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Langston Hughes
Details
Simple Takes a Wife
Langston Hughes
HUGHES, Langston (1901-1967). Simple Takes a Wife. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1953.
Presentation copy of the first edition, inscribed by Hughes to Thurgood Marshall, America’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice: ‘For Thurgood—My friend—Happy Birthday—‘I am equal, as you are, but separate we remain!’ Sincerely, Langston’.
Simple Takes a Wife is the second novel in the celebrated series of stories concerning ‘Simple’, an everyday working black man in Harlem. This significant presentation copy unites two men who helped to shape the voice and history of African Americans in the 20th century. Hughes first became acquainted with Marshall when they were classmates at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. His inscription evidently refers to Marshall’s work on the landmark desegregation case for which he led the NAACP’s legal strategy challenging the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’. Marshall described Hughes as ‘one of the greatest people I've ever known’.
Octavo. (Toned as usual, some spotting to first and last few leaves.) Original laminated printed boards (slight loss to laminate at spine, a little soiled). Provenance: Thurgood Marshall (American civil rights lawyer and Supreme Court Justice, 1908-1993; ownership inscription on title, authorial inscription around publisher’s seal on recto of first printed leaf).
Langston Hughes
HUGHES, Langston (1901-1967). Simple Takes a Wife. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1953.
Presentation copy of the first edition, inscribed by Hughes to Thurgood Marshall, America’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice: ‘For Thurgood—My friend—Happy Birthday—‘I am equal, as you are, but separate we remain!’ Sincerely, Langston’.
Simple Takes a Wife is the second novel in the celebrated series of stories concerning ‘Simple’, an everyday working black man in Harlem. This significant presentation copy unites two men who helped to shape the voice and history of African Americans in the 20th century. Hughes first became acquainted with Marshall when they were classmates at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. His inscription evidently refers to Marshall’s work on the landmark desegregation case for which he led the NAACP’s legal strategy challenging the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’. Marshall described Hughes as ‘one of the greatest people I've ever known’.
Octavo. (Toned as usual, some spotting to first and last few leaves.) Original laminated printed boards (slight loss to laminate at spine, a little soiled). Provenance: Thurgood Marshall (American civil rights lawyer and Supreme Court Justice, 1908-1993; ownership inscription on title, authorial inscription around publisher’s seal on recto of first printed leaf).
