Live From the Reading Room: Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller to Phil Ponce

Live from the Reading Room: Correspondence is a podcast series that aims to share interesting and engaging letters written by or to key historical figures from the African Diaspora. Each episode highlights a letter from popular collections housed in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Today’s episode features a letter from internationally renowned jazz pianist and composer Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller, to his first agent-manager Phil Ponce.

Fats Waller Letter
Fats Waller Collection, Box 1, Folder 4, Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library.

Today’s correspondence is recited by Lake Bunkley, library page, Jean Blackwell Hutson Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library.

*Special Note: All text is represented as originally written by the correspondent.