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Langston Hughes (Critical Lives) Paperback – February 20, 2020

by W. Jason Miller (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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As the first black author in America to make his living exclusively by writing, Langston Hughes inspired a generation of writers and activists. One of the pioneers of jazz poetry, Hughes led the Harlem Renaissance, while Martin Luther King, Jr., invoked Hughes’s signature metaphor of dreaming in his speeches. In this new biography, W. Jason Miller illuminates Hughes’s status as an international literary figure through a compelling look at the relationship between his extraordinary life and his canonical works. Drawing on unpublished letters and manuscripts, Miller addresses Hughes’s often ignored contributions to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, as well as his complex and well-guarded sexuality, and repositions him as a writer rather than merely the most beloved African American poet of the twentieth century.
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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Critical Lives
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Reaktion Books
  5. Publication date
    February 20, 2020
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 0.9 x 7.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1789141958
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1789141955
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Fifty-two years after his death, the defiance and challenge that Langston Hughes evoked on the page during his long career still retain a sense of immediacy for contemporary audiences. In this book Miller offers valuable new insights into the life of Langston Hughes and compelling readings of selected stories and poems that will be indispensable to students, teachers, as well as new readers of Hughes’s prolific body of work.” -- Christopher C. De Santis, Illinois State University, editor of "Langston Hughes: A Documentary Volume" and "Fight for Freedom and Other Writings on Civil Rights"

“Miller's biography links the works by Hughes to the many scholarly studies that have emerged in the past thirty years. His bibliography alone is a precious tool. Miller integrates his own examinations of primary sources, and he thereby provides a brilliant map for current and future research. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the complexity of Hughes's writing and his relationships—with individuals and with organizations. Indeed, Hughes was ‘Not So Simple.’” -- Donna Akiba Sullivan Harper, Fuller E. Callaway Professor of English, Spelman College, and author of “Not So Simple: The ‘Simple’ Stories by Langston Hughes”

"Langston Hughes, one of the best-known writers of the Harlem Renaissance, remains an endlessly fascinating, charismatic figure. . . . This is a physically attractive book, with heavy, glossy pages and some rarely seen black-and-white images." ― Gay and Lesbian Review

About the Author

W. Jason Miller is professor of literature at North Carolina State University. He is the author of Langston Hughes and American Lynching Culture and Origins of the Dream: Hughes’s Poetry and King’s Rhetoric.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Reaktion Books (February 20, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1789141958
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789141955
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.9 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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W. Jason Miller

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

AObe
5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh and fascinating insights into Langston Hughes
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
As a teacher, I encourage students to see the whole picture when they are looking at a subject, whether that is a book, an author, or an event. At times, it can be difficult to understand that whole picture because often what is available is recycled information gathered the same sources. However, this book truly provides additional information that increases understanding of Langston Hughes in such a way that a fuller picture of the poet, his relationships, and his influence is developed. Written in a such a way that the book will be interesting to scholars of many levels, it is a great addition to all who want to delve deeper into Langston Hughes' life, the time in which he lived, and his meaningful writing.
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Mignon
5.0 out of 5 stars Passionate biography of a passionate American
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2020
I have read Dr. Miller’s Origin of the Dream and as a NC native I was appalled at how the history books tell the story of King’s visit so differently from this whole truth. Now, reading Langston Hughes (Critical Lives), I am able to connect more of the dots and I realize the importance of this interwoven web when the story is fully told...Hughes, Nina Simone, MLK...Americans to cherish.

Thank you Dr. Miller for your passionate research and telling the stories that are so important to helping America understand its often tortured past.
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Tara
5.0 out of 5 stars An immersive look into the life of Langston Hughes
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2020
As Dr. Miller's former student, I, of course, have received a plethora of information regarding Langston Hughes' life and his work, however, this book went above and beyond weaving together the knowledge of his life and his literature. Among many things that this book uncovers, I was astounded by just how deeply rooted in the civil rights movement and in pop culture Langston Hughes really is. Critical Lives seemed to exude the personality of Langston Hughes, unlike many biographies that are simply filled with flat, impersonal facts. Overall, this book was incredibly insightful and beautifully detailed.
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Mtmyers
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
This is a gripping book about a critical figure in American history. The author doesn't just relay the (weird, fascinating, startling) facts about Hughes's life (e.g., he was arguably more well-known in his lifetime than MLK Jr. was), but infuses pathos that makes this biography exciting. Here's a cheeky example: "Back in Caramel-by-the-Sea, Hughes spent evenings talking with a cigarette dangling customarily from the left side of his mouth to be sure his words always came out right." If you're interested in black literature, history, or poetry, this book is for you.
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