THE WAYS OF WHITE FOLKS by Hughes, Langston - 1947

New York: Knopf, 1947. First edition, fourth printing (the first printing was in 1934). INSCRIBED BY HUGHES, "...especially for Hilda Simms, with admiration -- Sincerely, Langston Hughes/ New York, February 13, 1950/ See P.200." The final of fourteen short stories, "Father and Son," appears on p.200. Att the head of the page, beneath the title, HUGHES HAS WRITTEN, " 'Mulatto' -- Dramatic Version/ 'The Barrier' -- Opera Version." Similarly, at the base of the "Contents" page, beneath the listing for "Father and Son," HUGHES HAS WRITTEN, " 'Mulatto' -- Play/ 'The Barrier' -- Opera." And on p.247, after the line, " 'Go on,' she said, stepping aside for the mob" HUGHES HAS ADDED, "my boy has gone to sleep." Hughes' play, "Mulatto," on which the story "Father and Son" is based, was completed in 1930 but not produced until 1935 (after the first publication of THE WAYS OF WHITE FOLKS). It ran on Broadway for 11 months -- a total of 373 performances -- and is one of the earliest Broadway plays to combine father-son conflict with race issues. "The Barrier," an unpublished full-length libretto by Hughes, did not appear until 1950 at Columbia University. Hilda Simms was an African-American stage and screen actress best known for her starring role on Broadway in "Anna Lucasta." She later appeared in the play version of Hughes' TAMBOURINES TO GLORY. Book is similar in design to first printing but in green cloth vs. light orange; top edge stain appears to have been black. Dust jacket is priced $2.50 and front panel is same as the first but spine is white printed in black (vs. black and red) and rear panel lists "Some Borzoi Fiction" (vs. "New Borzoi Novels"). Hughes' poem "Cross" (from THE WEARY BLUES) is typed up and taped to rear blank. Offset from tape to final page of text, hinges darkened, otherwise very good or better with covers clean and bright. In good-only dust jacket with rubbing, staining, shallow chipping and tears.