C O P Y sent Rose Talley

January 28, 1961

Mr. Scottie I. Williams,
Southern Area NAACP,
1221 West Third Street,
Santa Ana, California.

Dear Mr. Williams:

Thank you for your letter of recent date, letting me know the
time and place of the program. I will be arriving in Los Angeles
by train from San Francisco on the morning of Friday, February 17,
and will be staying at the Clark Hotel, Washington and Central.
I have suggested to Mrs. Talley that perhaps arrangements could be
made to have a rehearsal there at the hotel that day with Buddy
Collette's group. If not there wherever and at whatever time is
agreeable to Mr. Collette.

I have asked my various publishers to post to me in your care about
60 copies of my books—poetry and those most suitable to Negro
History Week sales. These boxes you may open and place on display
and sale before my arrival at NAACP meetings or especially at the
First Quarterly Area Conference preceding my program. The prices
are just inside the covers of the books.

At the program, the book table should be in the lobby at a convenient
location where people may gather around it and inspect the books.
And the books should be on sale when the doors are open a half hour
or so before program time, also at intermission, and after the pro-
gram. There should be at least two, and possibly three attendants,
with plenty of change as some of the books have odd prices like
$1.95 (the FIRST books for children) and $3.75, so quarters and
nickels are needed, and half dollars for change. Checks are accepta-
ble. And orders (with cash or check) may be taken for books that
run out, as sometimes happens.

I will autograph copies for all who desire. But I've learned that
it is better to do this backstage, rather than at the table itself
where there is often too much of a crowd with a dozen people talking
at once. Backstage folks will get in line and await their turns.
So a little notice at the bottom of the program state: Langston
Hughes will autograph books backstage after the program. (As stated
in my former letter 33 1/3 goes to NAACP of all sales. The books are
billed to me, so kindly hold on to all invoices for me. Any books
not sold, I will take charge of afterwards, so none will be left on
your hands.) Thanks a lot for your attention to all this detail.

I leave New York on February 7th on my lecture trip. I can be
reached on February 14-15-16 at Mills College, c/o the President,
Oakland 13, California. From there I head South to L. A.

Enclosed is a list of friends in the L. A. area in case notices of
our program are being mailed out.

With cordial regards,
Sincerely,

January 28, 1961

Mrs. Rose Talle,
2110 Corlett Street,
Los Angeles 59, California.

Dear Rose:

Enclosed is a copy of the poem, ASK YOUR MAMA, 12 Moods For Jazz, which I'd like to use as the second half of the Santa Monica program, with the Music Cues on the margins, and a listing of the general themes. Since I do not have Buddy Collette's address, please pass this material on to him, so that he might get an idea before hand of what it is all about.

Tell Buddy I'm having the poem mimeographed, so will have plenty of copies when I get to the Coast---one for each of the musicians. The poem with music runs about a half hour in performance.

For the first half of the program, we will do about a half hour of reading, too, using mostly the same poems we did for the Hollywood program, except not so many---some African drum poems, some using blues piano and guitar (if there is one), a couple of spiritual and gospel ones, and the rest for straight jazz. Some of the themes we used last time were, I believe, for the religious poems: SWING LOW, ALL GOD'S CHILLUN GOT WINGS, DEEP RIVER, WHEN THE SAINTS COME MARCHING IN; as a background for the poem, MERRY-GO-ROUND we used EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE; a traditional BLUES behind THE WEARY BLUES. Maybe RAMPART STREET PARADE or SAINTS for the PARADE poem. But the fellows know most of these and we can work them out in rehearsal on the 17th.

ASK YOUR MAMA won't be difficult, either. Main thing is to have the old HESITATION BLUES in mind; and get Buddy a copy of any standard German LIEDER such as the concert singers use, maybe a Schubert one whose melody can be played straight and then jazzed a bit. And a few wailing bars of ELI ELI.

Be sure there's a good mike at Barnum Hall for me that doesn't throw back an echo or hum.

you mentioned Capitol Records. Might also advise Pacific Jazz who made some quite good Poetry-Jazz discs. Should either of them be interested in recording Buddy and I (if agreeable to Buddy) it could be done while I'm on the Coast. Or maybe Buddy has an exclusive contract with some company, if so, see if they'd be interested in a Poetry-Jazz disc, please m'am.

Best ever,

January 25, 1961

Dear Rose!

I've had two notes from Mr. Scottie Williams telling me time
and place, etc., and that the books be sent to him, which I
am ordering done today. Also had a request from the UCLA
student NAACP and am offering them either of the afternoons
of February 22 or 23, the only open time I have left.

My part of the program will run down as enclosed---in case you
wish to print the various sections of the reading. Each part
for the poetry will be about a half hour. So if Buddy will
play maybe three selections before each half, that would make
the time come out about right, with say a 20 minute intermission
to seal books.

At the bottom of the program there should be a note to the effect
that books are for sale in the lobby and I'll autograph them
backstage after the program. (At least, the autographing should
NOT be at the book table itself. Creates too much confusion!)
Books should be on display and sale when doors open before the
program, so folks can look at them leisurely, and there should
be at least two or three sales folks at the book table with plenty
of change.

ASK YOUR MAMA is a new long poem in manuscript---12 Moods For
Jazz---written with music in midn. I'm trying it out before a
small invited group here with Randy Weston at the piano next
week. But the Santa Monica performance will be its World Premier
with full jazz background, and can be so announced, if you wish.
The poem is not yet published, so it'll be brand new for your pro-
gram.

I'll come down from Oakland on Thursday night's train to be in
L. A. for a Friday rehearsal with Buddy. I'll be staying at the
Clark, as usual, so perhaps you could arrange with Mr. Clark and
Buddy to have the rehearsal there in his cocktail room---which is
not used in the day time. Any hour Buddy wishes is O. K. by me.

Tell Dot HELLO and I'm glad she's looking fine, as you say. And
I'll be seeing you-all.

November 23, 1962

Mr. L. A. Jones
P. O. Box 759
Pittsfield, Mass.

Dear Mr. Jones:

Mr. Langston Hughes is at present in California and will not be returning until early December, and then for conferences, auditions, and other activities related to the Theatre Guild Production of his play, TAMBOURINES TO GLORY which is scheduled for Broadway this season. In addition to the play activity, Mr. Hughes has several book contracts which have been delayed--some for almost two years--because of his almost continuous travel--lecture tours and more recent State Department goodwill missions. He stopped in Cleveland, Ohio, en route to California for an autographing book party for his new book FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, and this was, although very heartwarming, almost a physical strain....He has a very heavy schedule.

Mr. Hughes appreciates your kindness in inviting him to participate in your Regional Conference, but in order to complete work committed, he finds it necessary to decline all public appearances during 1962-63, that are not already committed.