The Best Short Stories by Black Writers: 1899 - 1967

by Langston Hughes (Editor), Charles W. Chesnutt (Contributor), Richard Wright (Contributor)

A classic anthology of short stories by Black writers including James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Wright -- edited and with an introduction by Langston Hughes. 

Originally published in 1967,  The Best Short Stories by Black Writers  offers a timeless and unforgettable portrait of the tragedy, comedy, triumph, and suffering that were part of African American life from 1899 to 1967. 

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, African American, Anthologies, Literature, Classics, 20th Century

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Through poetry, prose, and drama, American writer James Langston Hughes made important contributions to the Harlem renaissance; his best-known works include Weary Blues (1926) and The Ways of White Folks (1934).

People best know this social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist James Mercer Langston Hughes, one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry, for his famous written work about the period, when "Harlem was in vogue."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langsto...

Reviews

[Erin]

Removed from a school library in 1976, championed by the ACLU.

[Jamal · Rating 5 out of 5]

this collection introduced me to so many amazing writers ...I felt like i was uncovering Gems that had been hidden away by time....INCREDIBLE collection!

[Lanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long before we even heard of great contemporary writers we get amazing, touching, slice-of-life and memoirs such as Alice Walker's "To Hell With Dying", Mary Elizabeth Vroman's "See How They Run" to Kristin Hunter's "An Interesting Social Study".

Here, Hughes showcases shorts from some of his idols, Paul Lawrence Dunbar's "The Scapegoat", to people he was fortunate enough to collaborate with and/or influence; Lebert Bethune's "The Burglar", "A Summer Tragedy," by Arna Bontemps, Ernest J. Gaines' "A Long Day in November" and Ralph Ellison's"Flying Home", Zora Neale Hurston's"The Guilded Six-Bits" and James Baldwin's "This Morning, This Evening, So Soon". These and a dozen more compliment his own 1958 awesome short, "Thank You, M'am," a litle ditty about a would-be purse snatcher, Roger, getting more than he bargained for when the rotund matronly older woman, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, gets ahold of him one day!

This would be one of Hughes' last published works before his untimely death.

For Short Story lovers, this collection is eclectic, funny, sad and everything in between. I highly recommend Walker's heart-warming memoir for its testimony to the extended family that make us who we are-nearly as much an influence as our immediate families.

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Death of Tommy Grimes" by R.J. Meaddough III is a genius short story. The rest are fantastic too.

[Anna Robinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read a couple a day. Such a good teaching material :)

[Preston Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology which includes the literary work of many of the most talented and illustrious black authors to put pen to paper. This is like a gourmet buffet of literary art work. Small portions that are tasty, thought provoking, moving, surprising and of course so very well done. There are authors here that you may not have read before but here is the opportunity to experience their writing style, humor, emotions and humanity. In many ways this book is like a literary museum where you can experience, albeit briefly, some of the “old masters”.

[Yamaneika Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great compilations of African-America authors and poets. If you want just a few tidbits while riding the train, then this book is a must!

I also discovered a few authors I was unaware of while reading this collection.

Think: Black Anx, Jubilation, and Tribulations.

[Ron Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where I grasped the concept of great writers!

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always impossible to rate collections because the stories are all over the place, but this one has more good than bad and is a good way to check out some writers that don't usually make the "cannon."

[Ijeoma]

A love affair that blossomed by the pages of Giovonni's Room, Go tell it on the mountain, etc. reaches insurmountable heights through yet another masterpiece and glimpse into the wealth of prose released by Mr. James Baldwin. He is my hero. A king of kings, whose pen both denies and permits weakness, fear, passion, and godliness.

[John Vanderslice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb and historic collection, one that features an amazing mix of authors, from the most important African-American writers of the last century to relative unknowns or authors that were well known in their time but not as much today. It's simply a very high quality anthology.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this collection quite random and underwhelming.

[Julietta · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYONE should read this woman's work! I enjoy her poetry and short novels! It's refreshing for the soul and mind.

[Melissa]

So far, Zora Neale Hurston stands out, like a flower in the desert...not that the rest is dry, it just doesn't spring like Hurston.

[Nysey2007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading this book now. Its good short stories some of the language you have to read more then once lol because its that old southern slang

[Kiarag · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a joy to read! I was able to read some stories that made me think and touched my heart from authors I never heard of. I was able to learn some history on the authors as well.

