Foundational Work in African American Literary Criticism "To Make a Poet Black" First Edition, 1939

Redding J. Saunders

First Edition

[African American][Literature][Poetry] Redding, J. Saunders. To Make a Poet Black. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1939. First edition. 142 pages. Original orange cloth binding with silver lettering on the spine. In the original red dust jacket with printed paper labels on the front panel and spine. 8vo. A foundational work in African American literary criticism, To Make a Poet Black is a pioneering study of Black literature and intellectual thought in the United States. J. Saunders Redding, a prominent literary scholar and the first Black faculty member at an Ivy League university, examines the historical and cultural forces shaping African American writers from the 18th century through the Harlem Renaissance. He explores the tension Black writers face in addressing both Black and white audiences, the expectation that their works serve political or social purposes, and the struggle for artistic autonomy within a racially stratified society. Redding traces this dynamic from early figures like Jupiter Hammon to the "New Negro" movement, situating Black literature within the broader context of American thought.

In original bold red dustjacket, showing moderate edgewear, chipping, and small tears along the spine and corners with a piece about one inch separating from the spine. Back endpaper bears the signature of a previous owner, George A. Liuce [sic] of Oakland CA, in blue ink. Binding remains tight, and the pages exhibit only mild toning. Overall, a very good copy in a good dust jacket of this historically significant and uncommon early work of African American literary criticism.

Item #21567

Price: $385.00