Mr. Carl Van Vechten
150 West 55th Street
New York City

108 W. 131st St
New York City

Dec. 6

Dear Mr. VanVechten,

Here are the poems I spoke of to you. Miss Barkman is a very delightful person in addition to her capabilities. What you can do for her if you will, and if you think she merits it, is to tell her to go ahead. She is that shy and retiring. Her people have an estate near Morristown, she is not pressed for money - she just writes because she says she has to. I do hope you will like her work.

Has Nora told you the good news? We have something up our sleeves.

108 West 131st Street
New York City

My dear Mr. Vann Vechten,

I have found something this time which I am sure
will stir you up immensely. I HAVE COME UPON THE MOST MARVELLOUS SET
OF SPIRITUALS SINGERS YET! I can get three of them to come down to
your place with their tambourines, guitars etc. whenever you say. Please
hear them sing just one song and you will experience a revelation. I,
Zora, vouch for it. This will be the church I spoke of brought to you.
I beseech, I beg you to do this for your own pleasure. You will hear a
spiritual done SPIRITUALLY!

Thanks for the very kind criticism in the Herald-Trib-
une. Miss Hurst has three things of mine that she is showing to Ray
Long. Hope they take.

Much success to you and yours.

Best locations for seats are being held for those to whom this announcement is addressed, and as there is a large demand, an early reply is advisable.

Applications will be filled in the order of their receipt.

Announcing
"GREAT DAY"
A Program of Original
Negro Folklore

Compiled by
MISS ZORA HURSTON

Presented by
A Choral and Dramatic Cast
OF EIGHTY NEGRO PLAYERS

Sunday Evening, January Tenth
Ninteen Thirty-Two

At the
JOHN GOLDEN THEATRE
West 58th Street

Prices: Orchestra, $2.50. Balcony, $2.00, $1.50 and $1.00.

Checks payable to: JOHN GOLDEN THEATRE.

Telephone reservations: Circle 7-5678 or ENdicott 2-2441

Miss Hurston spent over three years in the South collecting the material used in "Great Day," in an effort to assemble an authentic Negro folk-cycle of representative folk songs, dances, tales and conjure rituals.

This program is offered with the particular wish that lovers of true Negro music may come to realize that the generally well known and highly concertized spirituals are only a small part of an enormous source of original and unusual songs as yet untouched.

The spirituals used in "Great Day" are fresh and without the artificial polish of re-arrangement. The dances have not been influenced by Harlem or Broadway. And the conjure-ritual shown has never before been publicly performed.

## The Program Will Include:

**JOOK SONGS.** These are commonly known as "blues," but many of them tell stories and belong in the ballad class. They originate in the pleasure-houses or jooks of the South and travel by word of mouth from one jook to another, few of them ever being heard by a person literate enough to preserve them in writing. Presented here in an unusual pleasure-house setting.

**CONJURE RITUAL.** Miss Hurston spent a year and a half in the conjure field and is acknowledged an authority on this little known subject. The ritual she has staged is authentic in every detail, and filled with weird, impressive rites.

**CROW DANCE.** A primitive and exciting folk dance performed by a group from the Bahama Islands.

**SERMON BY ITINERANT PREACHER.** A study of Negro religious expression, shown by a scene in a village church, with the congregation working itself to fever pitch, exhorting, and finally breaking into several original and moving spirituals.

**WORK SONGS.** These are songs sung to the rhythm of the work as the men labor on the railroads, in the saw mills, and in the phosphate mines. The words often merely add body to the tunes, but all the songs fit some definite rhythm—the swinging of a pick . . . the driving of a nail . . . the sawing of a log—and are particularly infectious.

(Also many Negro tales, dances, lullabys, and games.)

Zara Winston
1105 E. 9th St.
Sanford, Fla.

Carl Van Vechten
150 W. 55th St
New York, New York,

RETURN IN FIVE DAYS TO

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

227-229-231 SOUTH SIXTH STREET

PHILADELPHIA

PENNA.

