American novelists

greatest number.” -William D. Howells. Those were just a few of the many wise words that author William D. Howells had said. William Dean Howells was the most influential 19th-20th century novelist, author, editor, literary critic, and playwright. He was an American realist, and was nicknamed, “The Dean of American Letters". Howells is well known for authoring stories, such as "Christmas Every Day", and novels like The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria, among many others. His…

conglomeration of the best and brightest, poets, singers, artist, philosophers and all around thinkers of the African American community. They were escaping the oppression of the American South for a place where they could gather and let their creativity free. Some of the major names that were a part of the Renaissance included Langston Hughes (poet), Claude McKay (writer/poet), Zora Neale Hurston (novelist) and many more. The Harlem Renaissance wasn't just a gathering of intellectuals it was a…

Wealth has been perceived as the ultimate goal of the American dream. Americans have let the standard of wealth get in the way of more important things in life. Wealth can consume your thoughts of the definition of true love and life itself. The focus of wealth can cloud your mind to block the reality that is right in front of you. The focus of wealth can also keep you living in a façade that only ends in confusion. And the confusion could possibly be asking yourself the question: was being…

Interview Novelist Manuel Puig “Homosexuality is not something we should judge. More importantly: the act doesn’t make you homosexual.” Readers of novelist Manuel Puig will never forget the novels of the Argentine man. Using innovative narrative techniques, dark comedy and particularly film, Manuel Puig has been a very successful writer. Born in 1932 in General Villegas, a small town on the Argentine pampas, Puig began studying English at the age of ten, to get a better understanding in…

Al Young was born on may, 15, 2005, in Ocean Spring, Mississippi, he is a American poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and professor, he is currently 78 years old, on May, 15, 2005 he was named Poet Laureate of California by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian-American actor, producer, businessman, investor, author, philanthropist, activist, politician, and former professional bodybuilder. Al Young grew up in the rural South of villages and small towns, and in urban, industrial…

James Mercer Langston Hughes, the great poet, novelist, social activist, columnist, and playwright himself was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. During his life he wrote numerous plays and many different works of poetry. He published his first book of poetry in 1926 at the age of 24. The book was called The Weary Blues, it was a standout because Hughes established a theme to recognize black heritage and he also used jazz rhythm and dialect to focus on urban black lives. Hughes is…

that participates in any creative arts as a profession or hobby. An artist can be a singer, sculptor, novelist, poet, or filmmaker. Some of the greatest artists have become a great inspiration for some students in school either because their work has a great meaning or they managed to change the world. One of the greatest artist for me would be Stephen Swartz a singer. Stephen Swartz is an American electronic music artist, singer, and songwriter. He has shown that he has a great vision when it…

The Harlem Renaissance was a turning point for the United States. The influential leaders, authors, and members of the Harlem Renaissance introduced a new way of life. Intertwined with the Roaring 20s, the Harlem Renaissance experienced new technology and inventions. With the help from new technology, the Harlem Renaissance period was able to accomplish much more than previous eras. The Harlem Renaissance also influenced many different areas. In particular, the Harlem Renaissance influenced the…

During a time of struggle and difficulty for African Americans, they found sanctuary in the different arts such as poetry, literature, and art. There was an explosion of African Americans writing about the discrimination they had to face, and among them was the novelist and poet Langston Hughes. His writing was heavily influenced by what was going around him and he painted a vibrant, insightful picture of African Americans unlike some other writers of this time. An example is one of his poems…

they do not act like the stereotype of a particular class. In Percival Everett’s Erasure, the story depicts an African American novelist who is unrecognized for his literary work due to his lack of ability to carry himself in the mannerisms associated with being an African American man. This confined point of view of how a group should convey themselves, places the African American into a crowd where he or she is suppressed and cannot move forward in society. The view of being less authentic to…