African American Authors

[Dark Muse]

Something I heard on the radio on the way home from school made me think of this. I have read Thier Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Huston and The Native Son by Richard Wright, and have always found the Harlem Renaissance to be interesting. But my knowedge of African American authors is fairly limited.

I am interested in books particularly of the 20th century by African American authors.

[Mag Master 21]

I absolutely hated Their Eyes Were Watching God but loved Native Son...

You might want to check out Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison... Some may suggest Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, but I hated this book as well.

EDIT: The Autobiography of Malcolm X may be worth a look as well.

[semi-fly]

Not that this will be of much help but you could look for work by the following writers: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Helene Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, and Jean Toomer. They should fit into your Harlem Renaissance theme.

[Dark Muse]

I quite enjoyed Thier Eyes Were Watching God, and I found Native Son to be quite interesting.

The Invisible Man is one one of my lists of books to read.

[Dark Muse]

Not that this will be of much help but you could look for work by the following writers: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Helene Johnson, Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, and Jean Toomer. They should fit into your Harlem Renaissance theme.

I have heard of Langston Hughes but haven't acutally read any of his work thus far, I would not mind looking into some more of Hurston's work, though I thought it seems to be difficult to come by, I also heard that a lot of her work had been lost.

I will have to look into some of the other names mentioned that I am not familair with.

[Wilde woman]

I loved Their Eyes Were Watching God...but I find it's very much a love-it-of-hate-it book. I'm glad that Invisible Man is on your list too.

You must check out Toni Morrison (though she's later than the Harlem Renaissance). She was the first and only African-American writer to earn a Nobel Peace Prize for literature. Her most famous stuff is Beloved and Song of Solomon, though she recently came out with the new novel called A Mercy.

I must second Langston Hughes. His poetry is just awesome; it really captures the bluesy feel of the Harlem Renaissance. My personal favorite is "A Dream Deferred": http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=175884

I liked Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, but it's not for everyone. It explores the life of the Igbo people who lived in modern-day Nigeria before and during British colonization. Achebe, though, is probably the most famous Nigerian writer ever.

[Jeremiah Jazzz]

Things Fall Apart is on my reading list. But I'm really interested in reading some Middle Eastern authors, seeing how there's like none in my library...

[semi-fly]

I have heard of Langston Hughes but haven't acutally read any of his work thus far, I would not mind looking into some more of Hurston's work, though I thought it seems to be difficult to come by, I also heard that a lot of her work had been lost.

I will have to look into some of the other names mentioned that I am not familair with.
If you have access to a university library you should be able to find something that will tide you over until you can find other authors of interest.

[mayneverhave]

'Death and the King's Horseman' by Wole Soyinka's, the first African Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate.

[Dark Muse]

I must second Langston Hughes. His poetry is just awesome; it really captures the bluesy feel of the Harlem Renaissance. My personal favorite is "A Dream Deferred": http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=175884

I was checking out some of his poetry, and I really liked liked The Weary Blues

[Mag Master 21]

I have heard of Langston Hughes but haven't acutally read any of his work thus far

He's one that I think is pretty good.

I have heard good things of Black Boy, which Richard Wright also wrote.

[Virgil]

I loved Their Eyes Were Watching God...but I find it's very much a love-it-of-hate-it book. I'm glad that Invisible Man is on your list too.

You must check out Toni Morrison (though she's later than the Harlem Renaissance). She was the first and only African-American writer to earn a Nobel Peace Prize for literature. Her most famous stuff is Beloved and Song of Solomon, though she recently came out with the new novel called A Mercy.

I must second Langston Hughes. His poetry is just awesome; it really captures the bluesy feel of the Harlem Renaissance. My personal favorite is "A Dream Deferred": http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=175884

I liked Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, but it's not for everyone. It explores the life of the Igbo people who lived in modern-day Nigeria before and during British colonization. Achebe, though, is probably the most famous Nigerian writer ever.

Neither Morrison or Achebe are part of the Harlem Renaissance. In fact as you point out Achebe isn't even American. I concur with most here, Ralph Ellison's Invisble Man is a must read. I'm am still waiting to get to Hurston's There Eyes Were Watching God. It's right there on my book case. ;)

[JBI]

Robert Hayden, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes (to an extent), Richard Wright, and more, but those are a good place to start.

