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The Negro in American fiction

Chapter 15: SELECTED READING LIST
By Sterling A. Brown
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About This Book

A critical survey examines how Black Americans have been depicted in U.S. fiction, tracing recurring stereotypes—from the contented slave to the brute, the quaint figure, and the mulatto hero—and linking those portrayals to the social and political forces that produced them. Organized by period and theme, it reviews pro‑slavery and antislavery narratives, Reconstruction writing, regional and southern realism, folk‑influenced literature, urban scenes, and historical fiction, assessing how authors reflected and reinforced public attitudes. The study critiques reductive generalizations, highlights realist and folk resources, and urges fuller recognition of complex human experience in fictional representation.

SELECTED READING LIST

Books

1. Barton, Rebecca Chalmers: Race Consciousness and The American Negro—Arnold Busck, Copenhagen—1934.

2. Boynton, Percy H.: Literature and American Life—Ginn & Co., New York—1936.

3. Brawley, Benjamin Griffith: The Negro in Literature and Art—Duffield and Co., New York—1929, revised and enlarged to The Negro Genius—Dodd, Mead & Co., New York—1937.

4. Calverton, V. F.: The Liberation of American Literature—Chas. Scribner’s Sons, New York—1932.

5. DuBois, W. E. B.: The Gift of Black Folk—The Stratford Co., Boston—1924.

6. Edgar, Pelham: The Art of the Novel—The Macmillan Co., New York—1933.

7. Ford, Nick Aaron: The Contemporary Negro Novel—Meador Co., Boston—1936.

8. Gaines, Francis Pendleton: The Southern Plantation—Columbia University Press, New York—1925.

9. Green, Elizabeth Lay: The Negro in Contemporary American Literature—The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill—1928.

10. Hartwick, Harry: The Foreground of American Fiction—American Book Co., New York—1934.

11. Hatcher, Harlan: Creating The Modern American Novel—Farrar and Rinehart, New York—1935.

12. Hicks, Granville: The Great Tradition—The Macmillan Co., New York—1933.

13. Lewissohn, Ludwig: Expression In America—Harper & Bros., New York—1932.

14. Linn, James Weber, and Taylor, Houghton Wells: A Foreword to Fiction—D. Appleton-Century Co., New York—1935.

15. Locke, Alain: The New Negro—A. & C. Boni, New York—1925.

16. Loggins, Vernon: The Negro Author—Columbia University Press, New York—1931.

17. Loggins, Vernon: I Hear America—Thomas Y. Crowell Co., New York—1937.

18. Nelson, John Herbert: The Negro Character In American Literature—University of Kansas, Lawrence—1926.

19. Parrington, V. F.: Main Currents in American Thought—Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York—1930.

20. Pattee, Fred Lewis: The Development of the American Short Story—Harper & Bros., New York—1923.

21. Pattee, Fred Lewis: The First Century of American Literature, 1770-1870—D. Appleton, Century Co., New York—1935.

22. Pattee, Fred Lewis: A History of American Literature Since 1870—The Century Co., New York—1915.

23. Quinn, Arthur Hobson: American Fiction—D. Appleton, Century Co., New York—1936.

24. Turner, Lorenzo Dow: Anti-slavery Sentiment in American Literature Prior to 1865—The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Inc., Washington—1929.

25. Van Doren, Carl: The American Novel—The Macmillan Co., New York—1931.

Articles

1. Braithwaite, William Stanley: “The Negro In American Literature” in The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke—A. & C. Boni, New York—1925.

2. Brawley, Benjamin Griffith: “The Negro In American Fiction” in Anthology of American Negro Literature, edited by V. F. Calverton—The Modern Library, New York—1929.

3. Brown, Sterling A.: “Negro Characters As Seen By White Authors” in Journal of Negro Education (April, 1933),—Howard University, Washington, D. C.

4. Brown, Sterling A.: “Our Literary Audience” in Opportunity, a Journal of Negro Life, February, 1930.

5. Brown, Sterling A.: “The Literary Scene: Chronicle and Comment” in Opportunity, a Journal of Negro Life from 1930-36.

6. Burke, Kenneth: “The Negro’s Pattern of Life” in The Saturday Review of Literature, July 29, 1933.

7. Chamberlain, John: “The Negro As Writer” in The Bookman, Vol. LXX, February, 1930.

8. Clay, Eugene: “The Negro In Recent American Literature” in American Writers’ Congress, edited by Henry Hart—International Publishers, Inc., New York—1935.

9. Davidson, Donald: “The Trend of Literature” in Culture In The South, edited by W. T. Couch—University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill—1935.

10. Davis, Allison: “Our Negro Intellectuals” in The Crisis, August, 1928.

11. Farrell, James T.: “The Short Story” in American Writers’ Congress, edited by Henry Hart—International Publishers, Inc., New York—1935.

12. Gordon, Eugene: “Social and Political Problems of the Negro Writer” in American Writers’ Congress, edited by Henry Hart—International Publishers, Inc., New York—1935.

13. Gruening, Martha: “The Negro Renaissance” in Hound and Horn, April-June, 1932.

14. Johnson, Guy: “Folk Values in Recent Literature on the Negro” in Folk-Say, edited by B. A. Botkin—University of Oklahoma Press, Norman—1930.

15. Locke, Alain: “The Negro’s Contribution to American Art and Literature” in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. CXXXX, November, 1928.

16. Locke, Alain: “Negro Youth Speaks” in The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke—A. & C. Boni, New York—1925.

17. Locke, Alain: “Retrospective Reviews” (annual surveys of books in Opportunity, a Journal of Negro Life, from 1929 to date.)

18. T. K. Whipple: “The Negro and Modern Literature” in Creative Reading, Vol. III, No. 11, Institute of Current Literature, Cambridge, Mass.—1929.

19. White, Walter: “Negro Literature” in American Writers On American Literature, edited by John Macy—Horace Liveright, Inc., New York—1931.

20. Woodson, Carter G.: “The Negro and American Literature” in The African Background Outlined by Carter G. Woodson—The Association For The Study of Negro Life and History, Washington, D. C.—1936.

21. Wright, Richard: “Blueprint for Negro Writing” in New Challenge, Fall, 1937.

Transcriber’s Notes:

Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.

Perceived typographical errors have been changed.