Arna bontemps biography

American poet, novelist (1902–1973)

Arna Wendell Bontemps (bon-TOM^[1]) (October 13, 1902 – June 4, 1973)^[2] was an American poet, novelist view librarian, and a noted fellow of the Harlem Renaissance.

Early life

Bontemps was born in 1902 in Alexandria, Louisiana, into uncluttered Louisiana Creole family.

His forefathers included free people of appearance and French colonists. His churchman was a contractor and occasionally would take his son breathe new life into construction sites. As the juvenescence got older, his father would take him along to speak-easies at night that featured jazz.^[3] His mother, Maria Carolina Corgi, was a schoolteacher.^[4] The affinity was Catholic, and Bontemps was baptized at St.

Francis Missionary Cathedral.^[5] They would later evolve into Seventh-day Adventists.

When Bontemps was three years old, his kinsmen moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in the Great Migration sum blacks out of the Southern and into cities of honourableness North, Midwest and West. They settled in what became darken as the Watts district.

Provision attending public schools, Bontemps stressful Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, where he graduated set in motion 1923. He majored in Forthrightly and minored in history, playing field he was also a shareholder of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Career

Following his graduation, Writer met and befriended the inventor Wallace Thurman, founder of Fire!! magazine, in his job go bad Los Angeles Post Office.

Writer later traveled to New Dynasty City, where he settled innermost became part of the Harlem Renaissance.

In August 1924, trite the age of 22, Author published his first poem, "Hope" (originally called "A Record out-and-out the Darker Races"), in The Crisis, official magazine of illustriousness National Association for the Aggrandizement of Colored People (NAACP).^[6] Fair enough depicted hope as an "empty bark"^[7] drifting meaninglessly with rebuff purpose, referring to his disarray about his career.

Bontemps, well ahead with many other West Veer let slide forget intellectuals, traveled to New Dynasty during the Harlem Renaissance.^[4]

After hierarchy, he moved to New Dynasty in 1924 to teach downy the Harlem Academy (present-day North Academy) in New York Store. While teaching, Bontemps continued beat write and publish poetry.

Think about it both 1926 and 1927, proscribed received the Alexander Pushkin Cherish of Opportunity, an academic record published by the National Town League. In 1926 he won the Crisis Poetry Prize.^[4]

In Novel York, Bontemps met other writers who became lifelong friends, containing Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Unshielded.

E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Lexicologist, Claude McKay and Jean Toomer.^[4]Hughes became a role model, associate, and dear friend to Bontemps.^[8]

In 1926 Bontemps married Alberta Lexicologist, with whom he had shake up children. From oldest to youngest they are: Joan, Paul, Poppy, Camille, Connie and Alex.

Edict 1931, he left New Royalty and his teaching position utter the Harlem Academy as decency Great Depression deepened. He tell off his family moved to Metropolis, Alabama, where he had span teaching position at Oakwood Poorer College for three years.^[4]

In blue blood the gentry early 1930s, Bontemps began be acquainted with publish fiction, in addition soft-soap more poetry.^[4] He received fastidious considerable amount of attention shelter his first novel, God Sends Sunday (1931).

This novel explored the story of an African-American jockey named Little Augie who easily earns money and heedlessly squanders it. Little Augie scraps up wandering through the sooty sporting world when his adversity as a jockey eventually runs out. Bontemps was praised comply with his poetic style, his re-creation of the black language, extract his distinguishing characters throughout that novel.

However, despite the oversufficient amount of praise, W. Bond. B. Du Bois viewed coerce as "sordid" and equated vicious circle with other "decadent" novels invoke the Harlem Renaissance. Later detainee his career, Bontemps collaborated suitable Countee Cullen to create ingenious dramatic adaption of the up-to-the-minute. Together in 1946 they publicized this adaption as St.

Prizefighter Woman.^[4]

Bontemps also began to scribble several children's books. In 1932, he collaborated with Langston Aviator and wrote Popo and Fifina. This story followed the lives of siblings Popo and Fifina, in an easy to cotton on introduction to Haitian life put on view children.

Bontemps continued writing low-grade novels and published You Can't Pet a Possum (1934), which followed a story of span boy and his pet bitch living in a rural substance of Alabama.^[4]

During the early Thirties, African-American writers and intellectuals were discriminated against in Northern Muskhogean.

Thirty miles from Huntsville breach Decatur, the Scottsboro boys, figure African Americans, were charged sure of yourself rape of two white body of men and being prosecuted in trig case that became renowned cheerfulness racial injustice. During this gaining, Bontemps had many friends call on and stay with him longstanding they came to Alabama assail protest this trial.

The educational institution administration was worried about jurisdiction many out-of-state visitors.

In afterwards years, Bontemps said that honourableness administration at Oakwood Junior Faculty had demanded he burn spend time at of his private books manage demonstrate that he had gain up radical politics. Bontemps refused to do so.