The African American women's writing tradition, I find though takes off a little bit later, notably in the post-modern movement, with Morrison, Dove, and others.

[semi-fly]

Dark Muse didn't specifically state that (s)he is looking for only Harlem Renaissance authors, (s)he stated that it would be an interesting period, etc. As it was a very interesting period in American history (1920-30) I can understand why (s)he would like that period.

Another period, though not as interest as I see it, would be during the Black Panther Party era (1966-76) when a lot of political literature was written about the Vietnam war/conflict and how lopsided the draft was towards Africans vs. Caucasians (something like 4:1 or some outlandish ratio) among other minority related issue of the time.

[Virgil]

Dark Muse didn't specifically state that (s)he is looking for only Harlem Renaissance authors, (s)he stated that it would be an interesting period, etc. As it was a very interesting period in American history (1920-30) I can understand why (s)he would like that period.

Oh you're right. Somehow the discussion turned to Harlem Renaissance. If that is the case, then do read Toni Morrison. She is a fine writer.


Another period, though not as interest as I see it, would be during the Black Panther Party era (1966-76) when a lot of political literature was written about the Vietnam war/conflict and how lopsided the draft was towards Africans vs. Caucasians (something like 4:1 or some outlandish ratio) among other minority related issue of the time.
Sorry but that is an urban legend. Completely false. Here:

88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races.
http://history-world.org/vietnam_war_statistics.htm

African Americans make up 12-13% of the American population. They were actually under represented in the draft. Out of curiosity, where did you pick that urban legend up?

[JBI]

How accurate is that site? It also, doesn't take into account how many were drafted, and only talks about how many served. Either way though, I won't get involved, I just wanted to point out that said website is, well, a pretty dingy webpage in general, and not worthy of any form of footnote.

[Virgil]

How accurate is that site? It also, doesn't take into account how many were drafted, and only talks about how many served. Either way though, I won't get involved, I just wanted to point out that said website is, well, a pretty dingy webpage in general, and not worthy of any form of footnote.

It's accurate. I've read the same elsewhere. It certainly isn't 4:1 as she claimed. It's an urban legend that more blacks have served in American wars. Tehy say that about every war and it's been false every time. It's roughly the same percentage as the population.

Here source, the US Government: http://www.veteranshour.com/vietnam_war_statistics.htm

They all have the same statistics: http://25thaviation.org/Facts/

[JBI]

It's accurate. I've read the same elsewhere. It certainly isn't 4:1 as she claimed. It's an urban legend that more blacks have served in American wars. Tehy say that about every war and it's been false every time. It's roughly the same percentage as the population.

Here source, the US Government: http://www.veteranshour.com/vietnam_war_statistics.htm

They all have the same statistics: http://25thaviation.org/Facts/

I read somewhere as well, that 2/3 of the people who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Perhaps then, your data can be quite skewed, given it only takes into account people who served, not people who were drafted. Either way, I don't really want to get involved.

[Logos]

Something I heard on the radio on the way home from school made me think of this. I have read Thier Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Huston and The Native Son by Richard Wright, and have always found the Harlem Renaissance to be interesting. But my knowedge of African American authors is fairly limited.

I am interested in books particularly of the 20th century by African American authors.

Let's get back to the OP please :)

[semi-fly]

Sorry but that is an urban legend. Completely false. Here:

http://history-world.org/vietnam_war_statistics.htm

African Americans make up 12-13% of the American population. They were actually under represented in the draft. Out of curiosity, where did you pick that urban legend up?
I can't recall where I picked up that piece of information, but I was simply using it as another point of interest that Dark Muse or anyone else interested could look at in studying the literature of the period.

Though I did run across this: Blacks constituted 16 percent of all those drafted, compared to 11 percent of the total national population. So if that is consider accurate there was a disproportionate number of Africans serving in Vietnam. It just means that my ratio (4:1) was off a bit.

Back on topic, beyond the Harlem Renaissance Era can anyone give recommendations for the Swing Era (1930-40)?

