Black Orpheus: Music in African American Fiction from the Harlem Renaissance to Toni Morrison

by Saadi A. Simawe

In twentieth-century African American fiction, music has been elevated to the level of religion primarily because of its Orphic, magical power to unsettle oppressive realities, to liberate the soul and to create, at least temporarily, a medium of freedom. This collection explores literary invocations of music from the Harlem Renaissance to Toni Morrison.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000