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Over the past decade, increasing attention has been paid to the
life and work of Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932), considered by
many the major African-American fiction writer before the Harlem
Renaissance by virtue of the three novels and two collections of
short stories he published between 1899 and 1905.
Less familiar are the essays he wrote for American periodicals from
1899 through 1931, the majority of which are analyses of and
protests against white racism. Collected as well in this volume are
the addresses he made to both white and black audiences from 1881
through 1931, on topics ranging from race prejudice to the life and
literary career of Alexandre Dumas.
The 77 works included in this volume comprise all of Chesnutt's
known works of nonfiction, 38 of which are reprinted here for the
first time. They reveal an ardent and often outraged spokesman for
the African American whose militancy increased to such a degree
that, by 1903, he had more in common with W. E. B. Du Bois than
Booker T. Washington. He was, however, a lifelong integrationist
and even an advocate of "race amalgamation," seeing interracial
marriage as the ultimate means of solving "the Negro Problem," as
it was termed at the end of the century. That he championed the
African American during the Jim Crow era while opposing Black
Nationalism and other "race pride" movements attests to the way
Chesnutt defined himself as a controversial figure, in his time and
ours.
The essays and speeches in this volume are not, however, limited to
polemical writings. An educator, attorney, and man of letters with
wide-ranging interests, Chesnutt stands as a humanist addressing
subjects of universal interest, including the novels of George
Meredith, the accomplishments of Samuel Johnson, and the
relationship between literature and life.
This book collects the letters written between 1906 and 1932 by
novelist and civil rights activist Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932).
Between 1885 and 1905, this pioneer in the African-American
literary tradition published three novels, two books of short
stories, a biography of Frederick Douglass, and many short stories
and essays in prestigious periodicals-at the same time managing a
stenography and court reporting firm in Cleveland, Ohio. His works,
which featured the experiences of African-Americans in the ante-
and post-bellum period, received favorable reviews. But they did
not find a large and appreciative audience until many decades later
when both the civil rights movement and increased interest in the
African-American contribution to American cultural life resulted in
the "rediscovering" of Chesnutt's large body of writings. Though he
never saw the publication of another of his book-length manuscripts
after 1905, Chesnutt continued to write fiction and essays, and to
deliver speeches ranging from disenfranchisement to the life and
works of Alexandre Dumas, and to act in behalf of the
African-American cause through such organizations as the Committee
of Twelve and the N.A.A.C.P. A dedicated integrationist opposed to
"race-pride" movements of all kinds, Chesnutt in his post-1905
letters includes many references to the unfortunate consequences of
racial segregation, addressed to both African-American and white
correspondents. These letters also reveal a multi-faceted
personality with interests that transcended the issue of race and
urged everyone to live life to the fullest. His correspondents
included prominent members of the Harlem Renaissance as well as
major American political figures Chesnutt sought to influence on
behalf of his fellow African-Americans. As a successful businessman
enjoying the amenities of upper middle class American life, a
family man, and an Episcopalian who worshipped at a "white church,"
Chesnutt in many respects embodied the realization of the American
Dream. He was, as William Dean Howells termed Booker T. Washington,
an "exemplary citizen" and a role model for all Americans.
Over the past decade, increasing attention has been paid to the
life and work of Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932), considered by
many the major African-American fiction writer before the Harlem
Renaissance by virtue of the three novels and two collections of
short stories he published between 1899 and 1905.
Less familiar are the essays he wrote for American periodicals from
1899 through 1931, the majority of which are analyses of and
protests against white racism. Collected as well in this volume are
the addresses he made to both white and black audiences from 1881
through 1931, on topics ranging from race prejudice to the life and
literary career of Alexandre Dumas.
The 77 works included in this volume comprise all of Chesnutt's
known works of nonfiction, 38 of which are reprinted here for the
first time. They reveal an ardent and often outraged spokesman for
the African American whose militancy increased to such a degree
that, by 1903, he had more in common with W. E. B. Du Bois than
Booker T. Washington. He was, however, a lifelong integrationist
and even an advocate of "race amalgamation," seeing interracial
marriage as the ultimate means of solving "the Negro Problem," as
it was termed at the end of the century. That he championed the
African American during the Jim Crow era while opposing Black
Nationalism and other "race pride" movements attests to the way
Chesnutt defined himself as a controversial figure, in his time and
ours.
The essays and speeches in this volume are not, however, limited to
polemical writings. An educator, attorney, and man of letters with
wide-ranging interests, Chesnutt stands as a humanist addressing
subjects of universal interest, including the novels of George
Meredith, the accomplishments of Samuel Johnson, and the
relationship between literature and life.
This volume is the first to collect the critical responses of
Steinbeck's generation to his many fiction and nonfiction works, as
they appeared from the late 1920s on. The articles trace the record
of Steinbeck's progress through the 1930s and go on to reflect his
steady series of achievements through the 1960s, including his
attainment of the Nobel Prize in 1967. These articles offer at last
a means of seeing Steinbeck's writings as they were perceived by
his contemporaries, whose task it was first to evaluate and
interpret them for an ever-growing readership.
The American Critical Archives is a series of reference books that
provide representative selections of contemporary reviews of the
main works of major American authors. Each volume contains full
reviews and excerpts from reviews that appeared in newspapers and
weekly and monthly periodicals, generally within a few months of
the publication of the work concerned. There is an introductory
historical overview by the volume editor, as well as checklists of
additional reviews located but not quoted. This volume collects the
critical responses of Steinbeck's generation to his many fiction
and non-fiction works, as they appeared from the late 1920s on. The
articles trace the record of Steinbeck's progress through the 1930s
and go on to reflect Steinbeck's steady series of achievements
through the 1960s, including his attainment of the Nobel Prize in
1967. These articles offer a means of seeing Steinbeck's writings
as they were perceived by his contemporaries, whose task it was to
first evaluate and interpret them for an ever-growing readership.
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