The Harlem Group of Negro Writers, By Melvin B. Tolson

Melvin B. Tolson (1898-1966) was both a participant in and historian of the Harlem Renaissance, probably the most significant movement in African American literature and culture. Known mostly for his poetry, and an unduly neglected figure in American literary history, Tolson was one of the first African American critics of the Harlem Renaissance. This book is an edition of his 1940 MA thesis, the first academic study of the Harlem Renaissance written by an African American scholar. Tolson's thesis, previously unpublished in its entirety, provides a unique look at this important era and draws heavily on his familiarity with some of the most important writers of the movement.

Included are discussions of such major figures as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and W.E.B. Du Bois, along with chapters on lesser-known authors such as George Schuyler, Eric Walrond, and Jessie Fauset, who are now being rediscovered. An introductory essay surveys the history of Harlem Renaissance criticism and Tolson's place in it and evaluates his methodology and use of sources. The introduction additionally presents a brief biography and details the creation of his thesis. The text of Tolson's thesis appears in its entirety, along with his notes and those of the volume editor. The book closes with a bibliography of works on Tolson and a large but selective bibliography on the Harlem Renaissance in general.

List of contents

Introduction
The Harlem Group of Negro Writers
Selected Bibliographies
Index

About the author

EDWARD J. MULLEN is Professor of Spanish at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has been the Co-editor of Afro-Hispanic Review and has published numerous articles on Spanish-American literature. He has also written on African-American literature, most notably on the work of Langston Hughes.

Product details

• Assisted by: Edward Mullen (Editor), Melvin Tolson (Editor), Tolson Melvin B. (Editor)
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.03.2001
• EAN: 9780313311871
• ISBN: 978-0-313-31187-1
• No. of pages: 200
• Weight: 482 g
• Series: Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies: Contemporary Black Poets
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; USA, Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies, 20th Century, LITERARY CRITICISM / American / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 20th Century, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, American English, United States of America, USA, Literary studies: from c 1900 -, Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000, Black & Asian Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General, Race and Ethnicity: African American Studies