Customer Reviews

A Renaissance in Harlem: Lost Voices of an American Community

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is perhaps the outstanding book this year on black life and culture in the U.S. during the depression years. I am drawn to it because i was born in the time frame and my parents, although in Chciago, lived a life similar to those depicted in these stories.I heard stories about how they had to make a living in those days. These stories also help me reach back to a time when my favorite aunt was living in New York during that time frame. She and her husband were black people who were not out of work (she a nurse, he a prison guard) so that I suppose they fit into some sort of "upper crust" Their honeymoon in 1939 took place in Bermuda!) With the help of these stories I can imagine in my mind's eye, my aunt and uncle in the Harlem clubs and on the scene in those days. I loved the tales of Vivian Morris and wonder who she was and what became of her. This book is why I think the one by L.O. Graham is so shallow as this reflects on where people came from, prior to being placed in some sham "elite": Bravo to the author and more! more!

LIONEL C. BASCOM PRESENTS LOST WRITINGS OF THE "TRUE" HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN A RENAISSANCE IN HARLEM, JUST PUBLISHED BY BARD

"Bascom challenges standard versions of the Renaissance's dimensions -- everything from when it began and ended to its content and style...the pieces resound not with the voices of the glitterati but with a vernacular chorus about everyday life during the Great Negro Migration...this important book promises to shift discussions about Harlem, the Renaissance, New York and Depression-era America in popular culture, literature, history, and folklore." Library Journal

"A unique chronicle ... the range of material is impressive ... the real life characters here stand out as vividly as any in fiction writings by Renaissance writers." Emerge

"The Harlem writers produced hundreds of slice-of-life vignettes that provide an intriguing view of ordinary African-Americas as they struggles to cope with the Great Depression and the pervasive racism of the times... they include works by young luminaries-to-be-published, such as Ralph Ellison, Dorothy West, as well as talented unknowns like Vivian Morris ... Bascom has produced a delightfully engaging and diverse portrait of an almost legendary black urban community. Publisher's Weekly

"A unique and valuable addition to the literature of the Harlem Renaissance..." Kirkus Reviews

"The real significance of this collection is it delivers what was really in the hearts and minds of the people of Harlem," says Lionel C. Bascom, editor of A Renaissance in Harlem: Lost Voices of an American Community, just published by Bard. Bascom, an internationally published journalist and professor of English, brings together works that wre part of the Works Progress Administration's Writer's Project -- writing lost for generations in the vaults of the Library of Congress and published for the first time in A Renaissance in Harlem. The essays, including early writings by two masters of American literature, Ralph Ellison and Dorothy West, create a vibrant record of Harlem's daily life, nightlife and intellectual scene. In assembling this collection, says Bascom, he shares authentic black storytelling, reawakening the voices of ordinary people, voices which were drowned out by the celebrity and the "unofficial litetary program of the Harlem Renaissance." As noted by Booklist, "the collection represents a grittier image of Harlem than that of the celebrated Renaissance writers, who adopted a mission of uplifting the image of black people by avoiding dialect and any porttayals they thought might be viewed negatively."

Mr. Bascom is currently collecting materials for a book about Dorothy West. He is available for interviews, appearances and speaking engagements.

Black Harlem @ its Best!!!!!!!!!! Beautifully written!!!!! Lovely book!!!!!!!!!!It makes U feel like U R really back N that era!!!!!!!!!!

My hat is off to the author. I learned a wealth of history and I laughed out loud when reading some of the short stories. This book was well researched and presented. A lot of the stories reminded me of langston hughes writings. I am awaiting more from this author.