[Virgil]

I can't recall where I picked up that piece of information, but I was simply using it as another point of interest that Dark Muse or anyone else interested could look at in studying the literature of the period.

Though I did run across this: Blacks constituted 16 percent of all those drafted, compared to 11 percent of the total national population. So if that is consider accurate there was a disproportionate number of Africans serving in Vietnam. It just means that my ratio (4:1) was off a bit.

Just a bit off. :lol: Yes that sounds more accurate.


Back on topic, beyond the Harlem Renaissance Era can anyone give recommendations for the Swing Era (1930-40)?
What do you mean by the Swing Era? You mean African American lit in the 1930's? Perhaps Wikipedia can help you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance

[Dark Muse]

Let's get back to the OP please :)

Thank you, I was just about to ask them nicely to not turn my thread into a political debate

[semi-fly]

What do you mean by the Swing Era? You mean African American lit in the 1930's? Perhaps Wikipedia can help you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance
Obviously I mean Swing Era (1930-40) African American literature. If wikipedia had the answer to everything threads like this, forums like this would be pointless.

[Dark Muse]

I love the swing era it would be interesting to see what sort of African-American lit. was happening at that time.

[NickAdams]

FROM



Journey to the Place of Ghosts
BY JAY WRIGHT

Wolbe dich, Welt:
Wenn die Totenmuschel heranschwimmt,
will es hier läuten.

Vault over, world:
when the seashell of death washes up
there will be a knelling.
—Paul Celan, Stimmen (Voices)


Death knocks all night at my door.
The soul answers,
and runs from the water in my throat.
Water will sustain me when I climb
the steep hill
that leads to a now familiar place.
I began, even as a child, to learn water's order,
and, as I grew intact, the feel of its warmth
in a new sponge, of its weight in a virgin towel.
I have earned my wine in another's misery,
when rum bathed a sealed throat
and cast its seal on the ground.
I will be bound, to the one who leads me away,
by the ornaments on my wrists, the gold dust
in my ears, below my eye and tied to my
loincloth in a leather pouch.


....

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171456

--

[kratsayra]

'Death and the King's Horseman' by Wole Soyinka's, the first African Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate.

Please note that, like Achebe, Wole Soyinka is an African writer, not an African-American writer. I see you note that in the post, but I just wanted to further clarify, since it's been mentioned in a thread where it seemed the original poster was interested in African-American writers. Or is the original poster interested in Black writers in a more general sense?

Someone mentioned Claude McKay on here, and though I haven't read it yet, I've heard a lot about his book Banjo. It sounds absolutely fascinating - about Africans and African-Americans in France during the 20s.

[Dark Muse]

Someone mentioned Claude McKay on here, and though I haven't read it yet, I've heard a lot about his book Banjo. It sounds absolutely fascinating - about Africans and African-Americans in France during the 20s.

That does sound interesting

[mono]

The short stories of Zora Neale Hurston absolutely melt me! Rarely will a reader encounter any author who has done so much research on the subjects upon which she writes; if you have a chance, give the short story 'Sweat' a read - a good story of ethics, justice, and revenge. :nod:
I could not help noticing that no one has mentioned Alice Walker - The Color Purple, anyone?

[thomas212]

Chester Himes is very good,in the hard boiled section though,the language is pace like a James Brown song.I believe some of his book are less orientated thrillers,but he is deffenetly worth a read.Real cool killer.Rage in harlem.
He is the only on i can think of at the moment.

[sunshine_enl]

The Invisible Man is one one of my lists of books to read.

The Invisible Man is a must-read but I think it makes more sense if you've already read Dubois essay on Criteria of Negro Art(1926)or Hughes Negro Art and the Racial Mountain(1926).
However the Invisible Man is not just about the experiences of an African-American,it's about the human nature in general.

[five-trey]

Invisible Man is really a masterpiece. For you, especially since you're interested in the Harlem Renaissance, this would be a great read. It focuses on a black man's move from the Deep South to Harlem during the early to mid-20th century. Really powerful book. Has an interesting style too; really free and unrestrained prose.


I've also been interested in some African American literature and right now I'm reading the Narrative of the Life by Douglass. The prose is incredible.