Nella Larsen, novelist of the Harlem Renaissance : a woman's life unveiled

Davis, Thadious M. 1944- (Author).

Summary: Nella Larsen (1891-1964) is recognized as one of the most influential, and certainly one of the most enigmatic, writers of the Harlem Renaissance. With the instant success of her two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929), she became a bright light in New Yorkʼs literary firmament. But her meteoric rise was followed by a surprising fall: In 1930 she was accused of plagiarizing a short story, and soon thereafter she disappeared from both the literary and African American worlds of New York. She lived the rest of her life - more than three decades - out of the public eye, working primarily as a nurse. Thadious Davis has penetrated the fog of mystery that has surrounded Larsen to present a detailed and fascinating account of the life and work of this gifted, determined, yet vulnerable artist. In addition to unraveling the details of Larseʼs personal life, Davis deftly situates the writer within the broader politics and aesthetics of the Harlem Renaissance and analyzes her life and work in terms of the current literature on race and gender.

Item details

ISBN: 0807120707
ISBN: 9780807120705
Physical Description: print
xxiii, 492 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 23 cm
Edition: Louisiana pbk. ed.
Publisher: Baton Rouge, La. : Louisiana State University Press, 1996.

Contents / Notes

General Note:	Originally published: Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, ©1994.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	1. A women's life and place. Beginning in Chicago -- Going forth into unknown regions -- Training in New York -- Sojourning in the South -- Finding a home. 2. A new negro's apprenticeship. Working for an education -- Becoming a writer -- Moving to the Renaissance. 3. A novelist's achievement. Arriving with Quicksand -- Succeeding with Passing -- Catching a "flying glimpse of the panorama". 4. A women's harvest. Struggling against drought -- Sowing dreams -- Resting on headlands.