{"value"=>"<p>This series is comprised primarily of incoming letters and a small file of copies of outgoing letters. The largest group of letters is from a former lover, Charles Darden (1946-2013), a conductor and musician. Most letters date from the 1970s (bulk dates 1973-1977). Many of the letters were written from Europe, specifically when Darden's career took him abroad. There appear to be gaps in their correspondence, as there are some letters from Darden in the late 1980s, none in the 1900s, and few in the early 2000s. There is also a typed letter from Maya Angelou (January 1974) acknowledging receipt of poems from Johnson, but giving reasons for not accepting them for publication, instead forwarding them to Paula Giddings at Howard University Press. Miscellaneous letters range from the 1970s through the 2000s. Two letters are particularly revealing of Johnson: 1) a handwritten, multipage letter in the form of an interview with his brother, Michael, in which they discuss sexual and family issues, and 2) a long letter written (again in longhand) shortly before Johnson's death, to Diana Lachatanere, then curator of the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Division of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.</p>"}