A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond (3 page)

S
IMON
& S
CHUSTER
, I
NC
.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

July 8, 2002

Mr. Barton Wilkes, Esq.

Advisor

The Hon. Strom Thurmond

Dear Mr. Wilkes:

We received your very interesting and latest letter just this morning and thank you very much for thinking of Simon & Schuster.

Of course we believe that you are who you say you are and that the proposal you suggest is relayed from Senator Thurmond. It is an intriguing idea, or could be, and I hope you will be assured that we try to stay alert to good ideas coming our way. It’s just that we are unable to determine from what you have told us whether this is a good idea. Really, we cannot quite decipher what the idea is. We can guess, but we wouldn’t be quite the publishing house we are for long if we operated on guessing, would we?

Are you certain that a meeting would not be in order? We can assure the Senator that we will in no way compromise his belief in equal justice, a belief we fervently share, along with probably everybody else alive. It’s just that a meeting would seem to us an efficient and just way to answer your questions and, on our side, to arrive at an understanding of what the Senator has in mind.

You will not be surprised to hear that we are a little puzzled by the title. The Senator’s views on any number of issues are, of course, of great interest. It seems natural that he would be recording his experiences and reminiscences at this stage of his long and colorful career in public life. What we do not quite understand as yet is exactly what the Senator is thinking of when he uses the word, “History.” Will the Senator be providing a continuous narrative and analysis of African-American life from the Colonial period to the present, or will he be concentrating instead on modern times and his own experience and views? Of course there are other alternatives; we are trying only to make our confusion clear. Thank you in advance for removing that confusion.

Wouldn’t you like to call me or provide a number where I can reach you? Perhaps an e-mail conversation would be efficient and move things along more expeditiously?

Thank you for contacting us.

O
FFICE OF
S
ENATOR
S
TROM
T
HURMOND
217 R
USSELL
S
ENATE
B
UILDING
W
ASHINGTON
, D.C. 20515

July 12, 2002

Martin A. Snell
Senior Editor, Simon & Schuster

Dear Mr. Snell,

I am sure you will not suspect me of being a truculent person, one with hackles easily gotten up. Still, it would be better for both of us if we established a few ground rules, got things straight from the very get-go, as the Senator would say. (Sometimes he says, “From the first rising of my morning glory.” He’s a colorful one, the Senator.)

—I am not “relaying” anything. I am sure you didn’t intend to insult me by referring to me as a trampoline, but things do not bounce off me. However, as we are both men of the world, perhaps we could each be more particular as to the language we are employing. I am an independent agent and a human being with ideas of my own and feelings. Perhaps you have a Mother you love, Mr. Snell? My own mother had her faults and she wasn’t always there for me—don’t you hate that phrase!—but she was always Mother.

—I think you should remember always that the Senator is in excellent health (and so am I). There is no need to rush, to “move things along more expeditiously.” Senator Thurmond has no intention of dying before writing his History, if that’s what you’re afraid of, and I’m sure it is. Say what you mean, man!

—And give me the courtesy of believing me when I say what I mean and mean it. No, a meeting is not advisable, nor the use of the telephone. I said that before, and I can only wonder that you missed that point. Perhaps you are not the sharpest tack holding down the carpet there? You sign yourself “Editor.” I assume that means
THE
editor, the boss?

Now to your questions. You raise an excellent point as to what sort of “History” the Senator will be providing. Perhaps we could leave that to him to determine as he will? That way neither of us will be disappointed, I expect. In any event, I have no idea at all what he will do. Don’t get me wrong, now: when I say I have no idea it’s not because I am not close to the Senator. I am as close to him as anyone has ever been. He is a private sort of man, for all his public flair. He likes to write by inspiration, as it comes to him. And it always does. Pinning him to a plan would be like stapling an eagle to a memo pad.

That should clear everything up. You send a contract by return mail and then we’ll move.

O
FFICE OF
S
ENATOR
S
TROM
T
HURMOND
217 R
USSELL
S
ENATE
B
UILDING
W
ASHINGTON
, D.C. 20515

July 12, 2002

Juniper:

What goes on there? Is this Snell person all he should be?

I expect you have seen the correspondence, right? If not, here it is, the latest bit. Mad, don’t you think?

What a world you must live in! It’s down the rabbit-hole every morning for you, little Alice, right?

Well, keep your pinafore clutched close, is my advice.

Blanton (ha ha)

p.s. Perhaps it’s too much to ask for your opinion on this: should I seek out another house (as you publishers, I believe, refer to it), given Snell’s unsettled state?

p.p.s. And the “R” stands for? Should I guess?

Memo: Snell to McCloud

July 14, 2002

McCloud:

See what you can find out about this Wilkes guy. I think he’s a fucking psycho.

This may all turn out OK, but I can tell you that right now I am not over-pleased that you came to me with this project. It’s taking up a lot of my time—and we are still on square one. I am not going to get ahead at this place if I ride projects like this one and blister nothing but my own ass! Don’t forget that there is a paradox here: I am the smartest fuck here and also the youngest. I expect you are already toting up dates and saying, “Well soul-kiss your sister, he isn’t the youngest at all.” But you know what I mean, Juney. Don’t be an idiotic literalist. I am the newest and most vulnerable. Don’t take advantage of that vulnerability, please. Others have, but I thought you were different.

And if I’m fired, I’m taking you and that cute ass with me.

Cats?

Martin

July 14, 2002

From: J. McCloud, assistant to M. Snell

To:     Self

Holy Shit!

S
IMON
& S
CHUSTER
, I
NC
.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

July 14, 2002

Barton:

Look at this, will you? I shouldn’t be sending you private memos; but Jesus Christ. Here I am just out of NYU, an English major lucky to get a job, or so I thought, and I end up with this idiot. I don’t mean to thrust this on you, but you’re the only one I know who’d believe Snell was Snell.

He may be a lot worse than an idiot, I guess. One minute he’s leering at me, the next sneering, the next looking at me as if he doesn’t know who I am. I suppose he’s insecure, being a new person here himself, but insecurity isn’t something he has a monopoly on.

I suppose you have a pretty cushy job there with old Strom? He must sleep 20 hours a day, right? Like an old tomcat. I gather he was just that in his day, fucking women in the office, on their way to the electric chair, in the toilets at beauty queen contests. Anyhow, I think you must have it pretty nice there.

As for this project on African-American history. What is it, a joke? It is so fucking moronic, it has to be—unless the old imbecile really thinks this is just the book for him. Or are you writing it? You figuring he’ll never know and you can slip anything you want by the old numskull? What a great idea. It’ll make you!

Well, I’m back to business—in this case, investigating you. The loonies are running the asylum!

Juney