Description:

Countee Cullen TLS on Inspiration, African American, Harlem Renaissance Poet

A signed and emendated typed letter signed by poet, playwright, and children's novelist Countee Cullen. 1p, measuring 7.75" x 9.75", New York, dated November 24, 1933. Signed "Countee Cullen" in black ink and addressed to Harold Doughtery in Massachusetts, the letter concerns literary tools that every poet may need and those that are particularly inspiring to himself. Four edits/additions have been made to the typed text by Cullen in black ink. With flattened folds and light toning throughout. A few ink spots. Boldly signed, very good.

In part:
"…the needs of each poet are different. For instance I think rhyming dictionaries are démodé. Yet if one is not a verse librist there are moments when such an aid might be necessary. Therefore I have never discarded my rhyming lexicon. Roget's Thesaurus is a good friend of mine and one often in use, though less often than my Funk and Wagnall's unabridged. But there are, over and beyond the practical tools that I have mentioned, what I might call the spiritual tools that I believe most every poet draws upon. They consist of the inspiration and the wonder that he derives from others of his craft, those who have wrought so well that it leaves him breathless and poetically inspired…for me that problematical desert island would blossom as the rose so long as Solomon and David with their songs, Shakespeare with his sonnets, Keats so much more than any other, and Housman almost as much, were there to keep me company."

Countee Cullen (1903-1946) was an African American poet, novelist, children's writer, and playwright who flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. He moved to Harlem at age nine and was raised by his paternal grandmother until her death, whereupon he was adopted by Reverend Frederick A. Cullen in 1917. He attended NYU and began publishing his work in national periodicals such as "Poetry", "Crisis", "Harper's", "The Bookman" and more. His first landmark publication was a collection of poems called "Color" and included two of his most famous poems "Incident" and "Heritage". Cullen's work intersected with the Harlem community and such prominent figures as jazz legend Duke Ellington and playwright Langston Hughes. Cullen's successful career was cut short too soon, however, when he died at the age of 42 on January 9, 1946.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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