Gay Voices of the Harlem Renaissance

by A.B. Christa Schwarz

"Heretofore scholars have not been willing―perhaps, even been unable for many reasons both academic and personal―to identify much of the Harlem Renaissance work as same-sex oriented. . . . An important book." ―Jim Elledge

This groundbreaking study explores the Harlem Renaissance as a literary phenomenon fundamentally shaped by same-sex-interested men. Christa Schwarz focuses on Countée Cullen, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Richard Bruce Nugent and explores these writers' sexually dissident or gay literary voices. The portrayals of men-loving men in these writers' works vary significantly. Schwarz locates in the poetry of Cullen, Hughes, and McKay the employment of contemporary gay code words, deriving from the Greek discourse of homosexuality and from Walt Whitman. By contrast, Nugent―the only "out" gay Harlem Renaissance artist―portrayed men-loving men without reference to racial concepts or Whitmanesque codes. Schwarz argues for contemporary readings attuned to the complex relation between race, gender, and sexual orientation in Harlem Renaissance writing.

Genres: Queer, Nonfiction, History, LGBT, Race, Historical, Gay

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[Saeed Jones]

As far as I'm concerned, this book should be considered a landmark. Schwarz's thoughtful, analysis of Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Bruce Nugent, and Claude McKay provides readers with a rare look at their work & (varied) gay identities. Just last week, I mentioned to one of my students, a 9th grader, that Hughes was gay. The student panicked. "Don't say that. That's not funny. He's one of my idols." Our students deserve better than they've been given & Schwarz is moving in the right direction.

[Drianne]

Study of primarily four authors from the Renaissance -- Countée Cullen, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Richard Bruce Nugent -- and the ways that their (possible) queer identities influenced their writing and thus the Renaissance as a whole. Fascinating book and mostly persuasive in its readings of texts.

[soap]

This was very dense throughout but incredibly interesting to learn and explore more. I would have been interested in perhaps seeing a female author be part of this book, but my knowledge on Harlem is not extensive, so I’m not sure how readily available that information is. Overall, very well written.

[Vanessa (V.C.)]

Wow. What an incredible book! Monumental even. While academic and published for academia, I was impressed at how accessibly written and engaging it was from beginning to end. The prose was clear and vivid, taking you easily into the Harlem Renaissance in all its gay and creatively fruitful glory. The primary characters of Schwarz's study are on Countze Cullen, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay and Richard Bruce Nugent and their sexuality and how that permeated throughout their works, and while he had more to say about one author than another depending on if they were closeted or not, I still thought he gave a balanced and even analysis of each author while also briefly summarizing and analyzing their most notable work. I also enjoyed how he brought their lives and sexuality in juxtaposition to the context of Harlem's gay underworld at the time that may have been hidden but was loud and open too. I also liked that this wasn't too long as most academic books tend to be, it said just enough and gave us just enough to inspire us to read more of these author's works. Truly a must-read and a must-have if you're interested in gay studies and especially pertaining to Black Gay Studies. Should absolutely be required reading in colleges/universities everywhere!