In 1953 African-American poet Langston Hughes began corresponding with several South African writers variously affiliated with the legendary Drum magazine. Published here for the first time, these letters provide an invaluable glimpse into the growing repression of South African apartheid and the slow but painful progress of the American Civil Rights movement. Revealing a fascinating set of transatlantic friendships between a titan of American letters and a group of writers that includes Peter Clarke, Todd Matshikiza, Bloke Modisane, Ezekiel Mphahlele, Peter Abrahams, and Richard Rive, this...
In 1953 African-American poet Langston Hughes began corresponding with several South African writers variously affiliated with the legendary Drum maga...