Poetry
A Magazine of Verse

232 EAST ERIE STREET

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

TEL. SUPERIOR 4890

MAY 3, 1926

Dear Sir or Madam:

As we wish to advance the interests of contributors, we ask you to send us a brief "autobiography" for use in the literary notes of POETRY. It should include your birth-place, residence and occupation; all titles, publishers and dates of your books of verse, and any other data in regard to your literary career. Women should state whether they are Miss or Mrs., giving husband's name if married, to ensure a correct address.

Yours truly,
The Editors

Poetry
A Magazine of Verse

Telephone Superior 1328

Harriet Monroe

Editor

Morton Dauwen Zabel

Associate Editor

Jessica Nelson North

George Dillon

Eunice Tietjens

Lew Sarett

Advisory Committee

232 East Erie Street, Chicago, Ill. Oct. 13, 1930

Mr. Langston Hughes
Lincoln University, Pa.

My dear Mr. Hughes:

The October number of POETRY celebrates the magazine's eighteenth birthday with a new cover by Eric Hill, the eminent English engraver and sculptor; distinguished contributions by Edna St. Vincent Millay, George Dillon, Eunice Tietjens, and Basil Bunting; and editorials observing the occasion. We take great pleasure in sending you a copy with the hope that you will find it of special interest.

Yours very sincerely,

Haven't you any new poems to give us?

8 Poems sent (Nov. 7)

Lover's Return

Barrel House

Dying Red

Thunder, Thunder

Dying Heart

Sailors

Nature Human

POETRY

A MAGAZINE OF VERSE

Founded in 1912 by Harriet Monroe

Morton Dauwen Zabel
Editor

Jessica Nelson North
Associate Editor

Geraldine Udell
Business Manager

Advisory Committee

Robert Morss Lovett
Percy H. Boynton
Thornton Wilder
Associate Committee of
The University of Chicago

Charles H. Hamill
Arthur T. Leonard
Administrative Committee

Phone Superior 1328

232 East Erie Street
Chicago, Illinois

July 12, 1937

Dear Mr. Hughes,

I am sorry we must return these translations
to you. They are interesting, and in some details very
felicitous, but them probably do not stand up as independent
poems in English, and since we publish on the whole very little
translated material, we find that we cannot accept them. But
thank you very much for your kindness in allowing us to
consider them for POETRY.

9

POETRY

A MAGAZINE OF VERSE

232 EAST ERIE STREET • CHICAGO

February 11, 1939

Robert Morss Lovett

Percy H. Boynton

Thornton Wilder

Charles H. Hamill

Arthur T. Leonard

Administrative Committee

AMY BONNER

Eastern Business Representative

SUsquehanna 7-9235

12 W. 68th Street

New York, N. Y.

George Dillon

Editor

Peter DeVries

Associate Editor

Geraldine Udell

Business Manager

Jessica Nelson North

Eunice Tietjens

Lew Sarett

Advisory Committee

Mr. Langston Hughes

c/o Mrs. Harper

634 St. Nicholas Avenue, N. Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

A new renascence of poetry is now in progress. The poetry now
being written is more vigorous, more alive than it has been in several years.

Each monthly issue of POETRY: *A Magazine of Verse* contains 30 pages of new poems — by the most significant of the younger writers, as well as the most famous established poets. An equal number of pages is devoted to reviews and articles by the best modern critics of poetry. Readers are kept abreast of all that is most important, most stimulating in the modern verse movement. For a quarter of a century POETRY has pioneered in the poetry movement, and it still maintains its distinguished record.

Mark Van Doren calls POETRY "the original and most important poetry magazine of modern America". And the MERCURE DE FRANCE, Paris, says, "POETRY remains what it started out to be — the best magazine of poetry in the United States". POETRY is invaluable to practising poets, presenting as it does the new trends and tendencies in the art, and the work of **all** schools.

If the poetry movement is to be sustained, where shall we expect
support in a commercial world, if not from poets and poetry lovers? You will
find a subscription blank enclosed. Do subscribe. One year is three dollars.
Two years, by our special offer, is five dollars. Thank you!

10

1379 E. Wash. Blvd.,
Los Angeles, Calif.
February 27, 1939

Miss Amy Bonner
Eastern Representative
12 West 68th Street
New York, New York

Dear Miss Bonner:

In answer to your letter, Langston Hughes has requested that I send you the enclosed information and news article. Mr. Hughes is also finishing a slavery-time play entitled "Sold Away". This will be his first historical drama of the South, although "Troubled Island" which he and William Grant Still are converting into an opera, is an historical drama of Haiti. Notice of "Sold Away" is not likely to appear anywhere before April. From an unpublished poem entitled "Refugee Road", Mr. Hughes and Clarence Muse, well-known actor, have published a song with the same name.

Mr. Hughes wishes to thank you for sending the subscription blank to Poetry. He greatly admires the magazine but because he is constantly moving about the country, has not subscribed. When he has completed his lecture tours and settles down, I'm sure you will receive his subscription.

Mr. Hughes sends regards and best wishes for the success of your campaign.

Yours truly,

James R. Derry
For Langston Hughes

n

POETRY

A MAGAZINE OF VERSE

232 EAST ERIE STREET

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Please read this proof carefully and return it at once with corrections.

