Sunday, March 29, 1953

Mr. Frank D. Reeves,
1901 11th Street, N. W.,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Frank,

No words—and certainly no money (even were it a million dollars) could in
any sense express to you my gratitude or from me repay you for what you have
done for me in a time of emergency. Without your able help and kind, considerate,
patient, and wise counsel, I would have been a lost ball in the high weeds or, to
mix metaphors, a dead duck among the cherry blossoms! This note, or any letter
that I might write, could only be a most inadequate expression of thanks and my
indebtedness to you. And I do not feel that in any way this small check means
anything in that regard. But I did want you to have this immediately—which is
all the weekend affords—as a token, at least, of my deepest and sincerest
sense of obligation to you for your sacrifice and generosity in terms of both your
time and talent, your willingness to help me, and your personal kindness in doing
so. Certainly you act only way "beyond the call of duty" personally and profession-
ally, and I am deeply grateful. There is no way for me to repay you.

The hospitality of your home made me much more comfortable than I would have been at the Statler or any other hotel, and the constant nearness of your counsel made me feel more secure than I could have possibly been had I stayed with other friends. And among the many pleasant memories that I shall retain of your home is your mother's apple sauce and your adorable puppy!

The phone calls which I personally made on your home phone and listed in my pocket
note book were two to New York, one March 24; 604, and one March 25; 5.23; and on
March 25 one call to Chicago; 2.65—totalling 8.48. With the addition of
25% tax, this sum is $10.60.

Kindly add this amount to the total telephone charges for which I am responsible that
we may have run up, and whatever other expenses my stay in Washington might have in-
volved, and I will send you a check as soon as possible.

Friday evening I had cocktails with Lloyd Garrison and dinner with Walter White. Mr Garrison went with me to Walter's and both heard the playback of the later portion of the open hearing which I had taken off on my tape recorder from the air Thursday midnight—a copy of which I'll have type out and send you tomorrow. I gave them a detailed account of what went on, and am to see Lloyd Garrison within a few days regarding your follow-up suggestions and a few that I've thought of, too. I'll let you know the results of that conference.

I left my raincoat in your closet, so please put it in a manilla envelope or parcel
and post it to me. Thanks! And my very best regards to your wife, and office staff.
At your convenience I await your financial statement. And surely hope that it will
not be too long before we meet again under less pressing circumstances. I shall
phone Mrs. Reeves whenever she's back in Manhattan. Meanwhile

Sincerely yours,

April 8, 1953

Dear Frank,

I've had a talk both with Lloyd Garrison and with Arthur Spingarn and have told them how helpful you were to me—and that without your logic and advice the TV show might not have come off nearly so well!

1. All agree with us about resigning from the one remaining questionable organization to which I may still belong. That I'm doing.

2. Re Cohn or Schine's suggestion regarding the FBI. Arthur Spingarn feels that especially since the FBI has interviewed me on two or three occasions concerning folks who've worked for me or given my name as reference in applying for government jobs (which they got), if the FBI wished to interview me, they would come or send for me. Therefore I shouldn't bother them. He quoted an old French proverb: "The man who excuses himself, accuses himself". Lloyd Garrison seems to agree with him, but suggests that, if you think wise (and I) you might send the FBI a copy of the transcript of my testimony for their files with a brief covering note, since Cohn told us Hoover once used "Goodbye, Christ" in a speech, and perhaps should therefore be advised that this no longer represents my views in any way. Please let me know your opinion on this, and I'll be guided thereby.

3. Lloyd Garrison feels that we might also draw up a brief statement using portions of the transcript of the open hearing to send the American Legion (or give directly) to some of the high officials of intelligence and goodwill who might pass the word down to the red-baiters in thier Indianapolis office who've been sending out mirediographed material a la Red Channels on a number of writers and artists, to correct their material on me, at least to the extent that it conform with my sworn testimony. I think I have friends who can personally contact top officials. In any case, such a brief statement would be good for publishers to have in case of future charges, should they come up. Do you agree? All of my publishers are pleased with the outcome of the hearings, have backed me up beautifully, and are going ahead with their publishing plans in relation to my work. But it would do no harm to have a brief resume and interpretation of my testimony on tap, if needed, and I'll draw one up (getting your and Garrison's O.K. before giving anyone copies) as soon as I get the transcript.

4. So: Would you get for me a couple of copies of my portion of the testimony in full, please, and send it on as soon as it is ready, letting me know the cost? (I agree with you, unless I was mentioned later in the hearing, we don't need it all). If it is quite costly, perhaps one copy would do, and I could have it typed for Garrison, Spingarn, and Walter White. Use your own judgement on this. If it doesn't cost too much, get copies for all of us.

5. I gather from Garrison and Spingarn that the NAACP may (or is—not quite clear) assuming expenses for the hearings. (I have in the past done some radio scripts and mass meeting continuities, etc. for the Association without charge, waiving payment when offered. And am, of course, deeply grateful to them should they return the

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courtesy in this way.) But in no sense do I want you to "be out of pocket". And, as I told you in my last letter, I do not feel that I could ever really repay you personally for your round-the-clock attention to my problems while in Washington. So that's out of the question. But anyhow, when you have a chance, please let me know exactly about the financial end of it all, and I'll certainly assume the obligation should it be one that I cannot meet in full now.

I think that's all the business. Trust you got the AMSTERDAM NEWS clippings I sent you. Theff's was the best coverage. Dozens of letters have come in from the Coast and all around of folks who saw the TV screening of the hearing. Several women want to know who "that fine looking fellow" was sitting with me! So I judge we both must have televised well!

Did you, by any chance, come across my raincoat in your closet? If not, don't worry. If so, maybe your wife could bring it along when she returns to town and I'll phone her and pick it up. It's the kind that doesn't take up any room in a bag.

If phoning is easier for you than answering letters, my number is Le. 4-2952 (private, so don't give out, please) and usually after two in the afternoon on until midnight is best to reach me. Reverse charges.

Should you drive your wife back, or be coming to New York soon, hope I'll have the pleasure of offering you a drink, and having you and your wife—and the Indian princess from Georgia—around to my place.

My new book, SIMPLE TAKES A WIFE, is almost ready, so you'll be getting a copy soon. It just missed being a Book of the Month Club selection—was a runner up until the last three choices, so the publishers tell me!

Continued good wishes to you, and hoping to hear from you at your convenience,

March 30, 1959

Mr. Frank Reeves,
2000 Ninth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Frank Reeves:

Remembering how you once
"saved my life" I am asking my publishers
to send you (in gratitude) a copy of my
new SELECTED POEMS (it being a rather big
book for me to wrap and mail personally)
but I will autograph it for you when I
come down to Washington in early May for
the opening of my musical, SIMPLY HEAVENLY,
at Howard University and, at the same time,
to record some poems for the Library of
Congress.

With cordial regards ever,

Sincerely yours,

Langston Hughes