. Agnes Smedley, whose BATTLE HYMN OF CHINA has just ap-
peared, is here, too. She is a fascinating talker and one whom
you might like to have for your series. If so, she may be reach-
ed here for the next month. She is interested in speaking on
Negro campuses and has a sort of Pexel Buck feeling for the free-
dom of all the darker peoples. She has many lectures this season
opening at Skidmore College on October 1st.....I would be delight-
ed to talk to a creative writing group while at Hampton without
extra fee, if there is one interested in problems of writing.
.....With best regards to you,

Address after October 1:
634 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, 30, N. Y.

634 St. Nicholas Avenue,
New York, 30, New York,
November 24, 1943.

Dear Redding,

I am reading my poems for the Omegas at Howard on Sunday evening, so I shall leave Washington on Monday morning at 10, arriving Hampton at 4:25 in the afternoon. I would, of course, be delighted to attend a gathering after the program. And, on Tuesday, if desired, I'd be happy to meet with creative writing classes or other such groups if you would care to have it so. I'm invited over to Fort Eustis to read poems to the soldiers, but don't imagine we would leave the campus before late afternoon. I'm not sure their invitation includes overnight accommodations or not.

In any case I must take the Wednesday morning train from there or Hampton for Richmond, as I speak in Raleigh Wednesday night....I am not bringing a tux since, due to the war, it seems that formality is being dispensed with on most programs, Columbia and others, where I have appeared this year....Since I am going further South, the only addition to my fee would be one-way first class rail fare down from New York, if that is agreeable to you.....I've asked my publishers to send ahead a few copies of my latest phamplets of poems, since students usually want autographed copies of something.

I'd appreciate it if you could have a student (or someone) with some small change on hand, look out for these for me at the program.

FREEDOM'S PLOW sells for a dime, the other for a quarter....Looking forward to seeing you Monday, I am,

Sincerely,

March 5, 1947

Mr. J. Saunders Redding
Hampton Institute
Hampton, Virginia

Dear Redding:

I am here at Atlanta University where I am giving a
series of seminars in Creative Writing and also
giving a survey course in American Negro Poetry.
It might interest you to know that we frequently
refer to your "To Make a Poet Black" and we have
had some lively discussions about some of your
opinions. You have certainly written an interesting
and provocative book.

My new volume of poems, *Fields of Wonder*, will be
out next week, and I have asked the Knopf office to
send you a review copy. It is my first book of
more or less purely lyric poems - in other words
"poetry" poetry.

Give my best regards to Hugh Gloster and a special
hello to your own family.

With all good wishes to you.

LH: wmb

April 16, 1947

Mr. J. Saunders Redding
Lecture Series
Hampton Institute
Hampton, Virginia

Dear Redding:

I would, of course, be delighted to come
to Hampton Institute sometime next
season for a joint appearance with Arna
Bontemps. I think it would be best to
arrange it early in January since I have
told my booking agency not to schedule
any lectures prior to the first of the
year, as I may not be in the East until
that time since I am thinking of going to
California this summer to possibly work
on a new book for several months.

I am enclosing the address of my lecture
agency, and I suggest you write to them
soon since they are now booking 1948
engagements.

LH:wmb
Enclosure

January 12, 1949

Dear Redding,

Thanks a lot for your interesting review of ONE WAY TICKET in the current AFRO. It's a relief to read something really critical once in a while in our papers, instead of the usual out-and-dried.

I hope you received a copy of CUBA LIBRE as I put you at the top of my review list I sent the publishers. And I am sure Doubleday has sent you THE POETRY OF THE NEGRO. Since a number of the poets live in Washington, on February 11th Howard University Library is sponsoring a Poets Festival there in honor of the volume and Arna is coming up from Fisk for it. If you're in the Capital then, come on out to the campus that night.

And drop by and have a drink when you're in New York.

RETURN AFTER FIVE DAYS TO
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

HAMPTON INSTITUTE
HAMPTON, VIRGINIA

SR

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th. Street
New York 35, New York

December 12, 1953

Dear Jay:

We are all eagerly awaiting your INTRODUCTION for the Lincoln University Centennial anthology of poetry. If, in having it typed up you could have your secretary make for us six copies in all, including the carbons, we could then simply insert it in our copies here.

Meanwhile, kindly insert this new index (table of contents, I mean), additional poems, and biographies in the copy which you have, throwing away the old pages.

