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First impression of the true first edition, published in the Writers of English: Lives and Works series. The books were published in hardcover and paperback editions. ***Near fine in cream textured paper over maroon cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. Head and tail of spine slightly creased. Corners sharp. Boards clean and unmarked. Internally near fine, with no inscriptions. Pages clean and white. No tears. No creases. Spine tight. ***In a near fine colour printed dustwrapper. Edges of dustwrapper just very slightly creased and rubbed. No tears. No chips. No fading. Dustwrapper clean and bright. ***160 pages. 240 mm x 162 mm. ***Contents: User's Guide, The Life of the Author, Introduction, Arna Bontemps, Sterling A. Brown, Countee Cullen, Randolph Edmonds, Abram Hill, Langston Hughes, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, Frank Wilson. ***'The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s saw not only a tremendous outpouring of novels and tales by black Americans, but a significant body of poetry and drama as well. In "Harlem Shadows" (1922) Claude McKay united traditional English poetic meters with radical expressions of racial protest; Georgia Douglas Johnson's poetry addressed issues of both race and gender; and Langston Hughes utilized free verse in expressing a wide spectrum of moods and themes. Johnson and Hughes also pioneered black drama, and they were followed by such playwrights and filmmakers as Randolph Edmonds, Abram Hill, and Frank Wilson. Jean Toomer's "Cane" (1923), a remarkable medley of prose, poetry, and drama, has become a landmark in American literature. In the 1930s Arna Bontemps, Sterling A. Brown, Countee Cullen, and others carried on the poetic tradition, establishing a rich legacy upon which modern black poets have continued to draw.***This volume provides information on the ten most significant black American poets and dramatists of the Harlem Renaissance, featuring detailed biographies, a wide selection of critical extracts, and comprehensive bibliographies. ***"Writers of English: Lives and Works" is an ongoing series covering the entire range of literature in English from "Beowulf" to the present. Each volume contains biographies, biographical and critical extracts, and bibliographies of the authors covered, and features a series introduction by Harold Bloom, "The Life of the Author," as well as a special introduction to each title.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper). ***First impression of the true first edition - one of the titles in the 'Writers of English: Lives and Works' series of books. The books were published in both hardcover and paperback editions, and the hardcover editions are much harder to come by, as many were distributed to libraries. Uncommon in the UK. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.
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