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
c/o Alfred A. Knopf
730 Fifth Avenue
New York, N. Y.

Zora Hurston
Bethune-Cookman col.
Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mr. Carl VanVechten
150 West 55th Street
New York City

Dear Carl,

I am here at the Dewey Square Hotel and I have been trying
to find your telephone number for a long time. So I am writing you to ask
you to please see me before I have to leave town the end of the week. It
has all been so hectic since I have been here.

Lots of love. I want to talk to you so bad.

Zora Hurston
4559 So. Parkway
Chicago, Il.

4559 So. Parkway
Chicago, Ill.
Thanksgiving Day

Carl Darling,

Send the pictures here. I am so excited about them I can hardly wait.
Frankly I feel flattered that you wanted to photograph me. I am conscious of the
honor you do me.

I saw Nora Holt twice and we are talking seriously of the trip to
the orient. If we can get some dates in California, as we think that we can, the
project is assured. I hope and think that I can sell Ethel Waters a song. If
she takes it for $200.00 I will be copasetti for China.

If I don't get to go to China and Russia I shall be in the East
before Christmas. Publicity has been grand here.

Little Margaret has an awful crush on you. Because she wanted it so
much I let her take the card you sent me with your picture on it for the time being.
But I wouldn't give it away for good.

Thanking you in the humblest way that I know how, I am

Y. W. G. A.,
4559 South Parkway,
Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Carl Van Vechten,
150 West 55th. Street,
New York, N. Y.

Dear Carl:

The pictures are swell! I love myself when I am
laughing. And then again when I am looking mean and
impressive. You are a long tall angel with that
"Balm of Gilead" in your hips. I am wearing out
my loud singing symbol talking about you.

Did you have things like you wanted them for
Thanksgiving? I had plenty dinners here, just couldn't
get around to all of them, but I went the limit.
I buried many turkey bosoms that day, to say nothing of
turkey hammers.

Thanks for the new picture, you look like a red-
hot spider man in the center of your web, looking for
a sizzling fly. I like that.

Expect to see you before Christmas.

December
Tenth,
1934
ZNH/mp

442 Manhattan Avenue,
c/o Harold Jackmann,
New York, N. Y.

Dear Carl:

This is all I have been able to find about that
Historic presentation at the Mecca. I also heard
some scattering talk here and there. Hope I see you
soon. Did you see this other clipping about this
heavy belly guy. We ought to try to hear them. I
have already written to Lomax, who knows me, and
asked me to work with him. I have written for a
date asking him at the same time to hear brother
Lead Belly. If the date comes through I will let
you know.

Regards to Fania.

Ten thousand little guinea pigs,

Zora

P.S. Met the King, his name is Adams. Glad to be
photographed.

January
Fifth,
1935
ZNH/mp

Zora Neale Hurston
104-63 165th Street
Jamaica, Long Island

Mr. Carl VanVechten
101 Central Park West
Apt. 19
New York City

Dear Carl,

Perhaps you do not know it, but you are the person that I love
best of everybody. But you know, Carl, you are a rich man, and you know
my background. Lots of times when I want to make over you, I am so afraid
you will think I want something from you. But from the bottom of my
heart, I have several of the finest emotions in the world wrapped around
your image.

Nothing in the world would give me greater pleasure than to write
about you. But they asked me to write about Fannie Hurst because her new
book was just out, I reckon. I hope they ask me again and let me choose
my subject. A person could really say something if they write about you.
I think I shall write to some asterperious magazine like Scribners or
Vanity Fair or Harpers and ask them to let me do a portrait of you with
trimmings. Maybe they might let me, you never can tell. Anyway I shall ask.
They cant kill me for that. I'll ask all and perhaps one of them will
pay me some mind.

