Beyond Passing: The Further Writings of Nella Larsen

by Nella Larsen, C.S.R. Calloway (editor)

Nella Larsen's 1929 novel Passing is hailed today as a significant literary work of Harlem Renaissance, though for several decades it, like all of her works, was out of print. As history rights a wrong and recommits Larsen's name to memory, it is beneficial to look at the other writings she published over her short career, collected here in Beyond Passing: The Further Writings of Nella Larsen . Contained within are her autobiographical novel Quicksand, and three short stories "Freedom," "The Wrong Man," and "Sanctuary."

With a growing number of titles under its Magna Releases banner, CSRC Storytelling promotes and provides positivity, power and presence in print, restoring literary classics across genres and making them newly accessible to modern readers. This collection of Nella Larsen stories is a CSRC Storytelling Magna Release.

212 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2020

About the author

Nellallitea 'Nella' Larsen (first called Nellie Walker) was an American novelist of the Harlem Renaissance who wrote two novels and a few short stories. Though her literary output was scant, what she wrote earned her recognition by her contemporaries and by present-day critics.

Reviews

[Jersy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had planned to read Larsen's entire work since I fell in love with Passing. There isn't much, only two novellas (Passing and Quicksand) and three short stories, but all very impressive. You shouldnt read her in a bad mood, though, since they can be quite distressing.
I didn't like Quicksand quite as much as Passing, but I appreciated the raw emotions, fascinating themes and autobiographical approach a lot. The short stories were really effective as well. The topic of beeing black in America is always present, but there are so many variants of it and so many other themes to explore in this.