LETTRE À ALAIN LOCKE
Paulette et Jane Nardal
n.d. (c. 1928), archives Nardal, 61 J, Archives de Martinique - CTM.
Dear Mr. Locke,
My sister and I received your letter and thank you very much for it. We went to Mr. Payot’s three days ago. It appears that he has made up his mind to publish The New Negro, no doubt because French critics begin to take an interest in it. He says he has not received your letter.
As to the choice of the text, he thinks it should be made by French people (translators and other persons) having a particular knowledge of the tastes of the French public. In fact, it must be an agreeable book, not overloaded with economical, historical and geographical details, which should be, for instance, briefly and clearly stated in a preface. Mr. Payot says that certain passages should be summed up. So, perhaps it would be better for you to wait for the list of texts we are going to prepare for the publisher before rewriting the book. And we see that the excerpts you chose are quite in keeping with the demands of the French public. We are sending you a number of the French Review Vient de paraître containing a [criticism] on The New Negro and Nigger Heaven by Fran[c]k Schoell. The last book, translated and published by Kra, does not seem calculated to give a very enlightening idea of the race, especially as it is one of the first books concerning Negroes largely read in France. We think The New Negro would make a better impression on the great public if it were published by Payot.
Three hundred pages would be quite sufficient for such a book, which should give the many ideas of the different essays and present the Negro[e] as a thoughtful educated [individual] whose race consciousness has urged to self-expression. So, beside the essays you mentioned in your letter and some others, the remaining part is to be abridged. As to the terms, Mr. Payot told us that you were so very anxious to have the book published in France that you did not look forward to any money compensation and that he would only afford to pay the translators. His terms are 3000 francs for the first printing and 2000 francs if there is a second [due]. He asked us to inform you of his conditions and make arrangements with you before we sign the contract. We must also apply to Mr. Maran in order to get some advice from him as we are not accustomed to deal with publishers. Mr. Payot gave us the copy you left him of The New Negro, but we would need another one in order to have it read before we translate it by some university people. But the book is not to be found in Paris, either at Brentano, or Smith’s. As we would like to have our own copy, and we have subscribed to Opportunity, could we not get a remittance on the price of the book? If possible, we would be very grateful to you if you could send us some other interesting book with the difference of the money order you will find enclosed here (drama or poetry). We beg to be excused for all the trouble we are giving you.
We shall be very proud to make your acquaintance next summer and to work ever so little with you to the advancement of the race and also to turn to use our seven years’ experience of the French character.
With our best regards —
We are sincerely yours
P. – J. Nardal