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How Come Christmas
Christmas humor in "negro dialect"
- GenresChristmas
30 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1930
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Roark Bradford
47 booksRoark Whitney Wickliffe Bradford (1896-1948) was an American short story witer and novelist. His work appeared in Collier's, Harper's, and Virginia Quarterly Review. He was the recipient of the 1927 O. Henry Award.
He attended University of California, Berkeley, and served as a first lieutenant in the Coast Artillery during World War I.
First wife Lydia Sehorn, divorcing her in 1933. He then married Mary Rose Sciarra Himler - also a writer and former editor for Bobbs-Merrill. He served as night city editor for the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Bradford continued to produce well-received work during the 1930s and early 1940s. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve Bureau of Aeronautics Training during World War II.
In 1946, he accepted a position as visiting lecturer in the English department at Tulane University in New Orleans.
On November 13, 1948, he died of amebic dysentery, believed to have been contracted while he was stationed in French West Africa in 1943. His cremated remains were spread over the waters of the Mississippi River.
At the time of his death, Bradford’s writings were very popular. Since the 1940s, however, much of his body of work has been reevaluated. Many criticize his work as patronizing and demeaning in its portrayal of black characters.
Marc Connelly adapted Ol' Man Adam and his Chillun for the stage as The Green Pastures, which won a Pulitzer Prize. His stage adaption of John Henry appeared in New York in 1940.
He attended University of California, Berkeley, and served as a first lieutenant in the Coast Artillery during World War I.
First wife Lydia Sehorn, divorcing her in 1933. He then married Mary Rose Sciarra Himler - also a writer and former editor for Bobbs-Merrill. He served as night city editor for the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Bradford continued to produce well-received work during the 1930s and early 1940s. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve Bureau of Aeronautics Training during World War II.
In 1946, he accepted a position as visiting lecturer in the English department at Tulane University in New Orleans.
On November 13, 1948, he died of amebic dysentery, believed to have been contracted while he was stationed in French West Africa in 1943. His cremated remains were spread over the waters of the Mississippi River.
At the time of his death, Bradford’s writings were very popular. Since the 1940s, however, much of his body of work has been reevaluated. Many criticize his work as patronizing and demeaning in its portrayal of black characters.
Marc Connelly adapted Ol' Man Adam and his Chillun for the stage as The Green Pastures, which won a Pulitzer Prize. His stage adaption of John Henry appeared in New York in 1940.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 26, 2025
Ok, so let's start with a couple of facts that DEFINITELY influence my opinions on this book:
First, reading this book on Christmas Eve is a family tradition, going back to at LEAST my mother's childhood, if not my grandparents. In other words? This is a major nostalgic read for me.
Second, it must be acknowledged that this book is HORRIBLY racist. The use of dialect is probably overdone and stereotypical, the depiction of African Americans is stereotypical, etc. I realize this. In its defense, it was written in 1930, when political correctness wasn't really a thing.
That being said, How Come Christmas is a delightful story that is an oft overlooked Christmas classic. It's typical of the period in which it was written, and, gosh darn it, it's such a CUTE story. Maybe it plays entirely too much on racial stereotypes (I'm relatively sure it can fall in the same class as the Uncle Remus stories in that it was written by a white guy), but it's so hard to dislike it! You should read it at least once before you make up your mind about it.
First, reading this book on Christmas Eve is a family tradition, going back to at LEAST my mother's childhood, if not my grandparents. In other words? This is a major nostalgic read for me.
Second, it must be acknowledged that this book is HORRIBLY racist. The use of dialect is probably overdone and stereotypical, the depiction of African Americans is stereotypical, etc. I realize this. In its defense, it was written in 1930, when political correctness wasn't really a thing.
That being said, How Come Christmas is a delightful story that is an oft overlooked Christmas classic. It's typical of the period in which it was written, and, gosh darn it, it's such a CUTE story. Maybe it plays entirely too much on racial stereotypes (I'm relatively sure it can fall in the same class as the Uncle Remus stories in that it was written by a white guy), but it's so hard to dislike it! You should read it at least once before you make up your mind about it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review