Published in London by Paul Breman between 1962 and 1975, the Heritage Series of Black Poetry consists of twenty-seven volumes by new African American and black poets as well as those of older generations whose work had not previously appeared in book form. The series featured photographic covers and biographical information about the authors, many of whom were, at the time of publication, unknown but for their appearances in such compilations as The Poetry of the Negro, 1746–1949: An Anthology edited by Arna W. Bontemps (1902–73) and Langston Hughes (1902–67).
The following text is an excerpt of a letter from Paul Breman to Arna Bontemps dated 28 June 1959 in the Arna Wendell Bontemps Papers at the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University Libraries:
I will, I hope, be starting small editions of Negro poetry booklets next year. The first series of four titles will include books by Robert Hayden . . . and Waring Cuney. . . . I had thought of re-issuing Fenton Johnson’s three books (or pamphlets . . . ), but maybe you could be persuaded to make a selection from his best verse, including the unpublished material. It would not, I’m afraid, be a tewarding work financially.
The following text is an excerpt of a letter from Arna Bontemps to Paul Breman dated 7 July 1959 in the Arna Wendell Bontemps Papers at the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University Libraries:
I will be only too glad to work with you on the plan to reissue a selection of his [Fenton Johnson’s] best verse. I would take my last letter from him as authorization for this, and I understand that the financial rewards for such an undertaking will be modest.
Incidentally, when you are thinking about older poets, remember one by the name of Arna Bontemps whose things have enjoyed widely scattered publication but have never been brought together!
