ALAIN LE ROY LOCKE
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
WASHINGTON, D. C.

January 17, 1922

Dear Langston Hughes,

Everybody it seems who is a particular friend
of yours insists on my knowing you. Some instinct,
roused not so much by the reading of your verse as
from a mental picture of your state of mind, reen-
forces their insistence. I had it as a memo to
look you up on my last visit to New York, and was
disappointed not to find you there. Jesse Fauset,
Contee Cullen are the friends who insist, I think
they ought to be good enough introduction.

I would have found out where Jones Point is,
and come down or up to it, (it cant very well be in,
can it?) but I did not know where the devil the
Hassayampa might be. It sounds almost as if she went
to Patagonia. By the way a very dear eccentric friend
of mine wrote Sonnets from Patagonia, However, I wasn't
taking any chances chasing a poet on a ship, both
are too elusive, the combination impossible. You
must write me more in detail as to how to get at you
or you will have to remain a rather intriguing phantom,
from whom perhaps an occasional letter comes. If you do
write, and I hope you will, let it be in some consider-
able degree of definiteness and detail. Not ministerial
generalities, but medical particulars, - you get the
idea, I am sure. Eventually certainly there will be
some literary and educational plans to be worked out,
and I would really appreciate a share in them. What is
general race motive in most cases seems singularly

tion of the editors. But perhaps you prefer to
make your own way.

You are quite right about Boris. I saw or
rather heard it years ago in London. Chaliapin
sang. From where we sat we could not see the
stage but I knew the story and I think it was all
the more impressive. The Moscow Art Players I
hope to take in with Miss Fauset. I saw one of
their performances this summer, but I could go
indefinitely to hear them.

With all best wishes and pleasantest antici-
pations,

May 22

1924

Dear Langston,

I am charmed with the Danse
variation which Countee has sent me.
I plan to use it with some other
things in a special issue of the
Survey, devoted to Negro Life,- an
issue that wont be as deadly socio-
logical as most Survey issues, if
I have anything to do with it. My
idea is to bring the younger genera-
tion out in front somewhat, and that
means more to me than being out there
myself besides what greater pleasure
can there be than getting in ahead of
the public.

A friend, Dr. Albert Barnes, who
is a great patron of ultra-modern art
of Negro art,- I mean African art, having
the best collection of it in the world,
certainly as far as private selections,
is sailing on his semiannual visit to
Paris. His headquarters are at the
studio of Paul Guillaume, art collector
and friend of many of the greatest paint-
ers, musicians, and artists of Europe,
especially the moderns. Both of them
will be delighted to meet you since they
know of you already and like your work.
Charles Johnson and I just last Sunday
mentioned you again to Dr. Barnes and
he expressed a desire to meet you. The
studio is 59 Rue de la Boetie, just off
the Faubourg St. Honore. Do connect

ALAIN LOCKE
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
WASHINGTON, D. C.

January ninth,
1929.

Dear Langston:

It is too bad to be such a "race-
slave," for that's what I am. I have
just gotten back from Chicago rather
worn out from the last bout of it.
However they say it was a great victory.
I doubt it.

I am most anxious to hear how
Boston went. I hope you found the Braith-
waites worthwhile, and I am rather sur-
prised that I haven't yet heard from
Katherine. She usually writes. And how
was Tuney getting on?

I am going up to New York this
week end to see God-mother, and to see
what I can help Amoah do. I'm having a
time on this matter of the Jew. In Chic-\ ago it was of course the Rosenwalds.
Mrs Rosenfels, close friend of and rel-
ative of theirs, gave an elaborate buffet
supper for thirty, and really did give
us a fine send off last Sunday. We went

January
Twenty-three
1929.

Dear Langston:

I am not worried at not having
heard from you because I think I
understand. In fact, things have been
much the same with me.

I spent a wonderful week end
with Godmother, week end before this
last, and learned that you were not
able to get out to Arlington Heights.
I don't blame you,- it's an awful
journey. I hope you will be in Boston
sometime in the spring or summer, then
it will be fine to go out and even to
stay awhile. I have had interesting letters
from Waring and Zora.Wish I could get
down to writing something really worth-
while. Sending you the last Survey Graphic
which might be of some interest.

