Beloved Harlem: A Literary Tribute to Black America's Most Famous Neighborhood, From the Classics to The Contemporary (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780767914789)

A passionate ode to an American mecca, Beloved Harlem is a literary look into the vibrant African-American haven, edited by one of its celebrated native sons. William H. Banks, Jr., combines the classics with the contemporary as he showcases some of the best essays, short stories, and novel excerpts inspired by the diversity of Harlem life, from the early twentieth century to the new millennium.

The days and nights of black Manhattan come alive in the words of historically famous writers like W.E.B. Dubois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Dorothy West, Ossie Davis, and Toni Morrison, along with the works of brilliant newcomers to the neighborhood, including Brian Keith Jackson's witty examination of identity politics in The Queen of Harlem and Rosemarie Robatham's "Dreaming in Harlem," a moving tale about a woman at the edge of society who finds sanctuary with a stranger.

From renaissance through tough times to revitalization, this triumphant homage gives Harlem the historical perspective it so rightly deserves. Beloved Harlem is a welcome addition to the libraries of readers who are either already in love with Harlem or ready to take the fall.

Author: William H. Banks
ISBN-10: 0767914783
ISBN-13: 9780767914789
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Language: English
Published: 08/02/2005
Pages: 546
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.77lbs
Size: 8.81h x 6.06w x 1.32d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 09/01/2005 pg. 140
Ebony 08/01/2005 pg. 26
Booklist 07/01/2005 pg. 1890
Black Issues Book Review 01/01/2006 pg. 68