Lusaka

30 January 1969

Dear Bob

Just thought to drop you a line to spell out my P.S. in my last letter, as it might have been cryptic – yes?

We are tied up for 3 years and wouldn't settle for less as the school wants to be sure it can keep expatriates for more than the usual 2 years to get the best out of them. I can of course break my contract after the 2 years required by American Immigration on condition I pay the university back the money on fares to Lusaka and £400 ($1,100) for freight of our goods. They would then not pay our fares back to the U.S. We wouldn't have that kind of money. And yet we are disillusioned by Zambia and the life of a black exile here is one of perpetual fear of deportation, government suspicion and general emotional dampness. The university is not a particularly stimulating place, is full of British retreads of the worst narrow-minded sort. And we do feel ‘homesick’ for Denver.

In any case, during 1970 we must set things going to apply for immigrant status. I have received a letter from a Human Sheveloo who was a teaching fellow at the GSIS of D.U. and has been battling against the authorities to obtain a waiver of the 2 years’ absence requirement. He tells me that he has it – through the help of U.C. at Davis where he's teaching, local Congressmen, Senators, the Davis faculty and students. So it is possible – more possible than our man, Marcum ever dreamed of. There is another friend who's here on research, a South African from UCLA. He also obtained a waiver through the efforts of the L.A. campus.

Rebecca feels bad the experiment isn't promising of returning to Africa. As I never got up any enthusiasm about it, I felt the pain less.

Love to Elizabeth & yourself from us.

Ever

Zeke

P.S. Tell John still haven't received Denver Q. with my piece in – the D.U.

11 February 1969

Dear Zeke,

Thanks for your recent letter and I am terribly sorry to hear that the Zambia venture is not turning out very well.