PHYLON

A Quarterly Review of Race and Culture
Atlanta University
ATLANTA 3, GEORGIA

Editorial Office

October 18, 1945

Dear Langston:

It pains me to return your translation
of Jacques Roumain's "Damned Nigger." I, too, like
it. However, the three editors must approve scripts
cannot arrive at any unanimous conclusion. Frankly,
we are afraid that it is a little too "rough" for
PHYLON and the southern area in which we have to live.
It was most kind of you to think of us for publication.

There is one thing, however, you can
do for us and in this connection PHYLON will be willing
to pay the only honorarium it can give and this only
once a quarter: will you do an article on the character
Mr. Simple? I think it is an amazing character and one
worthy of essay treatment. Will you advise me on this?

IDR:rha
Encl.

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

ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
ATLANTA, GEORGIA

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

August 9, 1946

Dear Langston:

I note with great pleasure that you are
going to be a guest professor of Creative Writing at
Atlanta University during the second semester of the
1946-1947 term. Though I shall not be here next year
I bid you a hearty welcome.

This letter is to ask you to participate
in our Social Science seminars on "Social Change in the
United States, Its Nature and Directions" during the
second week in February. We should like to have you
discuss the subject "The Literature of Protest" in three
seminars, and, to give a forum reading or recital on
any theme you choose either on Wednesday evening, or at
a University convocation. If you will do this added
task for us, I shall be ever grateful. The University
will be pleased to give you an honorarium of $100 for
your services.

And, lest you do not fully comprehend the
nature of what we are trying to do I enclose a copy of
the prospectus of last year's seminars.

Will you let me know before September first
if you can help us in this way?

IDR:rha
Enclosure

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

January 26, 1948

Dear Langston:

On Friday, May 28, 1948, some friends and former fellows of the Julius Rosenwald Fund are tendering a complimentary reception to the trustees and officers of that philanthropy prior to its corporate demise. The day's program will include a colloquium on "Human Relations in the Twentieth Century," an informal reception to Fellows and friends of the Fund, and, a programmed dinner.

It is the wish of the Sponsoring Committee that you appear at and make a contribution to the dinner program by reading excerpts or a selection from your works. It is requested that your presentation not exceed eight minutes.

The Sponsoring Committee will be pleased to pay your expenses to and from Chicago for this occasion.

Will you kindly let me know within the week if you are able to accept this invitation?

IDR:JPC

February 2, 1948

Dear Ira:

Just after your letter came I had quite a talk on the phone with
Mr. Embree who was in New York last week.

I am delighted to accept your invitation to be present at the Rosenwald Fund program and dinner in Chicago on Friday, May 28.

The first of March I leave for the West Coast and had planned to remain out there for several months doing some writing, so my address after March 1 will be: Hollow Hills Farm, Monterey, California, a lovely spot in the Carmel Valley where I have a cabin. I am going to try and get the second volume of my BIG SEA under way, but will be happy to take time out to attend the closing ceremonies of the Fund that has been so generous to the cause of American Negro culture and interracial relations.

At the moment I have just about completed the assembling and arrangement of most of the Simple Minded Friend columns that I have done for THE CHICAGO DEFENDER, combining some, and putting them into book form to be submitted shortly to a publisher. I know that you have liked these columns, so if you would wish to give me a short comment of a few lines on Simple (I would say not more than six to ten lines or about a quarter to a half page), I would appreciate it immensely and would turn it over to the publishers for use on the dust jacket of the book. There is no hurry about this, so you may do it at your convenience, if you care to do it, as you remember the character from the DEFENDER, since there is no change in the book, except the addition of a few new columns which will appear in the paper shortly.

Please give my best wishes to Gladys.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ira DeA. Reid
Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia

IRA DE A. REID

ATLANTA UNIVERSITY

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

February 23, 1948

Dear Langston:

Thank you ever so much for accepting the invitation to appear on the Rosenwald program. Within a few days you will hear from Bob Weaver with respect to the specific role you are being asked to play.

Incidentally, I may say that several persons have expressed the hope that you would do something special on "The Foundation" for the occasion. It is not our wish, however, to put limitations on your contribution.

Here is a statement on "Mr. Simple". He deserves a much better one-- better than I can write. Thank you for asking me to do it.

IDR:b

Langston Hughes
20 East 127 Street
New York
New York

HAVERFORD COLLEGE
HAVERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA

STATION

IRA DE A. REID

June 9, 1958

Dear Langston,

I do hope that you can find it convenient to
accept Pete Lockwood's invitation to come to Haverford as
the Library Lecturer this fall. I need not tell you how it
would please several of us here to have you accept that invita-
tion.

Your release on religion and revivalists was
both exciting and challenging. You can recall my own interest
in that problem if you remember my article on Harlem churches,
published in Opportunity in 1928 and entitled "Let Us Prey."
Then Arthur Fauset touched upon some phases of it in his book
*Black Gods of the Metropolis*. These, together with a book on
the sermons of Negro ministers by Wm. H. Pipes entitled *Amen* &
*Amen*, represent the crop I believe.

Anyway, I am interested and if I get half a chance
I am going to work on it as soon as some of the fuddy-duddy
things that have a Damoclean threat over me just now.

All the best- and do try to come to
Haverford this fall.

Langston Hughes
2 0 East 1 2 7th Street
New York
N w York

M

THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, IBADAN, NIGERIA

TELEPHONE: IBADAN 22841 (5 LINES)

CABLES & TELEGRAMS: 'UNIVERSITY, IBADAN'

February 20,1962

Dear Langston,

This is as post haste as the new Africa and the orbited
USA will let it be. Ironically, the very day your letter was received
through forwarding, your Ibadan hostess, Mrs. Oluwarriye stopped by to
have a chat with Anne about this and that.

The man in the photo is not Max Yergan. I have completely forgotten his name though I do recall the square head. Now the seated next to Virginia Alexander once taught in Baltimore, later taught in New York City, wore a wig (they said), adopted a child and was well known to most of us a asort of nuisance. I am certain that Reginaews would recall her name.

The end girl, I am sorry to say, I do not remember. I
wonder where she was during the conference ? Anne says thst she is
positive Sam Dorsey would remember her name.

Would that I could be of more use beyond saying that
my sister's name is now Sara Reid Epps, that Mabel Byrd is Mabel Byrd
Curtis and Wenonah is Mrs. Logan's name.

We are here for a five months stint as I serve as
Visiting Director of the Extra-Mural Program of the College. We return
to the States for a brief period in June thence to Japan for a year.

Will return the photo later.

All the best,