The Harlem Reader: A Celebration of new York's Most Famous Neighborhood, from the Renaissance Years to the 21st Century

There is no neighborhood in America as famous, infamous, and inspiring as Harlem. From its humble beginnings as a farming district and country retreat for the rich, Harlem grew to international prominence as the mecca of black art and culture, then fell from grace, despised as a crime-ridden slum and symbol of urban decay. But during all of these phases there was writing in Harlem-great writing that sprang from one of the richest and most unique communities in the world. From Harlem's most revered icons (like Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, Ann Petry, and Malcolm X) to voices of a new generation (including Willie Perdomo, Mase, Grace Edwards, and Piri Thomas), The Harlem Reader gathers a wealth of vital impressions, stories, and narratives and blends them with original accounts offered by living storytellers, famous and not so famous. Fresh and vivid, this volume perfectly captures the dramatic moments and personalities at the core of Harlem's ever-evolving story.

Table of Contents:
Home on the grange / by Alexander Hamilton (1804) -- The Afro-American Realty Company / by Gilbert Osofsky (1904) -- A journey to greatness : the life and music of George Gershwin / by David Ewen (1904) -- Harlem Town / by Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth (1915) -- Boyhood in Harlem / by Thomas C. Fleming (1916) -- We return fighting / by David Levering Lewis (1918) -- The class struggle / by W.E.B. Du Bois (1920s) -- Witness to the Harlem Renaissance / by James Weldon Johnson (1920s) -- The Garvey movement / by John Henrik Clarke (1920s) -- In his own words / by Marcus Garvey (1920s) -- Springtime in Harlem / by Roi Ottley (1920s) -- Harlem in the spotlight / by Hubert Harrison (1920s) -- Ringtail / by Rudolph Fisher (1920s) -- Nights at the Cotton Club / by Duke Ellington (1920s) -- The Harlem Rens / by Arthur Ashe, Jr. (1920s) -- Sonnet to a Negro in Harlem / by Helene Johnson (1926) -- On "Gloria Swanson" (from Gay rebel of the Harlem Renaissance : selections from the work of Richard Bruce Nugent) -- The Abyssinian Baptist Church / by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (1930s) -- The Harlem Fox / by J. Raymond Jones (1930s) -- Our Harlem / by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee (1930s) -- Upon arriving in Harlem / by Gordon Parks, Sr. (1933) -- Macbeth in Harlem / by Wendy Smith (1936) -- Zora / by Laurence Holder (1930s) -- Edgecombe, baseball, and Madame St. Clair / by Catherine Butler Jones (1936) -- 116th Street / by Ann Petry (1940s) -- Life in Black and white / by Sidney Poitier (1943) -- Hostess of Harlem / by Claude McKay (1948) -- A toast to Harlem / by Langston Hughes (1950) -- If you ain't got heart, you ain't got nada / by Piri Thomas (1950s) -- Homegirls on St. Nicholas Avenue / by Sonia Sanchez (1950s) -- Harlem background / by Harold Cruse (1950s) -- Lorraine Hansberry : on time! / by John Oliver Killens (1950s) -- Fifth Avenue uptown : a letter from Harlem / by James Baldwin (1950s) -- Spanish Harlem (the song) / artist: Ben E. King (1950s) -- Minister Malcolm X / by Malcolm X (1957) -- Castro in Harlem / by Maya Angelou (1960) -- Harlem / by Henry Dumas (1960s) -- Memories of a 60s girlhood : the Harlem I love / by Michele Wallace (1960s) -- Cotton comes to Harlem / by Chester Himes (1965) -- My Harlem / by Tonya Bolden (1960s) -- Returning to a Harlem I never left / by Eddy Harris (1970s) -- Harlem haiku : a scrapbook / by Jabari Asim (1980s) -- Passing Strivers' Row / by Grace Edwards -- A visit to Harlem / by Brian Kwan (1990s) -- Reflections on the metro north, winter, 1990 / by Willie Perdomo (1990s) -- Making Harlem my business / by Dorothy Pitman Hughes (1990s) -- Chris Rock at the Apollo / by Cintra Wilson (2000) -- Ethnic cleansing comes to Harlem / by Mamadou Chinyelu (2000) -- Come home with me / by Cam'Ron (2002) -- Unforgettable summer for Harlem Little League / by Howie Evans -- Harlem is my heart / by Yemise Cameron (2001).

About the Author :
HERB BOYD is the national editor at The Black World Today, an online publication. He currently teaches African and African-American history at the College of New Rochelle in Manhattan. Boyd is also coeditor with Robert Allen of the American Book Award-winning collection Brotherman and, more recently, editor of Autobiography of a People. He resides in Harlem with his wife, Elza Dinwiddie-Boyd, also a noted writer and college professor.