CULLEN, COUNTEE

Page, Curtis Hidden; editor. British Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 8vo, cloth, spine reinforced, tips rubbed; bookplate and ownership signature of Countee Cullen, "Countee P. Cullen, New York University." New York, 1923 The Harlem Renaissance poet's working copy, obviously for a poetry course at New York University. On the rear pastedown Cullen has penned a longer version of his "If You Should Go" which would appear in shortened form on page 78 of his first book, Color (1925). Additionally, this massive textbook contains over 400 holograph marginal notes, some quite lengthy, plus hundreds of underlinings and markings. A unique and exceptional personal insight into the formative period of Cullen's life as a poet. The year 1925 was of particular importance for Cullen. He had been awarded Opportunity Magazine's Second Prize (the first went to Langston Hughes), Poetry Magazine's John Reed Memorial Prize, and Harper's published his first book, Color. Though the ownership signature bears no specific date, the fact that the poem from Color differs from this handwritten version would suggest that this variant precedes the published version.