Ebony Rising: Short Fiction of the Greater Harlem Renaissance Era

Librarian and scholar Gable's Harlem Renaissance fiction anthology is the most comprehensive and dynamic to date, containing 52 short stories by 37 writers that span 27 years, from "Hope Deferred" by Alice Dunbar-Nelson, published in 1914, to "Girl, Colored" by Marian Minus, published in 1940--two stories, interestingly enough, about work, sacrifice, and survival. Seeking breadth and variety rather than the era's "greatest hits," Gable has created a lively spectrum of works by the famous and overlooked alike that address myriad subjects--poverty, family, work, race, love, violence, migration, faith, and politics--in diverse styles. Gable has focused on stories that have never before been anthologized, and taken pains to illuminate the social and historical context of each tale by presenting them chronologically in conjunction with enlightening time lines that pointedly keep a running count of each year's lynchings. This genuine literary treasure trove showcases radiant, clever, melodramatic, funny, suspenseful, and affecting stories by Angelina Weld Grimke, Jean Toomer, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Nella Larsen, Arna Bontemps, Rudolph Fisher, Richard Wright, and Chester Himes. Donna Seaman
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