Shakespeare in Harlem. With Drawings by E. McKnight Kauffer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1942.
First edition. Presentation copy inscribed by Hughes on the front free endpaper: “To my friends, “Prof.†and Mrs. Wright, with all good wishes from [dash] Langston. Chicago, March 30, 1942.â€
Octavo. [xiv], [1]-[125], [5, blank] pp. Publisher’s orange cloth backstrip over black cloth, front cover lettered in lavender, spine lettered in black, rear cover with “borzoi†motif stamped in blind, dust jacket. Jacket lightly chipped at spine and corners, slightly browned, some rubbing. Still, very good. Laid in is a fair copy of Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s poem, “Sympathy†written in ink in an unknown hand on a 3 by 5 inch card.
Langston Hughes (1902-1967), one of the key artists of the Harlem Renaissance, is one of the most famous African-American writers and playwrights of his time. His other works include The Weary Blues (1926), Fine Clothes to the Jew (1927), and Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951).
It is unknown to whom '"Prof." Wright" refers. One possibility is Bruce M. Wright (1918-2005), who became a member of the New York State Supreme Court known for challenging large bail amounts for poorer people; Judge Wright was heavily involved in the Harlem Renaissance and knew Hughes well (Hughes had edited Wright's book of poetry, From the Shaken Tower (1944)). Another possibility is Walter Livingston Wright, who was the president of Lincoln University from 1924-1926 and again from 1936-1945. It is likely Hughes knew Walter Wright, as Hughes' graduating class was 1929, and he would have attended the university during Wright's first presidency. Of course, it is always possible that this was inscribed to Hughes' friend, novelist Richard Wright (his most famous novel being Native Son, 1940), but we have found no proof of this.
ID:
3225
$
2,000