I know Elizabeth Hull thinks that I am trashy, but that is not too
true. I am trying to find Helen Johnson who put a box of papers in
storage for me. She has something that Elizabeth wants to see. I find
that she has lost her job, broken up her home and some say that she is
in Boston. Anyway some one says that they will locate her by Monday if
she is in town and if in Boston she will get me her address. I have the
resume written as requested, but I wanted to take both things at the
same time.

Saw Grace and James Weldon Johnson last night. They are still swell.

Saturday Morning.

NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE

202-6 WEST 136TH STREET
NEW YORK

JAMES H. HUBERT
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

November
5th
1937

Dear Carlo:

I hope you got back safely from your stepmother's funeral. I have been looking for you to call me up and been kind of wishful about the thing.

Look, Carl, I am doing a folk concert at the Ambassador Theatre on December 12th. It is a Sunday night, and I hope you keep it open. It's going to be good singing and plentyhip-wringing.

I am going to call you up, now.

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
158 West 55th Street
New York, N. Y.

Box 173, Maitland, Fla.

Feb.21, 1938

Carl, The Incomparable,

I ducked off down here for two reasons. One reason was that I just had to come, and the other was that I wanted to. I had to come because I could not stay in New York until I had made some more money. And I knew that I could get some as soon as I hand in the script for the book on Haiti. Then too, I wanted to come and get it out of the way so that I could get back to work on FAN THE LADY. Having the tail end of the book hanging over my head was ruining my entire life. I could not work very fast in New York so I ran down here to finish it quick. The contract calls for 80,000 words and I have 62,000 on paper and corrected for the typist. I expect to finish it this week and then I head for New York again. I do sincerely hope that I am not too late for your dinner. Nothing would give me greater pleasure. Before I leave Florida I have an errand for Fania Marinoff. Once she said in my presence that she wanted a certain thing to be found only in Florida. It is near Miami, and I shall get it for her and bring it with me.

The orange trees are full of blossoms and I see
you in every one of them. The bees are humming in the trees all
day and the mowking birds sing all night in the moonlight.

A wreath of flame vine for your crown,

The Manse Hotel
1004 Chapel Street
Cincinnati, Ohio

February 19, 1939

Dear, dear Carl,

Thanks so much for the lovely pictures of Ethel Waters
that you sent me. Thanks, and thanks and thanks!! You are always doing
something fine for people.

Carl, I want to do something public to show how much I
admire Ethel and her work. What you and the other artists did was very
wonderful and I wish my name could have been on there too. But if I do
that now, it would look too copy-cat, or would it? I am out here to do
a series of broadcasts on a local station and cannot come to New York
for a while yet, (unless I bolt the program as I feel like doing) and I
want to do it now. That is I want to make some public expression now.
I want to take some space and do as you did, or something like that. It
might be all right if I said something as a Negro. Tell me if you think
I ought not to do that now on account of following you all too closely.

Thanks also for the clipping from P. Taylor. It was very
kind. My back aches this morning, so I say goodbye for the moment.

J. B. LIPPINCOTT, Chairman of the Board
J. W. LIPPINCOTT, President

CABLE ADDRESS
LIPPCOT Philadelphia

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

SINCE 1792

GENERAL BOOKS

Editor, J. J. Jones, Vice-Pres.
Asst. Editor, B. Lippincott, Secy.

SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

Mng. Editor, H. K. Bauernfeind, Vice-Pres.
College Mgr., H. H. Bingham

MEDICAL AND NURSING

Editor, E. W. Bacon, Vice-Pres.
Sales Mgr., T. A. Phillips

PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO LONDON MONTREAL TORONTO NEW YORK

EAST WASHINGTON SQUARE : PHILADELPHIA

Mr. Carl Van Vechten,
101 Central Park West,
New York City.

Dear Mr. Van Vechten: We are delighted to have your
recommendation of Zora's MOSES. It confirms our opinion
that this is a remarkable book, possibly a great
book. We are assuming that we can use your good words
in promotion.

