The New Negro

I saw a co-worker reading this one day, and decided to purchase it. I was pleasantly surprised to find the history that this book was filled with. It was wonderfully written and I'm sorry I didn't read it years ago.

This book is a remarkable example of the time period. Before reading this, one must understand the logic and the use of words during the renaissance. Understanding this is imperative in order to avoid becoming upset with the literature.

This anthology contains works by many of the most important contributers to the Harlem Renaissance. The best parts of the volume are the poetry selections by poets such as Hughes, Cullen, and McKay as well as the essays by Alain Locke. The works by Hurston and Toomer are also quite good. The essays by Locke (especially the New Negro) feature insight into many of the ideas and developments that took place in order to bring about this important historical and cultural movement. This book is a definite must read.