626 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19146

May 18, 1967

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York, N.Y. 10035

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am getting a great deal of favorable reaction to my story
in the handsome and exciting volume which you edited, and am therefore
writing to thank you.

I am also hoping to renew our acquaintance and, if possible,
extend it. We met, more years ago than either of us would probably
care to admit, at the home of Bill and Lucille Paul in Magnolia, N.J.
(They were friends of my parents, and that was my home town. My
name was Kristin Eggleston then.) I was all of fourteen years old,
and already determined to be a writer, and while we didn't talk
about writing but about baseball (I think you were watching the
Dodgers on TV ... or did one have TV then?) it was and has remained
a glowing occasion for me.

Later, I think you sent me some poems, wonderful ones, transla-
tions of Lorca, in exchange for some childish efforts of mine, but I
was too shy or something to carry the correspondence further.

But I have remained a steadfast fan of yours, and of Simple in
particular. I'm not alone in this, though, and as a result your books
seem to grow "feet" and "walk" out of my apartment as fast as I put
them on my shelves. I guess to have people want your work badly
enough to steal it is the highest compliment, for you, but as for
me, I resent it. Anyway, I don't have a single "Simple" book left,
and only one of your autobiographies remains on my shelf.

This says a lot for my friends' taste if not for their ethics.
I guess.

Lately I spied a copy of SIMPLE'S UNCLE SAM at a friend's house,
but lacked the courage to steal it for myself. It's your newest, isn't
it? I'd love to have it but am not constitutionally a thief, therefore...

What I'd like to propose is a straight trade -- a copy of my
second novel, THE LANDLORD, duly inscribed to you, in return for a
copy of SIMPLE'S UNCLE SAM, ditto. I promise to defend this one at
all costs.

Are you agreeable? Please forgive the presumptuousness and let
me know.