With much appreciation, I am,

BL:rl

October
4th,
1939

Editorial Department,
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
101 Central Park, West
New York, New York

Zora Neale Hurston
Box 977
St. Augustine, Fla.

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
101 Central Park West
New York, N.Y.

Box 977
St. Augustine, Fla.

November 2, 1942.

Darling Carlo:

Just got back to St. Augustine yesterday after five weeks absence, and
found my mailbox overflowing. I would rather be shot with tacks than to
have missed that dinner to you on the 20th. But the truth is, I was down
with malaria over on the Gulf side of the state and could not even find
the strength to drive back across, so that I could not get to the BOOK
FAIR, and I did not even know that your letter, and Roberta Bosley's
letters were here until yesterday.

I plan to be there to your exhibition. The only thing that could prevent
it would be that I am forced to return to Hollywood to complete the work
under contract to PARAMOUNT. But I have written to say that I would start
back by December 1, so I feel sure that I can have my long-desired trip
to New York.

I have recently sold two articles to Saturday Evening Post, and am asked
for one, to be delivered in January, to Readers Digest. I want to take a
crack at THE NEWYORKER. Do you think it can come off? Having been on the
writing staff at PARAMOUNT for several months, I have a tiny wedge in
Hollywood, and I have hopes of breaking that old silly rule about Negroes
not writing about white people. In fact, I have a sort of commitment from
a producer at RKO that he will help me to do it. I am working on the story
now.

I will send along the mss that you suggested. Just as soon as I can wear
down some of the correspondence that has accumulated in these five weeks.
I am most grateful to you for the kind thought in asking for them. You are
so generous in your soul! Your book DUST TRACKS ON THE ROAD, will be
mailed as soon as I get my six copies. My publisher has written that they
have been mailed to me.

My best to you, darling Carl. I owe you so much. I wrote a chapter in my
new book dedicated to friendship, but the publishers deleted it. In it, I
tried to show my inside feelings for certain people, because I am not
sure that I have ever made it clear how I feel, and as you have noted, I
am such a poor letter-answerer. But I feel deeply, just the same. I re-
gretted the loss of that chapter. My love to your beautiful Fania. I
must come to New York to get a look at something pretty when she dresses
up.

With faithful feelings,

The Lucy Diggs Slowe
HALL

THIRD AND YOU STREETS, NORTHWEST
Washington, D.C.

99

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
101 Central Park West
New York, New York.

Huston

[10 Mar. 1943]

The LucyDiggs Slowe

Washington, D.C.

W. SPURGEON BURKE
MANAGER

Darling Carlo!

Everything went off well except that you were not here.

Writing you from Florida.

THE CAPITOL'S MOST DISTINCTIVE HOTEL FOR WOMEN

Jungle Trail Farm
Holly Hill, Fla.
December 10, 1944.

Dear Carl:

What can I say to put form to my feelings? I have thought
and thought. I love you very dearly. If in my struggle with life and
the press of the moment, I seemed to be indifferent to you, it was
less than a mist upon the surface of things.

I have learned to know that the thing we call misunderstood---that blind bumping of one vessel against the other as they grope for nearness, is the greates tragedy of humanity. Of all animate life. This cosmic blindness that prevents even the very near from being clearly seen. That is when it hurts most. One feels the futility of life when even those closest to one cannot be clearly seen.

Hurston
Box 268
Daytona Beach,
Fla

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

76

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
101 Central Park West
New York City, 103

COMMITTEE ON ARRANGEMENTS

KATHERINE WILLIAMS, Chairman

ALMA SMITH MADISON, Co-Chairman

EDDIE ACUFF
HORTENSE AIKEN
AMABELLE BALBODA
B. LINDIA BARROW
DALE BELLINGER
OPHELIA BERRY
IVA H. COLE
HELEN CATHCART
MABEL P. DAVIS
CHANOLA DOUGLAS
DOROTHY DAY
BERTHA J. DIGGS

