Invisible Darkness: Jean Toomer & Nella Larsen

by Charles R. Larson

Invisible Darkness offers a striking interpretation of the tortured lives of the two major novelists of the Harlem Jean Toomer, author of Cane (1923), and Nella Larsen, author of Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929). Charles R. Larson examines the common belief that both writers "disappeared" after the Harlem Renaissance and died in obscurity; he dispels the misconception that they vanished into the white world and lived unproductive and unrewarding lives. In clear, jargon-free language, Larson demonstrates the opposing views that both writers had about their work vis-à-vis the incipient black arts movement; he traces each writer's troubled childhood and describes the unresolved questions of race that haunted Toomer and Larsen all of their lives. Larson follows Toomer through the wreckage of his personal life as well as the troubled years of his increasingly quirky spiritual quest until his death in a nursing home in 1967. Using previously unpublished letters and documents, Larson establishes for the first time the details of Larsen's life, illustrating that virtually every published fact about her life is incorrect. With an innovative chronology that breaks the conventions of the traditional biographical form, Larson narrates what happened to both of these writers during their supposed years of withdrawal. He demonstrates that Nella Larsen never really gave up her fight for creative and personal fulfillment and that Jean Toomer's connection to the Harlem Renaissance—and the black world—is at best a dubious one. This strong revisionist interpretation of two major writers will have a major i mpact on African American literary studies.

241 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[Bill Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first biography that I have read on Jean Toomer. It is, however, the third I’ve read on Nella Larsen, having been inspired by her autobiographical novel Quicksand. It is a relatively short book and since it covers two authors, it is not the most in-depth of biographies. It is also a story how the era’s rigidly cruel American segregation laws impacted these two novelists. It was a time when you had to be black or white. There was no in-between.

Toomer: This is a good sketch of Toomer’s life. I am sure more detailed biographies of Toomer exist [George Hutchinson, who wrote a well research biography of Nella Larsen, has one scheduled to come later this year (2026)], this gave quite a bit of insight into Toomer. He seems to have struggled a bit with who he was, what he believed and whether he was black or white. Toomer, it appears, would have liked to be a spiritual leader like George Gurdjieff, of whom he was a disciple. This never happened, although Toomer had his followers and was an inspired speaker. Among his successes later in life were speaking engagements with the Quakers, a religious group who were one of several stops in his life-long spiritual quest.

Larsen: Having read Hutchinson’s 2006 biography of Nella Larsen as well Thadious Davis’ 1994 version, I was pretty familiar with Larsen’s life. Hutchinson had the advantage of being able to build on the earlier works (this biography is from 1993), especially regarding the mysteries surrounding Larsen’s early life. I thought this book was weakest when discussing Larsen’s late teen-age years. Both Davis and Charles R. Larson discounted Nella Larsen’s stories about living in Denmark (although Davis wrote that Larsen was fluent in Danish). Hutchinson’s research was strongest on this point having found additional information.

Invisible Darkness is a very readable biography of these two authors.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, but not my favorite or the most informative critical take on Nella Larsen.