98

THE HOURS PRESS

R.C.464217

15 Rue Guénégaud, Paris 6e

Littré 50-03

EDITIONS

IMPRIMERIE
OBJETS SAUVAGES

LIBRAIRIE

Aug 8

Dear Mr Hughes,

It was my misfortune not to
meet you in New York, for I was promised by several
that we should be introduced so I must send this
to you Co The New Masses. You will see from the en-
closed circular that I am getting together a very
large volume on COLOR, and I very much hope you will
collaborate to this with one or more poems. Talked
of you and your writing a lot with Walt Carmon and
he thought you would be interested in the book. The
New Masses said you were still away but I kept hoping
to the end that you might be back in time for me to
talk to you about this anthology-symposium (I hardly
know what to call it). When you see them they
will tell you about it too. I liked Not without
Laughter very much and your Weary Blues and have
also heard a lot about you from a good friend of
mine, Eric Walrend, this summer in the south of France
He is going to do some articles for the book.

Will you let me know as soon as possible if

Puits Carré
Chapelle-Réanville, Eure, France

Aug 5

Dear Langston,

Have not heard from you for some longish time. Hope
all goes as you wish. I think Schuyler's review of your *splendid*
and SAME book is just tripe. Envious, personal jealousy etc — all
that sort of line. And though he may think he "thinks" for" the intel-
lectual Negro minimum (as he puts it, the "infinitesimal") in USA,
USA aint the world, and anyway it's palpable that S.has a chip on
his shoulder and a beam in his eye, and what not. Your book is su-
perb, and no mistake. And will live. Also, through Ivy sending me a
number of "Esquire", I had a good laugh over the caterwauling over
the book in that. The previous number must have been the hot one.
To a non-American these ravings and pin-pricks are simply side-split-
ting; they are SO narrow. Who am I to tell you all this, for you know

they say they can't. Many things about the C.P. that are desperate-
ly disappointing, and unjust. For instance, while on this subject, have
you realised there has not been ONE review, or mention of NEGRO in
the Party Press in America ? ! I need not say more. And have I writ-
ten of this to Patterson, have I....

The book is selling very slowly indeed. I am distressed about
the price making it so hard for many to buy. It has cost me a for-
tune, and I am cleaned out.

Well, do write me when you have time -- let me know
if Patterson answers you, and what you think of it. Or perhaps you
can suggest something else ? 250 copies, or 500 if wanted, of this
study, same format as book, to be shipped for sale in U.S. as soon
as printed and paid for, and sold at the price whoever took this on
deemed fit.

As ever, with all my best,

this side of the world as well as I. I wish you lived this side.

Here is a matter which I very much fear will come to nothing: as the printers are now breaking up the type of NEGRO I want to save "The White Man is killing Africa". You'll agree, I know, that this is quite one of the most important and best things in the book. A reprint on cheaper paper, same format and with plates of course, would cost just under $20. I have tried for less; no good. Personally I can't pay for it. So I have written to Patterson and suggested that it would be fine if he, or a group, over your side, could raise say half the cash and take half the edition, in pamphlet form (whole edition, at this price is 500 copies) to sell in U.S. Have written the same to an English comrade in South Africa. I told Patterson I should write to you about this, in your quality of President of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights, and I do hope you will write him urging this as soon as you get this. As I said, I fear it won't come off; but positively worth while trying for, as this study is so good. No one in England to do this. I went to see the C.P. about it, but

Co Lloyds Bank, 43 Boulevard des Caprices, Paris.

Aug 20

Dear Langston,

I have just got your letter, and the addresses of the poets (three) I am in Spain. It is wonderful. In Barcelona. Arrived on the 11th of August, and would have come sooner had I not been finishing a pamphlet on Ethiopia and the League of Nations -- having been to Geneva for that abomination. You will receive a copy.

Well, here the people have been through hell. The outbreak was terrible; something like 1,000 dead -- both sides; no one knows quite. The churches, etc, had laid in stocks of guns and ammunition, machine guns and revolvers, literally everywhere in Spain. Here all the churches, the insides that is, have been burnt out; the eradication of the pest of religion, and you know what that has been in this country. Have been here only so far; tomorrow I go to the front of Saragossa. Why aren't you here? It is *tremendous*; the discipline in this town, the order, are great. The people are lovely; you probably

Yes, I heard from Gen. Nemours, that Roumain was out. But Guillen is in, you tell me? How long is all of this going to go on think you?

know them. This is my second time in Spain; first, in 1927; now it thus I see it again. I shall go to Madrid too, and want to get into the south and/or even into north Africa. I am alone. I am having a fine time. Doing articles in French, for "REGARDS", one of the Front Populaire weeklies -- since your time, but a sort of N.M. and Lab.Def. combined. Also shall be sending the A.N.P. some things. There is a coloured girl from Cuba on another front. Nice piece about her with picture in a paper here; a Cuban. Her name : Josefina Diaz Puerto. I will try and find her when I leave here. I have a permit to go everywhere in loyal Spain. The authorities have been of course lovely. A good many volunteers from France, and shoals of newspaper men and women. There'll be some coming from USA, and from Mexico. Why, oh why aren't you here ? I think it is most disappointing to continue without even meeting you ! You should come over this side again from a good long time. Had heard that you were in some college. WHAT, by the way, is a permanent address of yours to which things can be sent then though the years ?

