Document text
Forms to be Filled out for Each Interview
FORM A
Circumstances of Interview
STATE New York
NAME OF WORKER Ralph Ellison
ADDRESS
DATE
SUBJECT
470 West 150 Street
May 10, 1939
Harlem
1. Date and time of interview
April 30, 1939 8200 P.M.
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
2. Place of interview
Eddie's Bar, St. Nicholas Avenue near 147 Street
3. Name and address of informant
4. Name and address of person, if any, who put you in
touch with informant.
Anonymous
5. Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
6. Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Modernistie barroom, green walls, marine dewigns,
Red imitation leather upholstery. Mirrors. Nielle phonograph in
rear half of room where food is served. Bronze metal work, framed.
Waiter and waitress, the former in black uniform, the latter in green.
All of this in good taste.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, for any of the forms,
each bearing the proper hoadinL and the number to which the material
refers.)
STATE
NAME OF WORKER
ADDRESS
DATE
SUBJECT
FORM C
Text of Interview (Unedited)
New York
Ralph Ellison
470 West 150 Street
May 10, 1939
Harlem Ahm In New York
FOLKLORE
NEW YORK
Ahm in New York, but New York aint in me. You understand?
Alum in New York, but New York aint in me. What do I mean? Listen.
In from Jacksonville Florida. Been in New York twenty-five years.
1m a New Yorker: But In in New York an New York aint in me. Yuh
understand? Naw, naw, yuh dont get me. Whut do they do; take Lenox
Avenue. Take Seventh Avenue; take Sugar Hill: Pimps. Numbers.
Cheating these poor people outa whut they got. Shooting, cutting,
backbiting, all them things. Yuh see? Yuh see *hut Ah mean? I'M
in New York, but New York aint in me: Dont laugh, dont laugh. Ahm
laughing but Ah dont mean it; it aint funny. Yuh see. In on Sugar
Hill, but Sugar Hill aint on me.
Ah come here twenty-five years ago. Bright lights, Pretty women.
More space to move around. ('on, if Ah had -a got New York in me Ahd
a -been dead a long time ago. What happened the other night. Yuh
heard about the shooting up here in the hill. Take that boy. Ah
knawed im: Anybody been around this hill knows in, n they know he
went fo a bad man. Whatd he do? New mind yuh now His brothers a
big -shot. Aakes plenty money. Got a big car an a fine office. But
he comes up on this hill tearin up peoples property if they dont pay
•IMPOIM,
him protection. Last night he walks into this wop's place up the
2.
street n tries to tear it up. Now yuh know thats a bad man, gonna
tear up the wops place. Well, he stepped outthe door n a bunch of them wops
show ed up in a car n tried to blow in a way. He had too much New York.
Ahm in New York, yuh see?, But New York aint in me! Hell yes, He went
n got too much New York, Yuh understand what Ah tryin to tell yuh?
Ah been in New York Twen-ty-five years! But Ah aint never
bothered nobody. Lint never done mothin to nobody. Ah aint no bad
fellow. Shore Ah drink. I like good whiskey. Ah drinks but Ah aint
drunk. Yuh think Ahm drunk. Ah dont talk drunk do Ah? Ah drinking n
Ah got money in mah pockets. But Ah aint throwing ma money away. Hell,
Ah talking sense, a aint Ah. Yuh heard me way in yonder didnt yuh? Yuh came to
me, heard me. Ah didnt have to come after yuh did Ah? If Ah hada been
talking foolishness yuh wouldnt a paid me no mind. Hell, Ah know Ahnl
right. Ah got something to say. Ah got something to say n Ah aint no
preacher neither. Alm: drinking. Ah likes to drink. Its good for malt
stomach. Good whiskeys good for anybody's stomach. Look at the bottle:
Mont Vernon: good whiskey. Mhut did the saint say? be said a little
spirits is good for the stomach, good to warm the spirit. Now where did
that come from? Yuh dont know yuh too young. Yuh young Negroes dont
know the Bible. Dont laugh, dont laugh. Look here Ahll tell you somethin:
Some folks drinks to out the fool
But some folks drinks to think
Ah drinks to think.