 | Carl Van Vechten and the Harlem Renaissance: A Portrait in Black and White Subjects: Van Vechten Carl 1880–1964 -- Criticism and interpretation; African Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- Intellectual life; Harlem (New York N.Y.) -- Intellectual life -- 20th century; African Americans in literature; Harlem Renaissance; Bernard's landmark study of Carl Van Vechten is by no means a complete portrait; rather, it is "a chronicle of one of his lives, his black life." Van Vechten was a "white man with a passion for blackness," who helped to facilitate the cultural regeneration of Harlem in the 1920s-what we know now as the Harlem Renaissance, but what was referred to then as the New Negro Renaissance. Van Vechten's social standing broke down barriers for African-American artists and writers-such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston-despite the contested integrity of his actions (he was often criticized for whitening the artistic output of "the black mecca"). In an attempt to "celebrate Harlem" (and perhaps himself), Van Vechten-ever the exhibitionist-penned the obviously controversial 1926 novel Nigger Heaven, using the shocking title to draw attention to the book and the vibrant portion of uptown Manhattan that he loved, and to proclaim his insider-status amongst African-Americans. While Bernard examines these ambitious pursuits thoroughly and incisively, there is no pretense of crafting a definitive answer as to whether Van Vechten helped or hindered the lives of those that he influenced; Bernard confesses to merely stoking the fires of discussion and remembrance, telling a rich and dramatic story that explores the "complicated tangle of black and white," as well as the proclivities of a provocative and inarguably significant player in one of America's most creative movements. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. Emily Bernard is associate professor, English Department and ALANA U.S. Ethnic Studies Program, University of Vermont. She is the author of several award-winning books, including Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten , which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She lives in Burlington, VT. |