The poetry anthology is in suspense, but not abandoned. Events in France have been too much for the quiet collecting of poems ! The strikes -- wonderful; then Geneva; now this. What a summer... We are without any news whatever of France here since 4 days. Murmurs of fighting having broken out there, somewhere in the south. It may be all lies; the fascists in this country have specialised in the grossest inventions. They have said, for instance, that the two generals who led the rebel rising here were OKNOM training their guns onto this city from the fort of Montjuich. At that very moment, these generals had been shot, after some weeks in prison.

Write me again when you can -- always care of Lloyds.

Bless you, always,

Dalla Husband is here! Showed me the engravings she has done for your beautiful Madrid (the clocks) poem; they are very very fine indeed; you have not seen them, she says. She too wants you to come here.

Agencia Cook

Avenida F. Madero 1

Mexico; D. F.

Sept 21

Dear Langston,

Your lovely book has just come, just, and I have dipped
into it at lunch and oh -- those times in Montmartre; that was the page
it opened at, and did it bring so much back... Hell, now, where and how
will all of that be now? Do you remember our "passportless people's
congress" that we were going to hold in Kéanville ? How many more na-
tionalities must be added to it. Your book looks swell, reads like a
draught of pure wine, and how glad I am to have it. Many here will want
to borrow it, but it will go with me to Cuba, then to Trinidad. WHY can't
you be here ? I like Mexico very much, would like far more yet if I could
live in the country, and yet still more if there were no postiliental
background of war and wars which keeps me muy inquieta and feeling oft-
ten (mainly of a night) that I want to go back to Europe; but that means
: to Africa, at that. I wonder, will there be things for us in Africa ?
Wouldn't you like to see the Ethiopians reconquering their country ?
I would! (And would like to participate in the reconquest of mine, Fran-
ce -- and spread those shutters for our July dinners under the apple-
trees again. Say, that WAS a night we had there, with you telling Russia
till 2 a.m., remember ?)

Many are those I have seen here. Your friend Lorenzo Tur-
rent Rozas (for it was you gave me all my first Latin-American contacts
charming and helpful Mancisidor, Neftali Beltran, a beautiful poet, Cardo-
za y Aragon, and many many Spaniards, such as Constancia and her General
husband, who is enchanting; Vicens, who is one of the contented ones,
Bergamin who is producing many books, Petere, and lots more that maybe you
know too. But I am suffocating for need of country and cease of streets
and am going to Coatzacoalcos next week, till I take the (damned) Ward
Line boat for La Habana where I shall stay two weeks or so and then it's
British Trinidad, and cousin Edward who works for the Gov., and I shall
claim a share of writing. In all, not too content am I with my inner
panorama, and most of all am very restless; nothing new, you'll say, but
its basis is war, the damned bloody war that is not our war. John, I sup-
pose, is in it, as an Airraid Warden... no news from him in more than 2
months. No news obtainable of any of our French friends, Aragon, Sadoul,
Tzara; I have tried and tried, and to get news of house -- nothing. Our
African things are there, your books, my writings, everything; what could
one have done, even foreseeing? Buried the ivories. What kind of a ger-
man colonel or commissioner will be in it now ?

Where are you ? The last letter was the July one from Chic-
go. This goes to the usual N.Y. address. Say, do you ever see Taylor
Gordon ? I wish you'd give him my love if you do. In many ways I'd like
to be in the States again. But can I? Who knows ?! And anyway it must
be Trinidad now, for a time. DO WRITE.

I have asked them all here where is Jacques Roumain; no one
knows. Maybe in Haiti. Expect to see Nicolas very soon; he is one of the
many who never writes. There is a fine guitarist here, Juan José Labo-
riel, from Honduras, with active "rag-woman" wife; I like both. Havesent
many articles to A.N.P., ever since the start of the war.

Bless you Langston dear; and when, and where to see again?

Love,

[Caption]

in montevideo, and in san luiso, musicians asked me
to do an "acto negro" on any subject I liked. With
musical accompaniment, I gather. How much I'd like to
but how can I outside of the States? Maybe in Cuba.

Agencia COOK, Avenida F.Madero L
Mexico D.F.

Aug. 22

Dear Langston,

Your letter of July 22 just come on from Chile, and
was I glad to hear from you! Spent five months in that country
and loathed most of it! Jesus how glad I am to be out of that
drunken yokel's paradise nearer to any kind of civilisation. You
know Mexico well, I remember. Wish you could get down here very
soon; at that, I don't know how long I will stay. Europe is in me,
and I wish I were in it. Maybe there'll be war coming to me, here-
abouts, instead of my trying to get to it -- I hope not, for you-
all.

Good news that you were doing plays. How long ago a
month is, and where will you be now? Yes, do send me your new book
if it is out and if you can spare a copy. I yearn to read some "good
clean english prose" again, after the struggle with chilian spanish.
And you know what I always feel about YOUR prose.

I did NOT know that William N. Jones had died. How was
that? You know I liked him a whole lot, yes, very much indeed. When
you write please tell me all you know.

There are two people I met in S. America, of whom you
doubtless know, who are marvellously interested and proficient in
Jazz and things of Color. If we get together soon we must send them
a whole lot of things. Are we going to get together? How I'd love
to see you in this country. You know Réanville is in occupied territory; that means, just what for the house and all the things? I
do not know.

Now DO write as we are so much closer, for once.