Barthe is here since yesterday and

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

WASHINGTON, D. C.

December 6, 1929

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Dear Langston;

Thanks for both letter and telegram. These artists!
One can never tell. However I am glad one artist could
use it.

I am still hoping that you will be able to see
Paul, and get him to see God-mother. That I think is
more important immediately than his doing something for
African art. I do think these successful artists ought
to do something for somebody. Don't you?

When the manuscript comes, I shall do my lovable
best. Work of this sort I can do alone. I am terribly
handicapped however in my general work because of typing.

I had some notion of coming up to Paul's concert
the fourteenth. However not certain, as I would have to
make two New York trips that same week, - speaking for
the Bahai people Wednesday the eighteenth. I have just
come back from Indianapolis arriving Tuesday morning.
Same old routine but very interesting. You are well
remembered by DeFrantz and others out there. God-mother
would have fits had she known of my twelve speaking
dates in November. However I turned down a number too.
So that's that.

I am sorry about Waring's coming to New York.
Do give me his Boston address or the New York address.
Why should he spend the money to come down? I spoke
to Roland Hayes about him, and Roland commissioned me
to ask him to a musical party he is giving at his
Brookline home, December 29. I thought I would run
up to Boston for about two days including that date,
and thought of asking if you couldn't come along.
Don't you think it would be nice? If Waring is
singing at all well these days, I would think it worth
his while to make a point of being there. There will
be about forty people, musicians and music lovers. I
do hope it can be arranged as I had dreamed it out.
Do you know what days God-mother is counting on for us?
I cannot write her until tomorrow or Sunday. Do keep
me posted, and believe how grateful how I am at your
doing things for me in New York. On the train out to
Indianapolis, I read "A Very Naked People." It is a
marvelous book. If Maran could have done something
like that.

All best wishes,

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

WASHINGTON, D. C.

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Dear Langston:

Thanks for your letter and the copy of the survey, which I
am happy to have, but which I will guard confidentially. I have
just gotten back from Buffalo and Cleveland- more speaking- this
time necessary, in connection with the University.

So concerned at your having had that serious cold- are you
beginning to be like me-weighted down with other people's cares and
troubles. I assure you it is far more taxing than one's own business.
Avoid it to the extent compatible with your conscience. A creative
workman should have a minimum of this sort of thing.

How happy it would make me to be sure of seeing you Tuesday. It
all depends. Being the day of our last lectures and the Board of Trust-
ee's meeting, it is almost imperative that I stay here within call.
I can tell more definitely tomorrow after a talk with President John-
son over my year's report, and such like matters. If I do not get
chance to come, remember I'll be there in spirit, if that's any com-
fort. To make sure I am sending you up a package which I would bring,
if I were dead sure of coming. Hadn't time to have your initials put
on. Whatevet happens, I shall see you before leaving-probably in
Philadelphia. That will save us both time and energy. I think I am
sailing the eleventh on the Columbus-was lucky to get this last min-
ute booking, after delaying in order to talk my plans over with God-
mother. Will pass through Philadelphia the ninth or tenth.

Just in the midst of this your telegram comes. Do keep me posted.
After my last talk with Godmother, I sent Stokiens the check for June
board, asked them to register Gywn for the summer camp again, for a
month at least, preferably for six weeks,-in that case check for main-
tenance there was to have been sent and a small sum for camp expenses,
and asked that either he should not go to New York or if absolutely
necessary, only for a short while, and then to return as early as
September first to Springfield. I cannot imagine what has broken loose,
I hope nothing to disturb this program, which has Godmother's approval.
Cooperate to bring as much of it about as possible, and let me know
how I may best cooperate with you in the matter. Until I hear from you
it will not be necessary for me to write Godmother about the new devel-
opments,- for the very good reason that I don't know what they really
are anyway. It may be just a graduation surprise for you.

I am so glad college don't last always. Aren't you. All happiness
and success. Of course I believe you agree with me that college was
a necessary evil afterall. Now you can really begin to study vital
things, having earned "this freedom".