The Langston Hughes Reader

With art and wit, Langston Hughes defined the place of Black Americans in all of the forms of American literary expression. Available again is the classic anthology from the leader of the Harlem Renaissance. First published in 1958, this compilation of the writings of Langston Hughes is drawn from every category of his prodigious literary achievement. It combines highlights of the novels, stories, plays, poems, songs, and essays that have established his commanding position in world literature. Among the selections are the complete libretto of his popular musical comedy Simply Heavenly ; the text of his pageant Glory of Negro History ; his one-act play, Soul Gone Home ; generous portions of his autobiographies, The Big Sea and I Wonder as I Wander ; and of the incomparable Simple Simple Takes a Wife, Simple Speaks his Mind, and Simple Stakes a Claim .