{"product_id":"langston-hughes-folk-dramatist-in-the-protest-tradition-1921-1943-9780313287190","title":"Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943","description":"\u003cp\u003eThough known primarily as a poet, Langston Hughes crafted well over 40 theatrical works. This book examines Hughes's stage pieces from his first published play, \u003ci\u003eThe Gold Piece\u003c\/i\u003e (1921), through his post-radical wartime effort, \u003ci\u003eFor This We Fight\u003c\/i\u003e (1943). Hughes's stage writing of this period includes such forms as the folk comedy, the protest drama, the historical play and the blues opera. McLaren concludes that the democratic argument is ultimately employed by Hughes to challenge segregation in the military and that Hughes's iconography prefigures the black aesthetic of the 1960s. Photographs complement the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMcLaren demonstrates that Hughes's folk comedies, such as \u003ci\u003eMule Bone\u003c\/i\u003e (1930) and \u003ci\u003eLittle Ham\u003c\/i\u003e (1936), valorize folk humor and black vernacular. Written in collaboration with Zora Neale Hurston, \u003ci\u003eMule Bone\u003c\/i\u003e resulted in a literary controversy. The study also analyzes Hughes's radical plays, including \u003ci\u003eScottsboro Limited\u003c\/i\u003e (1931) and \u003ci\u003eDon't You Want to Be Free?\u003c\/i\u003e (1938), which blend poetry and drama. Also addressed is Hughes's association with community drama groups, especially Karamu Theatre in Cleveland and the Harlem Suitcase Theatre, which premiered \u003ci\u003eDon't You Want to Be Free?\u003c\/i\u003e and a number of Hughes's satires. In the early 1940s, Hughes entered his post-radical period but continued to protest fascism and celebrate black heroes and heroines. This transition is reflected in his critique of Richard Wright's \u003ci\u003eNative Son\u003c\/i\u003e. McLaren concludes that the democratic argument is used to challenge segregation in the military and that Hughes's iconography prefigures the black aesthetic of the 1960s. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of radical theatre and African American drama. Photographs complement the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e McLaren, Joseph\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/30\/1997\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Greenwood Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780313287190\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 248\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.17lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.69d","brand":"Joseph McLaren","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32745797550155,"sku":"9780313287190","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0021\/1697\/6715\/products\/img_d718574d-3161-4e9d-b0c8-e0d71feb5d13.jpg?v=1597706424","url":"https:\/\/blackbookstore.com\/products\/langston-hughes-folk-dramatist-in-the-protest-tradition-1921-1943-9780313287190","provider":"Black Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}