Claude McKay, Rebel Sojourner in the Harlem Renaissance

Claude McKay, Rebel Sojourner in the Harlem Renaissance
Author: Wayne F. Cooper
Publisher: LSU Press
Total Pages: 460
Release: 1996-02-01
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780807120743

“Cooper paints a meticulous and absorbing portrait of McKay’s restless artistic, intellectual, and political odyssey... The definitive biography on McKay.”—Choice Although recognized today as one of the genuine pioneers of black literature in this century—the author of “If We Must Die,” Home to Harlem, Banana Bottom, and A Long Way from Home, among other works—Claude McKay (1890–1948) died penniless and almost forgotten in a Chicago hospital. In this masterly study, Wayne Cooper presents a fascinating, detailed account of McKay’s complex, chaotic, and frequently contradictory life. In his poetry and fiction, as well as in his political and social commentaries, McKay searched for a solid foundation for a valid black identity among the working-class cultures of the West Indies and the United States. He was an undeniably important predecessor to such younger writers of the Harlem Renaissance as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen, and also to influential West Indian and African writers such as C. L. R. James and Aimé Césaire. Knowledge of his life adds important dimensions to our understanding of American radicalism, the expatriates of the 1920s, and American literature. “Mr. Cooper’s most original contribution is his careful and perceptive analysis of McKay’s nonfiction writing, especially his social and political commentary, which often contained ‘prophetic statements‘ on a range of important social, political, and historical issues.”—New York Times Book Review

Home to Harlem

Home to Harlem
Author: Claude McKay
Publisher: UPNE
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2012-09-11
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1555537790

A novel that gives voice to the alienation and frustration of urban blacks during an era when Harlem was in vogue

Banana Bottom

Banana Bottom
Author: Claude McKay
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 328
Release: 1974
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780156106504

A Jamaican girl returns to her island home after her English education.

A Long Way from Home

A Long Way from Home
Author: Claude McKay
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2024-08-31
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Welcome to the world of Claude McKay's "A Long Way from Home," a poignant journey of self-discovery, identity, and belonging. Follow the protagonist, who embarks on a transformative journey from Jamaica to America, navigating the complexities of race, culture, and personal identity. Claude McKay's evocative prose captures the struggles and triumphs of the immigrant experience, offering readers a profound exploration of the human spirit. Throughout the novel, McKay weaves a tapestry of themes including discrimination, resilience, and the pursuit of the American Dream. His rich character development and vivid descriptions paint a vivid picture of the early 20th-century landscape, inviting readers to reflect on the challenges faced by those who seek a better life in a new land. "A Long Way from Home" resonates with its powerful depiction of the immigrant experience, capturing the hopes and aspirations of those who dare to dream beyond their circumstances. McKay's keen observations and lyrical prose offer readers a window into a world where courage and determination shape destinies. Since its publication, "A Long Way from Home" has received acclaim for its insightful portrayal of race relations and its timeless relevance. It remains a classic work of literature that continues to inspire and provoke thought, making it essential reading for those interested in exploring the complexities of cultural identity and social justice. Join us on this unforgettable journey through Claude McKay's "A Long Way from Home," where the quest for belonging and self-fulfillment takes center stage. Discover why this novel has captivated readers for generations and experience the enduring power of McKay's storytelling. Don't miss your chance to delve into this masterpiece of literature. Grab your copy of "A Long Way from Home" today and embark on a literary adventure that will challenge your perceptions and touch your heart.

Amiable with Big Teeth

Amiable with Big Teeth
Author: Claude McKay
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2017-02-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101628197

A monumental literary event: the newly discovered final novel by seminal Harlem Renaissance writer Claude McKay, a rich and multilayered portrayal of life in 1930s Harlem and a historical protest for black freedom One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years The unexpected discovery in 2009 of a completed manuscript of Claude McKay’s final novel was celebrated as one of the most significant literary events in recent years. Building on the already extraordinary legacy of McKay’s life and work, this colorful, dramatic novel centers on the efforts by Harlem intelligentsia to organize support for the liberation of fascist-controlled Ethiopia, a crucial but largely forgotten event in American history. At once a penetrating satire of political machinations in Depression-era Harlem and a far-reaching story of global intrigue and romance, Amiable with Big Teeth plunges into the concerns, anxieties, hopes, and dreams of African-Americans at a moment of crisis for the soul of Harlem—and America. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The New Negro

