W.E.B. Du Bois by James E. Purdy, 1907, gelatin silver print, National Portrait Gallery, which has released this digital image under the CC0 license While I knew of W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), it wasn't until I read Nella Larsen's Passing earlier this year that I was inspired to read something by him. Americans will probably … Continue reading W.E.B. Du Bois, “Strivings of the Negro People” (#Review)
African American literature
Nella Larsen, Passing (#BookReview)
For last year's Novellas in November, Arti (of Ripple Effects) posted on a book and author I'd never heard of, Nella Larsen's Passing. She also discussed its 2021 film adaptation. Quite coincidentally, that same month, my Californian friend Carolyn wrote positively about the film in a letter to me. It sounded right up my alley, … Continue reading Nella Larsen, Passing (#BookReview)
James Weldon Johnson, Stranger than fiction (#Review)
Several months ago, I bookmarked a Library of America (LOA) Story of the Week offering - as I often do for later use - but, despite its being a very brief offering, I've only got to it now. It's on James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938), and was timed, 17 June 2021, to synchronise with the 150th anniversary of his birth. … Continue reading James Weldon Johnson, Stranger than fiction (#Review)
Fannie Barrier Williams, Women in politics (#Review)
It's been months since I posted on a Library of America (LOA) Story of the Week offering, but this week's piece by African American activist, Fannie Barrier Williams, captured my attention. Several LOA offerings this year have been relevant to the times - including stories about infectious diseases - but this one is so spot on for … Continue reading Fannie Barrier Williams, Women in politics (#Review)
Annie Parker, Passages in the life of a slave woman (Review)
I have, this year, reviewed a couple of Library of America's (LOA) stories about slavery in the USA, one being Harriet Ann Jacobs' "The lover", and the other William Wells Brown's, Madison Washington. I've always been interested in slavery in the US, so when Annie Parker's "Passages in the life of a slave woman" appeared in my inbox, I of … Continue reading Annie Parker, Passages in the life of a slave woman (Review)
William Wells Brown, Madison Washington (Review)
Having recently reviewed Harriet Ann Jacobs' story "The lover" in the Library of America's (LOA) Story of the Week program - and also having seen the movie 12 Years a Slave - I couldn't ignore William Wells Brown's story, Madison Washington, when it appeared last month as an LOA offering. Brown (1814-1884), like Jacobs, was born into slavery. He managed to … Continue reading William Wells Brown, Madison Washington (Review)
Harriet Ann Jacobs, The lover (Review)
It's a while since I read a story from the Library of America's (LOA) Story of the Week program, but when I saw Harriet Ann Jacobs' story "The lover" appear in its list of Top 10 stories from 2013 I felt it was time to rectify my tardiness - particularly with the movie, 12 Years a … Continue reading Harriet Ann Jacobs, The lover (Review)
J. Herman Banning, The day I sprouted wings
There are a couple of reasons why I decided to read James Herman Banning's (1899-1933) short essay, The day I sprouted wings, which was this week's offering from the Library of America. Firstly, it is about the first male* African-American who achieved his pilot's licence, which ties in nicely with the novel, Caleb's Crossing, that I … Continue reading J. Herman Banning, The day I sprouted wings
Whispering Gums 