Winnerofthe2018PulitzerPrizeforBiographyWinnerofthe2018NationalBookAwardforNonfictionAtiny,fastidiouslydressedmanemergedfromBlackPhiladelphiaaroundtheturnofthecenturytomentoragenerationofyoungartistsincludingLangstonHughes,ZoraNealeHurston,andJacobLawrenceandcallthemtheNewNegro--thecreativeAfricanAmericanswhoseart,literature,music,anddramawouldinspireBlackpeopletogreatness.InTheNewNegro:TheLifeofAlainLocke,JeffreyC.StewartoffersthedefinitivebiographyofthefatheroftheHarlemRenaissance,basedontheextantprimarysourcesofhislifeandoninterviewswiththosewhoknewhimpersonally.HenarratestheeducationofLocke,includinghisbecomingthefirstAfricanAmericanRhodesScholarandearningaPhDinphilosophyatHarvardUniversity,andhislongcareerasaprofessoratHowardUniversity.Lockealsoreceivedacosmopolitan,aestheticeducationthroughhistravelsincontinentalEurope,wherehecametoappreciatethebeautyofartandexperiencedafreedomunknowntohimintheUnitedStates.AndyethebecamemostcloselyassociatedwiththefloweringofBlackcultureinJazzAgeAmericaandhispromotionoftheliteraryandartisticworkofAfricanAmericansasthequintessentialcreationsofAmericanmodernism.IntheprocesshelookedtoAfricatofindtheproudandbeautifulrootsoftherace.Shiftingthediscussionofracefrompoliticsandeconomicstothearts,hehelpedestablishtheideathatBlackurbancommunitiescouldbecruciblesofcreativity.StewartexploresbothLocke’sprofessionalandprivatelife,includinghisrelationshipswithhismother,hisfriends,andhiswhitepatrons,aswellashislifelongsearchforloveasagayman.Stewart’sthought-provokingbiographyrecreatestheworldsofthisillustrious,enigmaticmanwho,inpromotingtheculturalheritageofBlackpeople,became--intheprocess--aNewNegrohimself.
literature music LITERATURE NEW MUSIC
