Draft of letter from Thelma T. Gorham to John Steinbeck
Item
Title
Draft of letter from Thelma T. Gorham to John Steinbeck
Rights Information
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Type
Text
Creator
Gorham, Thelma Thurston, 1913-1991 (Correspondent)
Description
A draft of a letter written by Thelma T. Gorham, intended for John Steinbeck and his literary agents. Gorham opens by informing Steinbeck that she clipped a quotation of his from the K. C. Star. She notes that she thinks one of the phrases he used would be the perfect title for a collection of trilogies she intends to publish. She also notes that a forward by Steinbeck would be the perfect introduction for the book. Gorham briefly discusses the trilogy and wonders if she could send a copy to Steinbeck for his reaction as a successful author. Gorham continues with a note on herself, writing that she is an assistant professor of journalism at FAMU and has experience working in the newspaper industry, but has not been able to get off the ground with the kind of writing she wants most to do; she notes, however, that she "can't, or won't, give up." She goes on to write, "I look at the successes of some of my illustrious white, male former classmates, like Eric Sevareid, and I keep saying 'In spite of my being a black woman in this business, some day I'll make it [?].'" Gorham then explains that her big goals are to get her book published and to complete the requirements for her Ph.D.. She closes by writing that any encouragement or assistance from Steinbeck would mean more than she could say.
Genre
Personal correspondence
Language
English
Physical Description
2 pages
Identifier
JGRCMA-MSS2004-1108-B008C-F060-I013
Topics
Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968
Sevareid, Eric, 1912-1992
African American women educators
African American women journalists
Gorham, Thelma Thurston
African American women authors
Physical Location
Thelma T. Gorham Collection, John G. Riley House Archives, Tallahassee Community College Library, Tallahassee, Florida.