The Essential Writings of James Weldon Johnson

by Johnson, James Weldon; Byrd, Rudolph; Johnson, Charles

• ISBN13: 9780812975321
• ISBN10: 0812975324
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-21
• Publisher: Modern Library

Summary

"A canonical collection, splendidly and sensitively edited by Rudolph Byrd." Henry Louis Gates, Jr. One of the leading voices of the Harlem Resaissance and a crucial literary figure of his time, James Weldon Johnson was also an editor, songwriter, founding member and leader of the NAACP, and the first African American to hold a diplomatic post as consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua. This comprehensive volume of Johnson's works includes the seminal novelAutobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, poems fromGod's Trombones, essays on cultural and political topics, selections from Johnson's autobiography,Along This Way, and two previously unpublished short plays:Do You Believe in Ghosts?andThe Engineer. Featuring a chronology, bibliography, and a Foreword by acclaimed author Charles Johnson, this Modern Library edition showcases the tremendous range of James Weldon Johnson's writings and their considerable influence on American civic and cultural life. "This collection of poetry, fiction, criticism, autobiography, political writing and two unpublished plays by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) spans 60 years of pure triumph over adversity. [....Johnson's] nobility, his inspiration shine forth from these pages, setting moral and artistic standards."Los Angeles Times

Author Biography

James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)–novelist, poet, lawyer, editor, ethno-musicologist–was also the co-author (with his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson) of the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely accepted as the “Negro National Anthem.”

Rudolph P. Byrd is professor of American studies and founding director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute at Emory University. His books include Charles Johnson’s Novels: Writing the American Palimpsest.

Charles Johnson is the National Book Award-winning author of Middle Passage and Dreamer.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction
James Weldon Johnson: A Chronology
The Essential Writings of James Weldon Johnson
Drama
Do You Believe in Ghosts?	p. 6
The Engineer	p. 11
Fiction
The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man	p. 29
Poetry
Sence You Went Away	p. 149
Lift Every Voice and Sing	p. 150
Fifty Years	p. 152
The Creation	p. 156
Noah Built the Ark	p. 160
The Judgment Day	p. 166
Saint Peter Relates an Incident of the Resurrection Day	p. 170
Cultural Criticism
Native African Races and Culture	p. 181
The Dilemma of the Negro Author	p. 201
Race Prejudice and the Negro Artist	p. 209
Autobiography
Selections from Along This way	p. 230
Political Writing
Negro Americans, What Now?	p. 271
Selected Bibliography	p. 319
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.