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Black Magic
1929. Illustrated by Aaron Douglas. Douglass, one of the greatest of the Harlem Renaissance artists, created eight illustrations for Morand's account of his 30,000 mile journey through 28 Negro countries, including Africa, the Caribbean, the American South, and Harlem. Translator Miles credits the NAACP's Walter White with the rendering of American Negro speech in certain of these stories.
121 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1983
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About the author
Paul Morand
173 books56 followersPaul Morand was a French diplomat, novelist, playwright and poet, considered an early Modernist.
He was a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies (better known as Sciences Po). During the pre-war period, he wrote many short books which are noted for their elegance of style, erudition, narrative concision, and for the author's observation of the countries he visited combined with his middle-class views.
Morand's reputation has been marred by his stance during the Second World War, when he collaborated with the Vichy regime and was a vocal anti-Semite. When the Second World War ended, Morand served as an ambassador in Bern, but his position was revoked and he lived in exile in Switzerland.
Post-war, he was a patron of the Hussards literary movement, which opposed Existentialism. Morand went on to become a member of the Académie française; his candidature was initially rejected by Charles de Gaulle, the only instance of a President ever exercising his right to veto electees to the academy. Morand was finally elected ten years later, though he still had to forgo the official investiture).
Paul Morand was a friend of Marcel Proust and has left valuable observations about him.
He was a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies (better known as Sciences Po). During the pre-war period, he wrote many short books which are noted for their elegance of style, erudition, narrative concision, and for the author's observation of the countries he visited combined with his middle-class views.
Morand's reputation has been marred by his stance during the Second World War, when he collaborated with the Vichy regime and was a vocal anti-Semite. When the Second World War ended, Morand served as an ambassador in Bern, but his position was revoked and he lived in exile in Switzerland.
Post-war, he was a patron of the Hussards literary movement, which opposed Existentialism. Morand went on to become a member of the Académie française; his candidature was initially rejected by Charles de Gaulle, the only instance of a President ever exercising his right to veto electees to the academy. Morand was finally elected ten years later, though he still had to forgo the official investiture).
Paul Morand was a friend of Marcel Proust and has left valuable observations about him.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 7, 2023
I’m not sure what to think about this one…I read a 2nd edition 1929 copy with beautiful binding and drawings throughout. The stories are scattered and difficult to follow, but it is my understanding that Morand had travelled throughout Africa and Africa influenced cultures, and collected stories with some form of black magic at the center. Some of the stories like the last one from Liberia were really interesting with some forest spirit bewitching the locals and forcing them to destroy their own village and crops. But the overwhelming theme (and probably due to the racist atmosphere of the times) is that blacks are barbaric and less than…so definitely not a pleasant read but still some interesting aspects if you are interested in black magic/witchcraft.
February 15, 2025
Tants de souvenirs en terrenoire de Charleston à l'Afrique Equatoriale Française; certains récits sont fascinants.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews