Letters and Notes Collection

The James A. Emanuel Project’s Letter Collection contains nine-seven pages of letters with two-main purposes. The first purpose is to provide an intimate view into Emanuel’s life and writings through letters to mentors, colleagues, collaborators, and friends. However, the correspondences between Emanuel and Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1967 are an outlier in this collection. The second purpose is to reveal a sense of how he built his character and career in community with others.

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For Prof. Douglas Watson: answers to questions in letter of Janu- ary 1982 1. Yes, you may quote from Snowflakes and Steel in your essay for DLB. 2. Relative ages of my sisters and brother: Julia, 69; Raymond, 64; Gladys, 62; Christine 57. (Deceased: Janet, who would have been about 67 now; Alvin, who would have been 54.) 3. Christian Science and I: I have been influenced by it through the strong character of my mother, especially in its mind—over—matter principles. But I have been affiliated with no church aver since, in 1942 or 1943, a "white" church in Washington, D.C., refused me entrance as an air-raid shelter during a practice defense drill. 4. My most important teachers at Howard, Northwestern, and Columbia: at Howard, I was much impressed by Margaret Just Butcher (beauty and brains), John Lovell (incisive intellect), Frank Snowden (bril— Brown (not my teacher, but was generous and entertaining to some of us students). Alain Locke and John Hope Franklin (to whom I dedicated a very recent poem) were not my teachers, but each called me into his office to give me encouragement and offer aid. (OVER) 5. Langston Hughes: I did not know him before 1959, when I was at Columbia. 6. Broadside and Lotus Presses: I chose them because of their support of Black writers. I had much correspondence with Dudley before I met him in about 1970, and I have not yet met Namoi Long Madgett. (If I remember correctly, I suggested the Broadside Press Critics Series to Dudley when I was in Grenoble). Probably LP will publish my anticipated 1982 volume. 7. The stolen literary papers: You may mention them in your essay for DLB. DuBroff, it she depends upon her own interests, will probably never know of the existence of Chisel or, perhaps, of DLB. 8. Yes, I plan to be at CCNY during 1982—84. Isolated fact of possible interest: first literary recognition of my po- etry: Flame Magazine, after a poll of poetry editors, sent me a "Cita- tion for Merit" for my first serious poem, "Sonnet for a Writer," which appeared in Phylon in 1958. It had been written at Northwestern, 1953. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paris, 10 January 1982 Deer Professor Watson, Thanks for taking the trouble to write a long letter. It is encour— aging to find an able critic interested in one's work. I'11 never write another Snowflakes and Steel, and I am glad that you thought it worth my effort. Too bad you couldn't see Anthony Suter's essay "Flowers That Don't Live Long: The Poet's Journey Through Love ..." for it had good insights (Phylon is now reading it--or someone at Phylon). I look forward to seeing your essay. If you pursue your interest in my poetry, which would be a compliment, I'll offer you whatever information (and unpublished work) that you might find helpful. In the meantime. please excuse this unusual letter—form--during my grappling with A Poet's Mind. And let me return your kind wishes for a 1982 that goes well, and with good work and good luck. Sincerely, [signature - Jim] [everyone calls me] James A. Emanuel

Letter to Douglas Watson January 1982 (page 1 of 2)

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