Won’t you help me in the service of the Lord?
I’m a Rolling
I’m a… (Sundquist, 505)
Transcript:
ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
November 17, 1934
Mr. F. P. Keppel
CARNEGIE CORPORATION
522 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York
My dear Mr. Keppel:
Mr. Harcourt suggests that I write you again. I am loathe to do this because the difficulty that my book is up against now is partly my fault. When I applied before to the Carnegie Fund it was to help me in the matter of citations. I had used hundreds of books and pamphlets over a stretch of four years, and the exact citations were lost, twisted and distorted in all sorts of ways, and I had to spend a great deal of time and money to get them straight. They are now satisfactory.
Meantime, I had saved out of your appropriation about $300 to pay for corrections in the proof. I knew that these would come because of my method of writing. I composed with after-thoughts and corrections, continual readjustment and polishing, to get the great impression and setting. It is always necessary on account of time to send out my work before the final polishing, but the last efforts are really of the greatest importance.
On the gallery proof, I made a large number of corrections, but necessarily on the galleys my thought was directed to details, words, sentences, figures. On the other hand, on the paged proofs, I was thinking of the general story, and made a large number of corrections. Each one, of which, to my mind is much more important than even spelling and punctuation. The cost, however, has been enormous. I had expected it to be large but with the allowance of 25% of the setting costs and the $300., I thought I was more than safe. I have sent Mr. Harcourt $250 but he tells me that I will need $400 or $500 more. I do not like to ask for this because I know the position in which all benevolent agencies are at this time. I might borrow the money but I do not like to do this. I am, therefore, putting the situation before you.
I think I have a book of unusual importance. Of course, it will not sell widely; it will not pay, but in the long run, it can never be ignored. I shall be glad to know if you think anything can be done? Perhaps you would like to look at a set of proofs. They are rather formidable, nearly 750 pages, but if you would care to see them, I will get them to you.
Very sincerely yours,
W. E. B. Du Bois
WEBD/DW
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963. Letter from W. E. B. Du Bois to Carnegie Corporation, November 17, 1934. W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries. https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b069-i239.