1. 1917-1935

2. Famous Authors:  A literary movement that treated black themes, African American history, and folklore.  Its center was Harlem, an area of New York City that had a large black population.  Its artists and writers were African Americans who believed in black pride and the oral idiom of black spoken speech.  It brought a new self-awareness and critical respect to black literature; attracted a white audience. Countee Cullen Langston Hughes Zora Neale Hurston Nella Larsen Claude McKay

3.  Jazz and blues flourished during this time.  Addressed issues of race, class, religion, and gender.  Some focused entirely on black characters; others addressed relationships between all races.  Some attacked racism; others addressed issues in black communities.

4. 1902-1967

5.  Born in Missouri; grew up in Kansas  Lived w/ grandmother  Moved to Illinois and Ohio when grandmother died  Lived with mother and step-father  Attended Columbia University  Worked in Africa  Lived in Mexico, France, and Italy ▪ Spoke German and Spanish

6.  Discovered by a poet  Hughes was a busboy at a restaurant; he left three poems near an established poet’s plate  Wrote poems specifically for jazz accompaniment  His work is an attempt to “explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America”

7. 1890-1948

8.  Born in Jamaica  8 th child of farming family  When he was 9, he moved in with older brother  Moved to Harlem in 1914  Opened restaurant with friend ▪ It failed  Supported himself as janitor, butler, etc while writing.  Lived abroad (France/Russia) from 1922-1934  Became disillusioned with communism  Moved back to US, taught in Catholic schools in Chicago

9.  Wrote poems in Jamaican dialect of English  Published two collections with help of a friend  Concentrated on writing fiction and essays in France  Published four novels  His sonnets (14 line poems) voice his ambivalent and often defiant feelings about African American life in the United States.