The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader

This hefty book has stories and poems written by the great writers of the Harlem Renaissance era. If you've ever been curious about the Harlem Renaissance--what it was; who was a part of it and when did it happen, this is the book for you. You can sample stories and poetry written in the language of the times from Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, Claude Mc Kay, Carl Van Vechten, Richard Bruce Nugent, Sterling Brown, Nella Larsen, Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, Marcus Garvey, Alaine Locke, Wallace Thurman. While you won't be able to see the marvelous art works of Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden or watch the acting talent of Paul Robeson in this book but each of the men and other visual artists of the day were interviewed or have written descriptive essays about their works or the times in which they lived. This book gives the reader a splendid view of the Harlem Renaissance and why it was important time not just in Black History but also in American History.

This is a fantastic source for essays by many of the Harlem Renaissance writers. Every convievable writer is highlighted in this book, from W.E.B. Dubois, to Alain Locke, to George S. Schuyler. Their most influential essays are presented in this book.

The poetry is really good, only I wish there were a little more. The prose writings have some really excellent sources. Good for an educational text for students covering the period.

I give this book five stars because it has a wonderful cross-section of female and male Harlem Renaissance writers, and also because it includes fiction, prose (articles and essays), and poetry. This volume is nicely compiled, and it is a lovely companion to similar anthologies, such as "Trouble the Water," which is an anthology of black poetry from slavery through modern times. Also, because the Harlem Renaissance happened so long ago, The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader includes works and excerpts from works that are seemingly out of print, such as a selection by Carter G. Woodson. This book has a lovely variety of practically every genre of literature, and is a must for any African-American studies scholar, though it is a capable volume for any student of literature, period. The only possible drawback of this book is that it contains a lot of excerpts. If you enjoy a certain excerpt (and it is almost guaranteed that you will), finding a copy of its parent body of work will become frustratingly high on your list of priorities. The Harlem Renaissance Reader is truly reccommended.