The New Negro
Author: Alain Locke
Publisher:
Total Pages: 508
Release: 1925
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN:

Songs of Jamaica

Songs of Jamaica
Author: Claude McKay
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
Total Pages: 93
Release: 2021-05-28
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 1513224050

Songs of Jamaica (1912) is a poetry collection by Claude McKay. Published before the poet left Jamaica for the United States, Songs of Jamaica is a pioneering collection of verse written in Jamaican Patois, the first of its kind. As a committed leftist, McKay was a keen observer of the Black experience in the Caribbean, the American South, and later in New York, where he gained a reputation during the Harlem Renaissance for celebrating the resilience and cultural achievement of the African American community while lamenting the poverty and violence they faced every day. “Quashie to Buccra,” the opening poem, frames this schism in terms of labor, as one class labors to fulfill the desires of another: “You tas’e petater an’ you say it sweet, / But you no know how hard we wuk fe it; / You want a basketful fe quattiewut, / ‘Cause you no know how ‘tiff de bush fe cut.” Addressing himself to a white audience, he exposes the schism inherent to colonial society between white and black, rich and poor. Advising his white reader to question their privileged consumption, dependent as it is on the subjugation of Jamaica’s black community, McKay warns that “hardship always melt away / Wheneber it comes roun’ to reapin’ day.” This revolutionary sentiment carries throughout Songs of Jamaica, finding an echo in the brilliant poem “Whe’ fe do?” Addressed to his own people, McKay offers hope for a brighter future to come: “We needn’ fold we han’ an’ cry, / Nor vex we heart wid groan and sigh; / De best we can do is fe try / To fight de despair drawin’ night: / Den we might conquer by an’ by— / Dat we might do.” With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Claude McKay’s Songs of Jamaica is a classic of Jamaican literature reimagined for modern readers.

Complete Poems

Complete Poems
Author: Claude McKay
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Total Pages: 458
Release: 2004-01-29
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 0252094972

Containing more than three hundred poems, including nearly a hundred previously unpublished works, this unique collection showcases the intellectual range of Claude McKay (1889-1948), the Jamaican-born poet and novelist whose life and work were marked by restless travel and steadfast social protest. McKay's first poems were composed in rural Jamaican creole and launched his lifelong commitment to representing everyday black culture from the bottom up. Migrating to New York, he reinvigorated the English sonnet and helped spark the Harlem Renaissance with poems such as "If We Must Die." After coming under scrutiny for his communism, he traveled throughout Europe and North Africa for twelve years and returned to Harlem in 1934, having denounced Stalin's Soviet Union. By then, McKay's pristine "violent sonnets" were giving way to confessional lyrics informed by his newfound Catholicism. McKay's verse eludes easy definition, yet this complete anthology, vividly introduced and carefully annotated by William J. Maxwell, acquaints readers with the full transnational evolution of a major voice in twentieth-century poetry.

Claude McKay

Claude McKay
Author: Kotti Sree Ramesh
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2006-08-02
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0786425822

The gifted and rebellious writer Claude McKay grew up in the British West Indies and then moved to the United States. As he traveled from Jamaica to Harlem and then to Europe and Africa, he embraced various causes and political ideologies that made their way into his writings. Brought up as a colonial in the British West Indies, he found racial oppression as an immigrant in the United States. His struggle for self-definition and self-determination was manifest in his writings and laid the foundation for the Harlem Renaissance and negritude movements. African American scholarship in the United States tends to focus on McKay's American productions, such as his poetry and novels like Home to Harlem, while critics in the Caribbean focus on his works there: novels like Banana Bottom and dialect poetry. This study has undertaken to explore comprehensively the life and works of Claude McKay, framed within colonial and cross-cultural experiences. While dealing with pertinent issues like identity, race, exile, ethnicity, and sexuality, the work examines all the facets of this influential 20th century author, a man trying to solve the problem of his own identity in a world determined to marginalize him.