{"value"=>"<p>Series is organized alphabetically. The materials contain primarily letters and cards sent to Bricktop, although there are a few items written by her with her signature. The letters in the collection do not document the early part of her career while in Paris, New York, or Mexico City. The earliest letters date from the 1950s, after she moved to Rome. Some of the folders hold additional materials that are relevant to the content of the letters, e. g. in the Josephine Baker folder there are letters addressing the <span class=\"title\">Josephine Baker Story</span> written by Hank Kaufman and Jack Jordan, correspondence between Baker and Jordan discussing a law suit, an annotated speech written by Bricktop introducing Baker at Carnegie Hall, 1973, and several news clippings. The Benjamin Aslan folder includes a consent form, script, program and reviews for <span class=\"title\">Red, Hot & Cole</span>, 1977, which was written by Randy Strawderman, James Bianchi, and Muriel McAuley with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Letters from prominent people consist of author James Haskins (includes a book contract and correspondence discussing the progress of Bricktop's autobiography); Hugh Shannon (ca. 1924-), a salon singer who performed with Bricktop in Rome (includes a published piece about Shannon by Magnum Pomum, 1981, in which Bricktop is quoted, and a first and revised draft of <span class=\"title\">Hugh Shannon \"True Blue Hugh\"</span> written by Bricktop); Gimi Beni (1924-1999), a singer, writer and composer (includes an outline for proposed film <span class=\"title\">Bricktop</span> and news articles); David Hanna, a writer with whom Bricktop began writing her autobiography (includes transcripts edited by Bricktop); Earl Blackwell (ca. 1910-1995), the celebrity promoter; Ruth Ellington (1915-2004), Duke Ellington's sister; Bishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979), an American archbishop of the Catholic Church who played a role in Bricktop's conversion to Catholicism; and Jack Jordan, manager and producer (includes a letter to Bricktop discussing the terms for her agreement to have a cameo role in the film \"Honey Baby, Honey Baby\" produced by Jordan. Other letters discuss the prospect of authors such as James Baldwin writing Bricktop's autobiography, Jordan's discontent with Josephine Baker and letters to Eartha Kitt and Diana Ross).</p>"}