Category: american literature

King Philip, William Apess, and the Emergence of a Distinct American Literature

Paul Revere’s caricature of King Philip (1772) Last post, I wrote briefly about Philip F. Gura’s biography of William Apess, and I discussed some of the links between Apess and Hosea Easton. Along with the links between Apess and the abolitionist movement, I have been intrigued with the relationship between Apess and the literary production of the period. Gura speaks to this topic some; … Read More King Philip, William Apess, and the Emergence of a Distinct American Literature

Ira Aldridge’s "The Black Doctor"

James V. Hatch and Ted Shine’s two-volume Black Theatre USAhas graced my bookshelf for a few years. Occasionally, I pull one of the volumes down to read or reread a play. A couple of weeks ago, I pulled down volume one and read Ira Aldrige‘s translation of Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois’sLe Docteur Noir (1846). Aldridge’sĀ The Black Doctor (1846) contains differences from Anciet-Bourgeois’s original play and other … Read More Ira Aldridge’s "The Black Doctor"

Photography in Lyle Saxon’s "Children of Strangers" and Alice Walker’s "Everyday Use"

As I reread Lyle Saxon’s Children of StrangersĀ (1937) for the 2016 NEH Summer Institute “Ernest J. Gaines and the Southern Experience,” I couldn’t help but think about the idea of authenticity and reality when I came to the final section in the book. There, Flossie Smith, Adelaide Randolph’s friend, encounters the fallen Famie as she leaves Easter service with Henry Tyler. Upon first meeting … Read More Photography in Lyle Saxon’s "Children of Strangers" and Alice Walker’s "Everyday Use"

Langston Hughes’s "Home" and Ernest Hemingway

The word “home” carries connotations of safety, security, and family; however, for Roy Williams in Langston Hughes’s “Home” (1933),  his return to Missouri presents him with a confrontation that ultimately leads to his death at the hands of the white townspeople. Today, I want to look at Hughes’s story in relation to Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” from In Our Time (1925). Both stories deal … Read More Langston Hughes’s "Home" and Ernest Hemingway

Top Five Posts from 2015!

As we start traversing our path through the new year, I want to take the opportunity to look back at some of my favorite posts from the past year. This retrospective will contain, in no particular order, the five posts that are my favorite from the 94 posts that appeared in 2015. The posts on this list will include ones from this blog as … Read More Top Five Posts from 2015!