Customer Reviews

The Political Plays of Langston Hughes

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Much of this rather unfocused book consists of previously unpublished texts. Anything that brings us more of Hughes' work is valuable. The intriguing tidbits call for coherent narrative and analysis. The assumptions about Hughes' political objectives and decisions, and the political affiliations of Ella Winter, Lincoln Steffens, and others, are insufficiently supported by facts, and are sometimes entirely inaccurate. It would help to look at Hughes' and Ella Winter's autobiographies, and Steffens' letters and major works. There are passing references to racism and political discrimination, and vicious 'vigilante' threats and actions. Instead of incorporating these into a deeper analysis, the author applies an outdated, Cold-War style 'Communist' label. Having declared the works mere formulaic agit-prop, she leaves no space to consider their serious socio-political underpinnings or the deep concerns, convictions and commitments of Hughes and his colleagues. Too much context is missing. Even the cover photograph would be more meaningful in its entirety (if not on the cover, at least, where it is repeated inside the book). It has been cropped to eliminate the context. The original shows Hughes playing with the young Pete Steffens and his toy truck, in a sandbox -- a portrait not only of the man, but of a gentle moment in the midst of turbulent times.