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Books by Marcus Bruce
Christian
Song of the Black Valiants: Marching Tempo
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High Ground: A Collection of Poems /
Negro soldiers in the Battle of New Orleans
I am New
Orleans: A Poem
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Negro Iron Workers of Louisiana: 1718-1900 /
The Liberty Monument
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Letter 8
Lyle Saxon
Queries Houghton Mifflin
for
Fellowship or Publication of Christian
February
18, 1936
Mr.
Paul Brooks
In
care of Houghton
Mifflin
Publishing Co.
2
Park Street, Boston Massachusetts
Dear
Mr. Brooks:
I
have your letter of January 29, in which you sent blanks for the
1936 Literary fellowship. I regret to say that most of our
workers employed on the Federal Writers' Projects are not
creative writers, but among those who applied to me for work is
a Negro man, Marcus B. Christian, who seems to have a very
authentic talent. I have talked several times with this man and
it seems to me that he is really worth helping.
He
has published poems in "Opportunity" and other Negro
magazines, and he is now at work on an autobiographical poem
called 'The Clothes Doctor'. This man is largely self-taught,
and he operates a small pressing and cleaning shop. He refused
to be certified for relief. He is proud and says that he is not
asking the Government for help.
I
tried in every way to arrange to have him work on the Federal
Writers' Projects in Louisiana, but - because he refuses to be
certified and because of Governmental red tape - it is
impossible for me to give him the employment that he needs so
much.
I
do not know whether Houghton Mifflin is interested in Literary
Fellowships for poets, but I do believe that of all the writers
that I have seen since I have taken this job, Marcus Christian
is the one most likely to prove successful.
Although
I am under contract with another publishing house, I have always
had the friendliest feeling for Houghton Mifflin: first, because
you recognized the work of Oliver La Farge; second, because you
have given help to such a talent as that of E.P. O'Donnell; and
third, because you are publishing Frans Blom's book.
I
am enclosing some of the writings of Marcus B. Christian, but I
have said nothing to him about writing to you as I would dislike
to raise his hopes only to have them end in disappointment. If
you are interested in communicating with him, his address is 314
South Rocheblave Street.
Sincerely
yours,
Lyle
Saxon
State
Director, Federal Writers' Projects
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Lyle Saxon (1891-1946) was
known in his day as "Mr. New Orleans." Saxon lived the life of
the Southern gentleman, championed the romance and tradition of old New
Orleans and wrote history and biography as well as fiction. As director
of the Louisiana Federal Writer's project of the Works progress
Administration, Saxon contributed to and compiled
Gumbo Ya-Ya, a
collection of Louisiana folktales, and valuable and enduring guides to
new Orleans and to the state. other Saxon titles include Father
Mississippi (1927),
Fabulous New Orleans (1928),
Old Louisiana (1929), Lafitte
the Pirate (1930), and the novel
Children of Strangers (1937). Robert Tallant collaborated with Saxon and
other FWP researchers on Gumbo Ya-Ya. Saxon also worked with
Marcus B. Christian and the Dillard Project to develop a history of
blacks in Louisiana. Christian ennobled view of blacks however differed
from Saxon's more traditional view of the Negro in the South |
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Marcus Bruce
Christian
Selected Diary Notes
/ Selected Poems
/
Selected Letters
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Memories of Marcus B. Christian
(Cains) Christian's
BioBibliographical Record Introduction to I AM NEW
ORLEANS
A
Theory of a Black Aesthetic Magpies,
Goddesses, & Black Male Identity
Activist Works on Next Level of Change
Intro to I Am New
Orleans
Letter from Dillard University
A
Labor of Genuine Love
Letter of Gift of
Photos
Letters from
LSU and Skip Gates * * *
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Negro Iron Workers of Louisiana: 1718-1900
By Marcus Bruce Christian
Study of the blacksmith
tradition and New Orleans famous lace balconies
and fences.
Acclaimed
during his life as the unofficial poet laureate
of the New Orleans African-American community,
Marcus Christian recorded a distinguished career
as historian, journalist, and literary scholar.
He was a contributor to Pelican's
Gumbo Ya Ya, and also wrote many
articles that appeared in numerous newspapers,
journals, and general-interest publications.
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Audio:
My Story, My Song (Featuring blues guitarist Walter Wolfman Washington)
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Ancient African Nations
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Negro Digest /
Black World
Browse all issues
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Enjoy!
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The Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan
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The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
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Only a Pawn in Their Game
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson Thanks America for
Slavery
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The Journal of Negro History issues at Project Gutenberg
The
Haitian Declaration of Independence 1804
/
January 1, 1804 -- The Founding of
Haiti
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posted 17 April 2010 |
