Gingertown

by Claude McKay

274 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1977

About the author

Jamaican-born American writer Claude McKay figured prominently in the Harlem renaissance of the 1920s; his works include collections of poetry, such as Constab Ballads (1912), and novels, including Home to Harlem (1928).

Home to Harlem, a best-seller, won Festus Claudius McKay, a poet and a seminal figure, the Harmon gold award for literature.
He also wrote novels Banjo and Banana Bottom . People not yet published his manuscript, called Amiable with Big Teeth: A Novel of the Love Affair between the Communists and the Poor Black Sheep of Harlem , of 1941.
McKay also authored collections of poetry, a collection of short stories, Gingertown . He authored two autobiographical books, A Long Way from Home and My Green Hills of Jamaica , published posthumously. He entitled a non-fiction, socio-historical treatise Harlem: Negro Metropolis . People published his poetry collection, Harlem Shadows , in 1922 among the first books during the Harlem renaissance. Survivors published his Selected Poems posthumously in 1953.

Reviews

[D.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people who are familiar with McKay either know his poems or they know his novels such as Banjo, Home to Harlem, and Banana Bottom. It seems Gingertown is scarcely mentioned. Published in 1932 during the Depression, the book received decent reviews but fared poorly in terms of sales. But perhaps it's time to revisit McKay's lesser known work. These stories, set variously in Morocco, Jamaica and New York, are rich with vivid, lively characters who frequent speakeasies or who chat each other up over hair treatments at salons that promise to unkink hair and to lighten skin tone. McKay's prose illuminates the Harlem joints where folks dance the "wicked wiggle" and the lives of sweetback men and the ladies who adore them. McKay is a poet at heart, and the language of these stories is particularly rich and vibrant. Strong recommend if you can find a copy.

[Jeremy Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this title in college thanks to an excellent university library, but it's hard to find nowadays. I suggest you give it a try if you can find it in ebook format. It's a gritty but often funny look into the times through the poetic eyes of Jamaican writer Claude McKay.