[Malaliel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of stories was sometimes difficult to get through at times. Not because the stories were bad, but because of their theme and what they represented. I just cannot imagine living as a black person in that era.

Another difficulty I had was understanding some of the writing styles, but that’s more a me-problem, just because of the era I was born and bred in.

Very minor, but even though the front page states the stories are from 1899 – 1967, I’m sure “the sheriff’s children” by Charles Chestnut is from 1889 and “the richer, the poorer” by Dorothy West is from 1995. But I could be wrong.

My views / thought process on some of the stories:

Summer tragedy – the ending completely shocked me with it being the couple’s suicide.

The gilded six-bits – I couldn’t tell if the wife was having an affair, or was rap*d.

The richer, the poorer – it just goes to show that saving money is good, but there’s no point in saving it all and not enjoying life.

Santa Claus is a white man – I cannot imagine living in a time period where walking past someone of a different race brings so much fear to you, and that fear is justified.

Healthcard – I really like this story. I was worried that Johnny’s wife was going to be taken away.
The pocketbook – short and entertaining.

The checkerboard – I think the wife/mother is just frustrated at the work she does and feels she has no support. It seems she only gets listened to when she repeats herself, causing even more frustration. There’s also that insinuation that James is having an affair.

This morning, this evening, so soon – this is one of the longer stories and at first I was thinking “when is it going to get to the point?”. As I read on, I got increasingly engrossed in the story: a black man is spending his last few hours in France before he and his family relocate to America. The story this man shared with his friend was captivating. I also realised, when I was about half way the story, that it was written by James Baldwin. This was my first ever time reading a Baldwin piece, but I always heard he was a great author. And I definitely concur.

A new day – the ending confused me. Was it all a test to see how our POV character would react to the name-calling?

A long day in November – the mama wanting the daddy to physically beat her because she didn’t want him to be a laughing stock was wild (and sad) to read.

Red bonnet – so who started the fire? Was it the white folks, or the grandmother?

The Burglar – “it was as if something terrible had happened during colonial times, instead of people’s learning to read and write and to count and wear clothes”. I would bet money that there are still people somewhere in this world that think this way

Overall, I think this is the type of book you pick up and put down from time to time. Reading it through from beginning to end without a break can be quite sombre. But a collection of good stories nonetheless.

[Eugene Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories were nice. I read a good chunk of them, but not all of them. One talked about political campaigns and parades, another about the preparation beforehand and the experience of going to the movies as a Black couple, about a rural couple driving into a lake mournfully and stubbornly, about a sheriff and his mulatto son as well as the rift that happens between them both metaphorically and emotionally, about a White girl who appears to like this Black boy but then suddenly rejects him and calls him nasty slurs, and a few others.

I hope we can learn from these stories, because racism does not just disappear overnight. In many ways, it seeps into people's subconscious, and the tribe mentality or group think causes people like Kyle Rittenhouse, Dylann Roof, former Pres. Trump, Pres. Putin, Henry Cavill, and so many others who cover up their misdeeds and discriminatory ways without regard for repercussions or punitive measures.

Nevertheless, when people like Jussie Smollett pretend to be discriminated against for a false identity characteristic, it begs the question about how can we know who people really are, as now everyone can be a good actor or actress?

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a literary feast and enjoyed escaping into worlds forgotten and people removed from mainstream literature. While some stories were more captivating than others, to be able to read these short stories from the pens of some of the most brilliant writers to walk this earth, blessed every part of my soul!

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wide range of writing styles and subjects. Some stories I liked more than others; overall, it was a good experience. Might read again some time in the future.

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

classic stories.
funny and heartbreaking.

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you read any short story in this book you GRASP history !!! You walk in another persons shoes. Just read the book.

[Betsy Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible collection; not a bad story in the bunch. I really savored this over the last few months.

[DORIS · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT AWESOME WOMENS LOVE THIS BOOK IS IT GOING IN MY LIBARY WHY YESSS.

[Ramona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid collection; not all of them blew me away but I liked the variety of perspectives. The best one, the short I absolutely loved, was To Hell With Dying by Alice Walker.

