LETTRE À ALAIN LOCKE

Paulette Nardal

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6 octobre 1931, archives Alain Locke, Université Howard, Washington, États-Unis.

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Dear Mr. Locke,

I hope you will be satisfied with the first number of The Review Of The Black World. It seems to be a success here.

We are forwarding you a certain number of copies which we would be glad to have you distribute among your friends and colleagues. We would be very glad if you could send us one of the articles you promised me to write for the review. We will publish it with a note on your activities and the great services which you rendered to American Negro literature.
I thank you exceedingly for sending me the anthology which I received four days ago. It will be of great use to me in my present work. There is a particular question upon which I would [like] to get some information. In the second number of The Review Of The Black World which we are preparing now, you will find a very delicate short-story by one of my friends, Mr. Léro. “Evelyn” is the title of this story in which self-analysis brought to an extreme degree cannot fail to remind one of Proust and Poe. I would like to have your opinion on the possibility of the American Negro writers of becoming interested in such a form of literature. Moreover, M. Gilbert Gratiant is going to send to your university a copy of his book of poetry entitled Poèmes en vers faux which are preceded by series of remarks on poetry, and extremely modern as to form and thought. I would consider this subject as the conclusion to your masterly essay on the contribution of the Negro to American art and literature. Furthermore, would it be possible for you to let us know what the American Negro students think of such literature?
Thanking you in advance for all that you might do for us, I send you my very best regards.

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P.S.- As you will see, the different articles are translated by a young American teacher and me. Miss Sheperd is boarding with me, and helping most intelligently in our work.