Since contributors often order copies of the number containing their work (for gifts or publicity purposes), and since we do not print a large surplus, please let us know now if you wish more than two copies. It is our custom to send gratis two copies to each poet, one to each reviewer. Beyond that the charge is 25¢ a copy, or 20¢ a copy for orders of five or over, except for large orders which require special arrangements.

THE EDITORS

Poetry
*A Magazine of Verse*

232 EAST ERIE STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

October 29, 1943

Dear Mr. Hughes:

We wonder if you would be interested in reviewing
a book called *Ziba*, by James Pipes, published by the
University of Oklahoma Press. It consists of a number
of longish Negro folk tales in unrhymed verse. The
author is a white Louisianian. We'd be glad if you'd
take a look at it and see if it's worth a review in your
opinion. Please let me know if you'd like the book
sent on to you. The review could be around 500-600
words, and should be in by around December 1. And, of
course, if the book doesn't interest you one way or
another, simply send it back.

13

Poetry
*A Magazine of Verse*

January 3, 1944

Dear Mr. Hughes:

We are hoping to receive from you soon a review of _Ziba_, by James Pipes. Do you suppose there is a chance? If we get it by January 20th or thereabouts we could count on it for the March issue. Could you let us know when we might expect it -- please?

Best wishes for the New Year.

17

Poetry
A Magazine of Verse

FOUNDED IN 1912 BY HARRIET MONROE

July 12, 1946

NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE

THE EDITORS OF POETRY acknowledge with thanks receipt of your manuscript and
are pleased to accept the following for publication:

SEASHORE THROUGH DARK GLASSES

BLUES ON A BOX

They would like to send a personal answer to each contributor, expressing their appreciation of the work submitted, but the editorial staff is limited, and time is lacking for correspondence. It is believed that a prompt report on manuscripts is more desirable than individual letters of acceptance. Contributors are reminded that it is the rule of POETRY not to print anything that has been published or accepted for publication elsewhere, in any form, either in this country or abroad, and are asked to notify the editors at once whenever a published manuscript has been inadvertently submitted and accepted. Poems are published in approximate order of acceptance, the usual time being from seven to nine months after date of receipt. If any poem awaiting publication in POETRY is to be included in a book or anthology, the editors should be notified at least 3 months in advance, and should be informed of the book title, publisher, and date of publication.

19

Poetry

232 EAST ERIE STREET
CHICAGO 11, ILL.

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York 30, N.Y.

Poetry
*A Magazine of Verse*

232 EAST ERIE STREET, CHICAGO 11, ILLINOIS

Aug. 9, 1946

Dear Mr. Hughes:

Thank you so much for the check, and also for your extremely generous offer to give us a benefit-reading! Naturally, I'll be delighted to be able to tell our committee about it. They are somewhat indefinite at the moment as to what they will undertake this coming season. Our lectures have been fine, so far as the artistic side was concerned, but some have felt the labors involved were out of proportion to the return. You know how such things are.

21

Poetry
A Magazine of Verse

Nov. 1, 1946

Dear Langston Hughes:

Please return the original manuscripts of SEASHORE THROUGH DARK GLASSES and of BLUES ON A BOX. They were sent back to you by mistake - we're all groggy from trying to put on a huge Benefit which has to raise $5000.

We'll let you hear about the new poems soon. In the meantime thanks for sending them and our apologies.

Editors: PETER DE VRIES, MARION STROBEL • Associate Editors: KATINKA LOESER, MARGEDANT PETERS • Business Manager: GERALDINE UDELL • Advisory Committee: GEORGE DILLON, JESSICA NELSON NORTH, EUNICE TIETJENS, LEW SARETT • Associate Committee: ROBERT MORSS LOVETT, PERCY H. BOYNTON, THORNTON WILDER • Eastern Business Representative: AMY BONNER

72

Poetry
A Magazine of Verse

Dec. 2, 1946

NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE

WHO BUT THE LORD

YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Poems Returned

SLAVE SONG

MONROE'S BLUES

LITTLE SONG

GUNNER

PEACE

Poetry

SAVE THE EASY WAY
BUY U. S. BONDS ON
PAYROLL SAVINGS

Mr. Langston Hughes
University of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia

24

Poetry A Magazine of Verse

March 22, 1947

Dear Mr. Hughes:

For many years the monthly issues of POETRY have been used in university course in poetry, contemporary poetry and the writing of poetry. In response to a number of requests we are now publishing critical supplements to accompany individual issues of the magazine for class-room purposes.

Although the supplements will not be ready for widespread distribution until September, we are inviting a limited number of colleges and universities to participate this spring, and we should like to think that the University of Alabama will be among them. Critical supplements of the sort described in the enclosed announcement are now available for the March issue (devoted to English "neo-romantic" poetry since the war) and will again be available, early in April, for the April issue.

If you would like to make use of the first supplement in your classes, please let us know how many copies you will need by means of the enclosed postcard and we will ship them immediately either to you or to the university bookstore for later billing. Or we shall be glad to mail you a sample copy. Any comments and suggestions you may wish to send us will be most welcome.

JFN:g

Editors: GEORGE DILLON, MARION STROBEL, MARGEDANT PETERS, JOHN FREDERICK NIMS • Contributing Editors: PETER DE VRIES, JESSICA NELSON NORTH, KATINKA LOESER • Business Manager: GERALDINE UDELL • Associate Committee: LEW SARETT, ROBERT MORSS LOVETT, THORNTON WILDER • Eastern Business Representative: AMY BONNER