[cheerychoco · Rating 5 out of 5]

*READ FOR BANNED BOOKS*

[Eligah Boykin jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating excursion through a generous portion of the spectrum of African and African American thought in the field of letters and storytelling. The truth is, many of these stories deserve the same kind of validation and appreciation as those found in the teleplays of Rod Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE (1959-1964). It was enlightening to read SEE HOW THEY RUN by Mary Elizabeth Vroman and see the differences between the plot and characters in the short story as opposed to how they are represented in BRIGHT ROAD (1953) the movie, starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. It was also a pleasure to once again encounter Ralph Ellison's short story FLYING HOME and find a better, enlarged understanding about it as my reward. I was as well surprised and amused to find a little short story here written by one of my mentors here in Detroit. Ron Milner, whom I first was fortunate enough to meet at Considine Recreation during the years of my teenage angst, comes front and center with a story entitled JUNKIE JOE HAD SOME MONEY. I knew Ron mostly from the performances of his plays at CONCEPT EAST THEATER, but was gratified to find this short story published here. It's a true to life Ghetto tale from the Motor City. Finally, Alice Walker has the last word with TO HELL WITH DYING and rightfully so.

There are more stories here that deserve the TWILIGHT ZONE treatment. Among the nearly fifty presented, there is something for everyone's taste. I would not have thought that a historian like John Henrik Clarke would be much for fiction, but he does himself proud with the story SANTA CLAUS WAS A WHITE MAN. The gang's all here, such as you would find in the annals of renowned African American Literature and the breath and quality of this anthology is a great introduction to their bodies of work. There was a feeling, as I read through this book at a leisurely pace, that everybody was at last getting their say and no stone was being left unturned on the way to that great gettin' up mornin'. When you see the names of Paul Lawrence Dunbar with the likes of Jean Toomer and Arna Bontemps as well as Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston and of course, Langston Hughes, it's hard to say who's been left out of this examination of Negro thought, if anyone. I found this a very entertaining selection. One I wouldn't mind examining in an Audiobook format, or once again in a series of films comparable to O. HENRY'S FULL HOUSE (1952), or Steven Spielberg's AMAZING STORIES (1985-1987) which ran for 45 episodes on NBC television.

I was truly gratified to see how profoundly diverse the thought of African and African American writers could be in this compilation of greats by Langston Hughes. This book is like a finger pointing beyond Blaxsploitation toward a place where a new aesthetic could be examined for those seeking new freedoms in creative thought. An ever-growing audience needs to hear the voices of these who are colored and dark of hue as it is demonstrated here how much they have earned and deserve it.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

The sheriff's children / Charles W. Chesnutt --3
The scapegoat / Paul Laurence Dunbar --3
*Fern / Jean Toomer --
Miss Cynthie / Rudolph Fisher --3
The warf rats / Eric Walrond --
A summer tragedy / Arna Bontemps --3
Thank you, M'am / Langston Hughes --3
The gilded six-bits / Zora Neale Hurston --2
The Revolt of the evil fairies / Ted Poston --
Almos' a man / Richard Wright --3
Marihuana and a pistol / Chester B. Himes --
The beach umbrella / Cyrus Colter --2
The richer, the poorer / Dorothy West --
The almost white boy / Willard Motley --2
Afternoon into night / Katherine Dunham --
Flying home / Ralph Ellison --2
Come home early, chile / Owen Dodson --
Santa Claus is a white man / John Henrik Clarke --
The stick up / John Oliver Killens --
Health card / Frank Yerby --
We're the only colored people here / Gwendolyn Brooks --
The pocketbook game / Alice Childress --
The checkerboard / Alston Anderson--
This morning, this evening, so soon / James Baldwin --4
See how they run / Mary Elizabeth Vroman --
The blues begins / Sylvester Leaks --
Son in the afternoon / John A. Williams --
*Singing Dinah's song / Frank London Brown --
Duel with the clock / Junis Edwards --
*Barbados / Paule Marshall --
The day the world almost came to an end / Pearl Crayton --
An interesting social study / Kristin Hunter --
A new day / Charles Wright --
Quietus / Charlie Russell --
Mother to son / Conrad Kent Rivers --
A long day in November / Ernest J. Gaines --2
Miss Luhester gives a party / Ronald Fair --
The death of Tommy Grimes / R.J. Meaddough III --
Old blues singers never die / Clifford Vincent Johnson --
*The only man on Liberty Street / William Melvin Kelley --
Beautiful light and black our dreams / Woodie King Jr. --
Red bonnet / Linsey Patterson --
The burglar / Lebert Bethune --
Junkie-Joe had some money / Ronald Milner --
Direct action / Mike Thelwell --
The engagement party / Robert Boles --
To hell with dying / Alice Walker--3

[Sarah French · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful collection of short stories.