Langston Hughes: The Value of Contradiction

by Bonnie Greer

Langston Hughes was a man far ahead of his time, but his actions were often unpredictable, contradictory and refused classification. To give an example, he campaigned tirelessly for civil rights but then testified before the controversial House Committee on Un-American Activities, seen by many as a witch-hunt. Rather than ignoring or excusing these contradictions, Bonnie Greer confronts them, highlighting the many contradictions present in both his day and ours and painting an unforgettable portrait of a man caught up in strange and contradictory times.

139 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2011

About the author

Bonnie Greer is an American-British playwright, novelist and critic. She is also the Chancellor of Kingston University, a university located in Kingston upon Thames, London.

Reviews

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely a very good alternative to the very long Rampersad biography, depending how you look upon Hughes. If you are only interested in his political and social position, you get pretty much everything you want here, if you want a more thorough account, Rampersad would be your better pick.

[RYD · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers a short survey of the life of poet Langston Hughes. I wasn't very impressed by its explanation as to why Hughes cooperated with the House Committee on Unamerican Activities. Basically, Bonnie Greer said Hughes' work was the most important thing to him, something that many, many of the talented men and women hauled before the committee could have claimed:

"But Langston Hughes had journeyed away from the overt socialism he had embraced twenty years before. His work, the poetry, had moved on, and so had he. He had never sublimated his work to a Party line, and if anyone had read him closely enough, they have seen that his only concern was that his writing, his poetry, moved closer and closer to the world of black people, wherever that world took him. His poetry, shaped by the African American community, in turn, shaped that community, too, and if it had moved on from the socialism of the thirties, Langston was right with it, giving voice to the change, to the shift. Moving with African America was second nature to him, and besides, he had signaled what he was undergoing in the late forties when he had warned black poets to avoid direct politics. Why? Because direct politics might consume the poetry.

"In the end, it was the work -- not the politics -- to which Langston owed his allegiance. His poetic voice and the freedom to exercise it was his true cause. For the sake of that cause, he must continue to write."

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars; enjoyed this take on Hughes' life; elucidating to contrast this with the autobiographies The Big Sea and I Wonder as I Wander: An Autobiographical Journey; be sure to check out Hughes' poetry; The Weary Blues, The Dream Keeper and Other Poems, The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye-opening glimpse into the moments and political events that shaped the writer and poet that would become a leading figure during the Harlem Renaissance. It's a short read, but a rich exploration of the hardships, views and close relationships of a "coloured" man trying to make it in a time when the odds were stacked against him. From the rejection by his father that taught him about the complexities of disowning your roots, to his love of Walt Whitman, we follow his journey from the South to the shifting North that inspired a movement of forward-thinkers.

[Kimberly Hurns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book at the Schomburg in NYC in the spring and quickly read on the flight home. It was such an interesting glimpse into the life of Langston with very interesting tidbits of related American History. Great context for anyone learning about Langston and/or reading his work.

[Brittany Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

[Theresa Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Showed up in my feed.