Episode 10: Langston Hughes (Audio Version)
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Episode 10 Description:
Langston Hughes's (1902-1967) life story is that of the fracturing and re-cementing of community. His parents separated when he was a child, and he spent his youth being shuffled between family members and family friends. Somehow, he profited by such dislocation, nurturing an intellectual restlessness that put him in contact with many artists of his generation, and ultimately made him a unifying force of the Harlem Renaissance. During this period of cultural flourishing, it seemed the Black culture might become part of the mainstream, but this dream came crashing to Earth along with the economy. There would not be another concerted effort to integrate African Americans into the mainstream until the 1940's. Yaddo would be in the vanguard in these efforts, extending residencies to Hughes and composer Nathaniel Dett in 1942. But even at Yaddo the transition proved difficult. Three board members resigned in response to Yaddo's decision to integrate, and certain tensions lingered during Hughes's stay. Hughes, however, harbored no ill will. Indeed, he fought to nurture the community of Yaddo, as he believed it had nurtured his work. In 1949, Yaddo Executive Director Elizabeth Ames was accused of conspiring to harbor Communists, and Hughes immediately came to her aid. The plan of action he devised helped Ames retain her position, and helped the Yaddo community avoid further fragmentation in a divisive era.
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Posted at 05:31PM Sep 26, 2008
by rich in General |
