Description
Handwritten letter from James Baldwin to an admirer, dated Feb. 7, 1980, while Baldwin was in Saint-Paul, France.
Includes original mailing envelope, addressed in Baldwin’s hand, with his address on rear: “Baldwin, St. Paul de Vence, 06570.” Letter is on “James Baldwin” stationery, previously folded. The envelope was roughly opened, torn down the center line, with an internal archival tape repair to stabilize the envelope.
The handwritten letter reads: “Feb. 7, 1980 / Dear Mr. Lemkowitz: I thank you much for your note, and I, too, wish all the best for you, and yours, for this coming year, and for many years to come. Keep on keeping on. Sincerely, James Baldwin.”
Handwritten letters from Baldwin are exceptionally rare.
James Baldwin spent the final 17 years of his life living in Sant-Paul-de Vence, France. He wrote three of his last books from the house, including Just Above My Head (1979), Evidence of Things Not Seen (1985) and Harlem Quartet (1987). He became fluent in French and enjoyed frequent visitors from around the world. Baldwin died in France in 1987 from stomach cancer and was buried near New York City.
