Claude McKay

Harlem Shadows (1922) is a poetry collection by Claude McKay. Published at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Harlem Shadows earned praise from legendary poet and political activist Max Eastman for its depictions of urban life and the technical mastery of its author. As a committed leftist, McKay-who grew up in Jamaica-captures the life of Harlem from a realist's point of view, lamenting the poverty of its African American community while celebrating...

A Black American longshoreman struggles to feel at home after returning from service in WWI in this classic Harlem Renaissance novel. When America joins World War I in 1917, Jake Brown enlists, ready to fight the Germans and become a hero. Yet when he arrives in France, he's treated more like a slave than a soldier. He spends his time toting around lumber and picking fights with his white comrades. After deserting his post, he finds work and contentment...

An important text in the canon of African American literature, representing a unique approach to exploring the complexities of race, class and identity during the early twentieth century. Through his use of lyrical language and poetic imagery, McKay offers insightful meditations on the cultural displacement experienced by many African Americans living in northern cities such as New York City.

Jamaican-American poet Claude McKay (1889–1948) came to the U.S. in 1912 and became an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance. This inexpensive edition includes a representative sample of his Jamaican dialect verse, but concentrates on poems from Harlem Shadows (1922) and uncollected verse. Edited and with an introduction by Joan R. Sherman.

Spring in New Hampshire and Other Poems (1920) is a poetry collection by Claude McKay. Published toward the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance, Spring in New Hampshire and Other Poems is the first of McKay's collections to appear in the United States. As a committed leftist, McKay-who grew up in Jamaica-captures the life of African Americans from a realist's point of view, lamenting their exposure to poverty, racism, and violence while celebrating...

A Long Way from Home is a novel by Claude McKay, a Jamaican-American writer and poet. Published in 1937, the book is set in the early 20th century and follows the experiences of its protagonist, a black man named Jean-Jacques "Jake" Delaney, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and cultural exploration. The novel begins with Jake leaving his native Jamaica to seek opportunities in the United States. He arrives in the bustling city of New York...

The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. Contents: Langston Hughes: The Weary Blues Countee Cullen: Color Copper Sun The Ballad Of The Brown Girl Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows Jean Toomer: Cane