Books by Sterling Brown

Southern Road / The Negro Caravan / The Collected Poems of Sterling Brown  /

The Negro in American Fiction; Negro Poetry and Drama  / Last Ride of Wild Bill and Eleven Narrative Poems

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Books about Sterling Brown

Joanne,Gabbin. Sterling A. Brown: Building the Black Aesthetic Tradition (1994)

John Edgar Tidwell, Sterling A. Brown's A Negro Looks at the South (2007)

Charles Rowell. Callaloo's Sterling A. Brown: Special Issue (1998)

Mark A. Sanders. Afro-Modernist Aesthetics & the Poetry of Sterling Brown (1999)

Mark A. Sanders. A Son's Return: Selected Essays of Sterling Brown (1996)

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 Letter 16

WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION,

Walker-Johnson Building,

1734 New York Avenue NW

 Washington, D.C., September 15, 1937

Mr. Marcus Christian 

Federal Writer's Project 

Works Progress Administration 

803 Canal Bank Building 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

Dear Mr. Christian: 

I have wanted to write to you for a long time, but the pressure of a very busy year has prevented. I heard last fall from Mr. Saxon that you were on the Project, and of course I knew of your work in OPPORTUNITY.

I am writing you, on Mr. Saxon's suggestion, concerning a project that we have under way. We are planning a book on the Negro in American life. There will be biographical sketches illustrating Negro experience. These will not be the Who's Who or the Dictionary of American biography type, but will focus upon some single significant action in the character's life, with enough other material to place the character historically.

Some of the chapters, for instance, will be a Picture of Slavery (largely from slave autobiographies), the Negro at Work, In School, In Sports, In Arts, etc. We have heard from many sources, including Dean Bond of Dillard and Mr. Saxon, of the large amount of material collected by the Negro group in New Orleans. We have little about Louisiana yet assembled. I spoke to Mr. Saxon about a Louisiana editor to help us with the book, which I am anxious to complete as soon as possible. Mr. Saxon named you, and as I was already acquainted with your work, I welcomed the suggestion.

I should like to know if you would be willing to help us with the Louisiana matter for our book. I cannot guarantee any raise in pay, as that matter is not in my hands. Your duties would be to send up material from Louisiana that would be of interest for our composite picture. The exact type of assignment I could send you if you would like to do this work. Mr. Saxon is willing for you to help us.

I am enclosing a tentative outline of subjects to be treated. It may not be very clear, but should give you a rough idea. With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Sterling Brown

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posted 29 June 2008