Description
Book SynopsisFebruary 1, 2002 marks the 100th birthday of Langston Hughes. To commemorate the centennial of his birth, Arnold Rampersad has contributed new Afterwords to both volumes of his highly-praised biography of this most extraordinary and prolific American writer. The second volume in this masterful biography finds Hughes rooting himself in Harlem, receiving stimulation from his rich cultural surroundings. Here he rethought his view of art and radicalism, and cultivated relationships with younger, more militant writers such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, and Amiri Bakara. Rampersad''s Afterword to volume two looks further into his influence and how it expanded beyond the literary as a result of his love of jazz and blues, his opera and musical theater collaborations, and his participation in radio and television. In addition, Rempersad explores the controversial matter of Hughes''s sexuality and the possibility that, despite a lack of clear evidence, Hughes was homosexual.
Trade ReviewRampersad's two-volume biography, re-released to commemorate Hughes' centennial, is the definitive account of the poet, playwright, and novelist who was the leading light of the Harlem Renaissance. New afterwords offer perspective on Hughes' literary legacy. * The Orlando Sentinel *
Excellent....Mr. Rampersad [leaves] you eager to see what he makes of the rest of the story, and confident that his second volume will be as good as his first. * John Gross, The New York Times (on Volume I) *
Throughout this comprehensive and enthralling account of Hughes's life and his development as a writer, Rampersad offers a precise assessment of his work and its importance...This may be the best biography of a black writer we have had. * David Nicholson, The Washington Post Book World *
An exquisite orchestration of the fully lived life. * Michael S. Harper, The Boston Globe *
