( REPRINT FROM ORIGINAL) ATTENTION CHRISTIANS!..."GOODBYE CHRIST"....
[Hughes, Langston]:

Pasadena, Ca. " November 1940." Broadside, 9 x 5 3/8". Near fine. A very interesting and revolting broadside attacking Hughes, who was scheduled to appear at a book and author luncheon at the Vista Del Arroyo Hotel, Friday, November 15th 1940, in Pasadena, urging "Christians" to attend to "Hear the Distinguished Young Negro Poet...member of the American Section of Moscow's 'International Union of Revolutionary Writers.'" The entire text of "Goodbye Christ" is then printed, followed by the command, "Attend the Luncheon, Christians and Hear George Palmer Putnam Introduce the author of the above 'poem' Langston Hughes Distinguished young Negro poet -- and eat, IF YOU CAN." The action against Hughes was organized by the notorious evangelist, Aime Semple McPherson, who is mentioned in the poem, and resulted in the appearance of a mob of her minions turning up to picket the hotel, resulting in the cancelation of the luncheon. From its first appearance in print (without Hughes's authorization) in THE NEGRO WORKER in 1932, "Goodbye Christ" had dogged Hughes; as a consequence of the protest attending this flyer, THE SATURDAY EVENING POST reprinted it, without authorization, as well as the handbill, in its 21 December 1940 issue, and Hughes finally circulated a letter renouncing the poem as a product of earlier sentiments that he no longer entertained. The event is treated on pp. 390-395 (Vol. I) of Rampersad's biography of Hughes.

(Item ID: WRCLIT19868) $50.00