First published in 1902, "The Sport of the Gods" tells the story of a black family forced to leave the South and face the harsh realities of life in a Northern city. A moving examination of the life of African-Americans post-emancipation, "The Sport of the Gods" represents a landmark in African-American literature that will appeal to those with an interest in this particular chapter of American history. Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet during the start of the 20th century. Born to ex-slave parents, Dunbar began writing at a very early age and had even published his first poems by the age of 16 in a local newspaper. Much of his work was written in the "African-American Vernacular" associated with the antebellum South, although he also employed conventional English in his novels and poems. Dunbar was among the first African-American writers to garner international acclaim for their work. Contents include: "The Hamiltons", "A Farewell Dinner", "The Theft", "From a Clear Sky", "The Justice of Men", "Outcasts", "In New York", "An Evening Out", "His Heart's Desire", "A Visitor from Home", "Broken Hopes", "'All the World's a Stage'", etc. Read & Co. Classics is proudly republishing this novel now complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.