The Collected Writings of Wallace Thurman: A Harlem Renaissance Reader

by Amritjit Singh, Daniel M. Scott III (Editor)

This book is the definitive collection of the writings of
Wallace Thurman (1902–1934), providing a comprehensive anthology of
both the published and unpublished works of this bohemian, bisexual
writer. Widely regarded as the enfant terrible of the Harlem
Renaissance, Thurman was a leader among a group of young artists and
intellectuals that included Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston,
Gwendolyn Bennett, and Aaron Douglas. Through the publication of
magazines such as Fire!! and Harlem: A Forum of Negro Life, Thurman
tried to organize the younger generation against the ideologies of the
older generation of black leaders and intellectuals such as W.E.B. Du
Bois and Benjamin Brawley. Thurman also left a permanent mark on the
period through his prolific work as a novelist, playwright, short
story writer, and literary critic.

This collection brings together all of Thurman’s essays, nearly all of his letters to black and white figures of the 1920s, and three previously unpublished major works: Aunt Hagar’s Children, which is a collection of essays, and two full-length plays, Harlem and Jeremiah the Magnificent. The introduction provides a challenging new reevaluation of Thurman and the Harlem Renaissance for both the general reader and scholar.

531 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Amritjit Singh is professor of English at Rhode Island College and coeditor of Postcolonial Theory and the United States, Interviews with Edward W. Said, Conversations with Ralph Ellison, and Conversations with Ishmael Reed, all published by University Press of Mississippi.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thurman Wallace was a prolific writer, publishing novels and stories during his short life. I searched out this volume for the handful of plays he wrote, mostly in collaboration with William Rapp, a white publisher. Only two plays survive – some are believed to be lost.

Although not as well known as the rest of the Harlem Renaissance writers (he died at age 32), his plays presented a view of African American life that was neither idealized or patronizing. The characters are well formed and on a whole they possess vitality and energy. The dialogue aims at reproduces the slang and manner of real speech, particularly in Harlem.

One wonders what Wallace might have done had he lived longer and had more time to hone his playwriting skills. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say his works near Eugene O’Neill’s plays at the time. (O’Neill’s experimentation in expressionism may give him a slight edge.)

That said, Wallace’s plays deserved to be performed and read more widely.

Harlem: A Melodrama of Negro Life **** – This is an unknown treasure. At a time when quality American theatre consisted of a handful of plays by O’Neill and a few musicals, Harlem provides an insightful and unvarnished view of life in Harlem.

It depicts the struggle between generations, the crippling effects of racism, and the challenges faced by southern blacks moving into the northern cities. It possesses vivid characters and language and an unidealized, unsensationalized portrait of the community’s people and their failings.

I don’t know if there are any grand themes in the work, but its wide range of lively characters make it instantly engaging.

Jeremiah, The Magnificant *** – This the story of the fall of a charismatic black leader, based on the life of Marcus Garvey. Jeremiah is a religious leader, hailed as an emperor among his followers.

Jeremiah is presented with all his charisma and his faults. He’s presented as genuinely committed to his cause, but his egotism and grand airs prevent him from seeing the perfidy of his flatterers.

Overall, the play is very good, but the complexities of Jeremiah’s role as spiritual leader could have been explored more deeply. And the villain, Grayson, is a bit flat. Other than greed, we don’t get much motivation from him. Unlike Harlem, the language is a bit “stagey” and less colloquial.

But this is still a powerful play with an unjaded and unromantic view of African American and mankind in general. It deserves to be more widely known.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating...Wallace Thurman, a gay black man born in Salt Lake City, one of the foremost members of the "Black Renaissance." Did much of his best writing back in Utah, though his opinion of the state/city/community was ambivalent. Shamefully unrecognized among American essayists, playwrights, novelists, and critics. READ WALLACE THURMAN.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually did all the proofing for the OCR'd pages for this book. This is the text that originally piqued my interest in the Harlem Renaissance.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a class with Dr. Singh in college and both he and Thurman seemed to me like strong characters who were following unlikely passions in life. Fascinating.