Glenn Zucman

To Langston Hughes

[May 31, 1929]

Dear Langston,

The stuff is on the rails at last. I thought I was ready before I was and had to make a lot of changes. Can you read things at once and get it back to me so that I can get it typed and off to Godmother? Thanks if you can. I am very eager for her to see what I have done.

I know that you are having a terrific time, in your last few undergrad days. I am wondering if I should not wait till it is all over before putting it before you.

Make plenty suggestions. You know I depend on you so much.

I read the Lit. Digest for May 11, and Langston! I was so thrilled. But it was just as I had said at both New Orleans U. and Straight. I did not say that DuBoise was the greatest for I do not think so, but the other I did.

I am very eager to see and talk with you now. I have so much to say and so many things for us to do together. I got a dandy filling-station skit worked out.

I am thru with the first writing of both the lore and the religion I shall now set it aside to cool till it grows inside me.

I think what follows is exciting. I have a chance to buy a beautiful tract of land slap on the Indian river, which as you probably know, passes for the most beautiful river in the world. It parallels the ocean all the way with the merest strip of land between so that one has the river and the ocean together. Now there are fifteen lots in the plat all surveyed, cleared, and with what could be used for a dandy club house right on the water. $4,000 is the price. $1,500 down and any terms I want to make for the rest. Know what I thought of? A Negro art colony. You, and Wallie, and AAron Douglas and Bruce and me and all our crowd. It is about three miles from Eau Gallie prper and so we would be isolated. It is on the Dixie Highway, as fine a piece of road engineering as there is in the U.S.A. Honest Langston it is a good buy. You know that everybody down here is dead broke, dont you? They have never allowed a Negro to buy on the Dixie or the Indian river before and they are not doing it now, except in this case. We dont need to worry about the white folks as the big wigs in the city have held a meeting and decided to sell to me. I can, if I choose sell to any of my friends so long as they belong to my social caste. They want no niggers in that neighborhood and were quite frank about it, but they said that, they were agreeably surprised in me, and the last man of the white business world tip their hats to me, treat me with the utmost respect. They are all yankees anyway. They say they do not mind Negroes having the plat, but NO niggers. They do not want the property to lose its future value. I mean the adjacent property. They said, that we can have a R.R. station there if we ask the R.R.co and have a little town of our own. I think that would be dandy. I introduced them to you thru “Fine Clothes” and they had it at the Chamber of Commerce meeting, and you have been discussed at the P.O. for two weeks. The man who wants to sell is a bootlegger and the Govt. has been hard on him and he is about to lose everything. I think I can get it cheaper than 4000 if I can raise the down payment. That is what he is eager to get. What do you think? I spoke at length of the white attitude because I know you would wonder about it at once. It looks absolutely safe to me, and we could have lots of fun and a lovely place to retire and write on occasion. I am not asking you in a snide way to help on the payment, I really want your opinion. Thats all. I think Aleilia Walker might like the idea don’t you? We dont need too many. No big society stuff. Just a neat little colony of kindred souls. I’m crazy to build me a house that looks something like an African king’s menage. More alaborate of course.

Love and luck, honey.

[on back of envelope:] Decided at last minute to send material on to G.M. Felt she was anxious. Hope for it back by June 7th.