I am still remembering my very pleasant visit to Hampton a few weeks ago, and owe everybody there thank you notes which I haven't yet had a chance to write, being busy completing our Lincoln anthology, writing a play, a juvenile book, and reading page and galley proofs on my FAMOUS AMERICAN NGROPS coming out for Negro History Week.

My very best regards to your wife, with the hope that she is feeling quite all right again.

LH:HS

October 26, 1957

Dear Jay,

Just a little note to thank you for that
beautifully written review of SIMPLE STAKES
A CLAIM in the AFRÓ a week or so ago. As
Bessie Smith told d'Alvarez back in the
twenties, "Girl, don't let nobody tell you
you can't sing," so Simple might inform
yourself, "Man, you ought to be a poet!"

It looks like SIMPLY HEAVENLY is headed for
another off-Broadway try in early November
at the Renata in the Village. If you missed
it before, hope you can catch it this time.
His actor, Melvin Stewart, is very good.

Cordial regards ever,

Sincerely,

March 7, 1958

Dear Saunders:

Thank you so much for your note regarding Miss Tyson. I am
passing this information on to Kay Boyle immediately.

Dr. Johnson's project seems to have gone with his going.
Arna investigated the possibility of carrying it on and found
that the original source of funds used for the exploratory
meetings did not seem inclined to continue after Dr. Johnson's
death. And Mr. Dodd felt that Dodd Mead was not in a position
to underwrite so large a project but would consider individual
books which might fit into such a scheme. To this end Arna
and I suggested that you would be a good author to do one of
the books if they should decide upon a series. Since then,
neither Arna nor I have had any further discussion with them
so I presume that whatever is done from here on will be done
entirely by the publishers. They have asked me to do a book
on Harlem which I have promised to complete before Centennial
time. If you have a definite subject in mind that you would
like to write about and which would fit into a Centennial series,
should Dodd Mead decide to have such a series, I suggest that you
write to Edward Dodd, Jr., Dodd Mead and Co., 432 4th Avenue,
New York 16, perhaps including a brief outline of the material.
I know that he was originally the most amenable to the idea of
publishing about a half dozen books and I certainly know you
could do a good one.

I hope you have received by now a review copy of my big anthology,
"The Langston Hughes Reader" (Braziller) scheduled for publication
on April 7th. The books have just come off the press and it is a
most imposing looking volume, beautifully designed and containing
some 500 pages of all the forms in which I have written, short
stories, songs, speeches etc. It also has the complete text of
my musical play, "Simply Heavenly". This show by the way is going
into rehearsal in London this week and the composer and three of
the actors are flying over on Wednesday.

With very best regards to the family and again my thanks to you
for sending me the name of a good teacher, I am

CARDS re POETRY FESTIVAL also sent: Youra Qualls
and ARTHUR P. DAVIS, STERLING BROWN,
HENRY WINSLOW, OWEN DODSON, ROSEY POOL.

September 3, 1962
Labor Day they say.

Dear Jay:

How are you after your LONG trip?
I hope O. K..... I was about done in by the
time I got to Rome, but did manage to make
it up to Spoleto to see my BLACK NATIVITY---
which is now a big hit in London, moving to
a larger theatre, and giving a command per-
formance at Coventry Cathedral. Cullud
gospel gone high church!

I am sure you know about the first
National Poetry Festival being held at the
Library of Congress in Washington on October
22-23-24. Please inform your literary minded
students of it, too, and perhaps those who
might want to attend should write for cards.
When Gwendolyn Brooks and I read our poems
there, we sort of hope some of "our folks"
be present to "bear us up" as the church
people say.

So much work greeted me here at home
when I got back that I haven't had a chance to
write my African thank-you notes yet. I should
have stayed at home and attended to my writing
I am still a literary share-cropper.

I hope Norton sent you a copy of my
new NAACP "FIGHT FOR FREEDOM" book out last
Monday. Researching and writing that was the
MOST work I have ever done---or hope to do.
I wish I could have made it as poetic as your
"THEY CAME IN CHAINES" but I fear fiction,
not facts, is nearer my metier.

Cordial regards to you-all.

HAMPTON INSTITUTE

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

September 7, '62

Dear Langston:

We wanted to get to Spoleto from Rome, but we were terribly tired— so tired that we did not even try to make contact with my various acquaintances there— and the nearest we got was via the ads we saw on Via Veneto, and via some people we met in our hotel who had been to see your play (and liked it very much!). And, of course, we are proud of its success both in Italy and England.