THELMA FAIR
MATTIE GREEN
ZORA NEALE HURSTON
LILLIAN JETT
BEATRICE JOHANNES
LOUISE LORD
BERYL POTTER
LAURA OLIVER
KATHERINE SMITH
HAZEL THORNTON
ELISE WATSON
EVA PARKS

Sergeant-at-Arms
ROBERT G. DOUGLAS ANDREW WILLIAMS
LEON TURNER

MUSICAL COCKTAIL

Honoring
COMMISSIONER
GRANT REYNOLDS

CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS
22nd Congressional District

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 1946
4:00 TO 8:00 P.M.

at the
MASONIC TEMPLE

454 West 155th Street
New York City

ADMISSION - - - - - ONE DOLLAR

Hotel Cosenza
Puerto Cortes
Honduras, C.A.
June 21, 1947,

Dear Carl and Fania:

A line to let you know that you are still very close
to my heart as of old, I have been here nearly two months now,
but there were so many things that I had to do that I am just
finding a minute to to a few things that I want to do, and the
first one was to drop you a word.

Honduras is a very interesting country. With the widely
contrasting scenery you would be delighted as a photographer.
And the physical types of the people would make you swear that
you had reached the heaven of photographers. I do hope that
you decide to fly down for a visit. You will find the people
here kindly, warm and gay.

To have a chance to photograph Copan de Santa Rosa will
pay you for your visit alone. Do give it a serious thought.

I have gone over to Scribners now, and feel lucky to
be under Max Perkins.

All the best to you both. I send you my very love.

With that old-time affection,

July 30, 1947,

Dear, dear Carlo:

How odd you are about the death of Maxwell Perkins! If
you will look back just a little, you will see that he was buried
June 19, 1947, I was in his office twice during April, and had a
letter from him the last week in May, I am unhappy over his pass-
ing for more than one reason. First I am denied the benefit of his
editorial genius, then he was a very nice man to know, and third,
the literary world has lost it's brightest editorial light. But
it is easily established that he was very much alive when I sailed
May 4th.

No, Carlo, I did not go around in New Yrok last winter.
The place was too much of a basement to Hell to suit me. Everybody
busy hating and speaking in either brazen lies or using just enough
truth to season a lie up to make their viewpoint sound valid. Not
hating anyone, I felt entirely out of place, I am afraid that I
got a little unbalanced. I got so that it was tortue for me to

go to meet people, fearing the impact of all the national, class
and race hate that I would have to listen to. I am praying that
my country will have returned to sanity before I get home again.

Dear Carlo, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to
do a book around you. You have had such a tremendous influence
on the arts of the last twenty-five years, that I think it ought
to be precipitated out of the mass of lies that are now growing
up. People are brazenly claiming credit for the many things that
you were responsible for. I declare to my rest! It is a caution
how people get so hungry for what they didn't do, and so brazen in
twisting the things to seem to deserve the credit that they claim.
I had the feeling though, that you would resist any attempts on
my part to get the information from you. I still want to do the
book on you. Illustrated by Covarrubias, it would be swell.

Very seriously, Carlo, I am working out something which I
hope will be classified as a play. I am using the material
around the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in 70 A.D. It is a whale
of a story, and it's greatness lies in the fact that it is a
universal matter. The struggle of the handful of Jews against
the mightest army on earth, that they might be free to live their
own lives in their own way, is the struggle of democracy all over
the world and in all ages. With what is going on now, I think that
it would be a good time for it. The Romans won the war and
destroyed Jerusalem, but the Jews won in the end, because the
seed of the struggle was scattered, and came at last to conquer
Rome. The symbolic Gate of Justice moved westward across the world.
Do take time to let me know if you think it is a good idea.

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>BUY</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>WAR</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>SAVING</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>BONDS</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>AND</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>STAY</td>
  </tr>
</table>

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Van Vechten
161 Central Park West
New York City