“Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed-
I, too, am America.”
- Langston Hughes “ I, Too”
These stirring words from Hughes’ famous poem from 1926 are as moving and relevant now as they were when written. As we learned in Part one and two there are many wonderful works of Black art and literature that most of us were unaware of. This term, similar to my two previous courses, we’ll continue exploring art and literature centered on the Black experience and created by a diverse group of authors and artists. For the first four weeks we’ll begin the class by immersing ourselves in the Award Winning 2023 novel, This Other Eden by Paul Harding. This novel was inspired by the true story of Malaga Island, isolated off the coast of Maine, that became one of the first racially integrated towns in the Northeast. The second half of each class we’ll continue our study of American art and the impact that these artists have had on our country’s culture. After finishing the novel we’ll focus on short stories and poetry by Black writers, sent ahead of time and provided by the facilitator, as well as continuing our study of art. You do not need to have taken part one or two. All material will be new. There might be areas that some would find objectionable so please come with an open mind and heart!
Required Book: Harding, Paul. (2023) This Other Eden