Yes, the announcement of the National Poetry Festival came, and I wish I could say that I'm going to attend it—but. First of all, I've got to start all over again on a novel I broke off writing (because I was stalled) to go to Africa. Secondly, I'm scheduled to give a new course— The Writer and the Age— this semester, and I've got to dig the material out. And thirdly, the first three days of the week are always bad for school people—and, damn it, the organizers of the Festival must have known that. I'm sure, though, that you'll have some of the brethren there, what, with Howard and Morgan so close, and all. And I know one person who will be there with bells— Louise Davis Stone, the wife of Chuck Stone. If you don't know her, make your business to. I'll drop the Stones a note.

And, no, Norton didn't send me a copy of *FIGHT FOR FREEDOM*, and I wish they would, because I want to make it the first book I review for the AFRO after my long lay-off. The review should be due on September 17. Do you suppose you can get Norton to send me a copy right away?

ON BEING NEGRO IN AMERICA was published in paperback last week (Charter Books). Come on, man— do what you ain't done yet: give me a little plug.

Esther sends her best too. Cordially, May

MEMBER
UNITED NEGRO
COLLEGE FUND
FOUNDED 1944

34

March 4, 1963

Dear Jay:

Eloke Modisane is heading your way and looking forward to seeing you. His talk at AMSAC Saturday was quite informative and entertaining, too. I think the students will like him.

It was good seeing you in Washington. You know, I thought I had acknowledged your book long ago. (Maybe not, in all the deadlines and confusion surrounding *ma vie* lately). Anyhow, I'd intended to do a Christmas book column for the POST and describe it therein, but there was no POST at holiday time, due to our New York newspaper strike. It's an excellent book and should have a steady sale over the years. Like I wish THEY CAME IN CHAINS would come out in a Centennial Edition with lots of ballyhoo. It is a beautiful history!

My PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE NEGRO updated, is coming out shortly with a Centennial band around it, and 32 pages of new text and pictures. This month, too, Hill and Wang bring out a collection of my short stories, SOMETHING IN COMMON. Plus this Spring the Indiana University books. Don't know why all the publishers have to release at once. Probably because I went to Africa (instead of staying home and doing my work) and so turned in nothing until I got back, letting the little final odds and ends on each manuscript wait. Cullud!

Cordial regards,

April 27, 1963

Dear Arthur:

THEY CAME IN CHAINS (The Tragic, Tri-
umphant Drama of the evolution of the Ameri-
can Negro from slavery to citizenship) by
J. Saunders Redding, Lippincott, 1950 (The
Peoples of America Series) might be a worthy
book for you to consider bringing out in
papercovers. It is a sort of "emotional
history" of the Negro and among the most
readable of histories for the average
readers, beatuifully written, I think.

I am putting aside notes and material
(as I come across things in my files now
being sorted for Yale) for my third auto-
biographical volume---to follow your reissues
of THE BIG SEA and I WONDER AS I WANDER---
if such is agreed upon.

Cordial regards to you,

April 28, 1963

Dear Jay:

Life being somewhat topsy-turvy these days ("so much to do, so little time") I am not sure if I answered your March notes or not.....Anyhow, I've alerted Hill and Wang (who are bringing out a number of better paperbacks these days) as to the appeal I think my "favorite History" THEY CAME IN CHAINS would have.....The AFRO is on my major newspapers list I send all my publishers in regard to review copies of my books. SOMETHING IN COMMON, PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE NEGRO (revised), FIVE PLAYS and POEMS FROM BLACK AFRICA are currently volumes of mine that all took a notion to appear within the same month. I trust the AFRO will send on the review copies to you.

Bloke Modisane says Hampton is his favorite campus; that he had a lovely time there. Dutton has just accepted his autobiography, BLAME ME ON HISTORY, for American publication. He is reading the proofs on the London edition now.

MULATTO opened in Madrid a week or so ago. And BLACK NATIVITY is running in Italy, then Spain, and home in the fall for a national tour, opening in October in Boston, they tell me. E. Sims Campbell writes me that it "rocked the walls" when he saw it in Switzerland.

Cordial regards to you all,

HAMPTON INSTITUTE

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

May 7, '63

Dear Langston:

It was very thoughtful and awfully good of you ~~to~~
recommend <u>They Came in Chains</u> to Hill and Wang!
Thanks much.

I'm sure you've seen the beautiful publishing job
Knopf did on <u>Soon, One Morning</u>. More later-
I'm all caught up in sticky end-of-term stuff.
Meantime, the best,

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