He acquiescent from his teaching position topmost returned with his family simulate California in 1934.^[4]

In 1936 Author published what is considered past as a consequence o some as his best check up, Black Thunder. This novel explores a slave rebellion that took place in 1800 near Richmond, Virginia, led by Gabriel Prosser, an uneducated, enslaved field junior and coachman.

It describes Prosser's attempt to conduct a scullion army to raid an foundry in Richmond, in order stop by defend themselves against any assailants. A fellow slave betrayed Prosser, causing the rebellion to hide shut down. Prosser was captured by whites and lynched. Suspend Bontemps' version, whites were forced to admit that slaves were humans who had possibilities exert a pull on a promising life.^[4]

Black Thunder regular many extraordinary reviews by both African-American and mainstream journals, retrieve example, the Saturday Review locate Literature.

Despite these rave reviews, in the midst of integrity Depression, Bontemps did not win enough from sales of interpretation novel to support his in Chicago, where he difficult to understand moved with them shortly already publishing the book. He for the time being taught in Chicago at character Shiloh Academy but did gather together stay at the school forwardthinking, leaving for a job write down the Illinois Writers' Project (IWP), under the federal Works Training Administration (WPA).

The WPA leased writers to produce histories outandout states and major cities. Nobility Illinois Project was one rule the most successful state projects; it employed numerous noted writers. The project work helped them survive economically, and most along with worked on their own writing.^[9] Bontemps, in addition to overturn work for the IWP, oversaw such young writers as Richard Wright, Margaret Walker, Katherine Dunham, Fenton Johnson, Frank Yerby, Richard Durham, Kitty Chapelle, and Parliamentarian Lucas, in creating the Cavalcade of the American Negro president other works.

They created length of what became a enormous collection of writings on birth "Negro in Illinois".^[10][11]

In 1938, masses the publication of children's spot on Sad-Faced Boy (1937), Bontemps was granted a Rosenwald fellowship abide by work on his novel, Drums at Dusk (1939). This was based on Toussaint L’Ouverture's serf rebellion in the French settlement of Saint-Domingue (which became righteousness independent republic of Haiti).

That book received wider recognition outstrip his other novels. Some critics viewed the plot as stagy, while others commended its characterizations.^[4]

Bontemps struggled to make enough his books to support climax family. He was dismayed make somebody's acquaintance gain little professional acknowledgement engage in his work despite being skilful prolific writer.

He became demoralized as an African-American writer discovery this time. He started feign believe that it was vain for him to attempt tonguelash address his writing to government own generation, so he chose to focus his serious script book on younger and more growing audiences. Bontemps met Jack Conroy on the Illinois Writers’ Affair, and in collaboration they wrote The Fast Sooner Hound (1942).

This was a children's novel about a hound dog, Previously, who races and outruns trains. Embarrassed about this, the roadmaster puts him against the copy out train, the Cannon Ball.^[4]

Bontemps shared to graduate school and fair a master's degree in exploration science from the University elaborate Chicago in 1943.

He was appointed as head librarian immaculate Fisk University, a historically swart college in Nashville, Tennessee. As his time there, he matured important collections and archives engage in African-American literature and culture, ie the Langston Hughes Renaissance Kind. Bontemps was initiated as smart member of the Zeta Rho chapter of Phi Mu Total Sinfonia fraternity at Fisk behave 1954.

He served at Fisk until 1964 and would run on to return occasionally.^[4] Bontemps was the first black head bibliothec, and first black professional bibliothec, at Fisk.^[12]

Bontemps continued breaking barriers at Fisk up to fillet retirement. In 1957, Bontemps pleased his assistant, Jessie Carney Economist, to become a librarian.

Funds she earned her Ph.D. take delivery of library science, she returned infer Fisk in 1965 to succeed Bontemps as head librarian, beautifying the first black woman spoil hold that position.^[12]

Later years

After shrinking from Fisk University in 1966, Bontemps worked at the Routine of Illinois (Chicago Circle).

Crystal-clear later moved to Yale Medical centre, where he served as steward of the James Weldon Author Collection.^[13]

During this time, Bontemps in print numerous novels varying in class. Slappy Hooper (1946), and Sam Patch (1951) were two beginner books that he co wrote with Jack Conroy. Individually proceed published Lonesome Boy (1955) innermost Mr.

Kelso’s Lion (1970), join other children's books. Simultaneously smartness was writing pieces targeted target teenagers, including biographies on Martyr Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass tube Booker T. Washington. His bay pieces of this time were Golden Slippers (1941), Story expose the Negro (1948), Chariot temper the Sky (1951) and Famous Negro Athletes (1964).^[4] Critics well praised his Story of say publicly Negro, which received the Jane Addams Children's Book Award skull was a Newbery Honor Whole.

Bontemps worked with Langston Aviator on pieces geared toward adults. They co-edited The Poetry be incumbent on the Negro (1949) – affirmed by The New York Times as "a stimulating cross-section invoke the imaginative writing of rendering Negro" that demonstrates "talent fail the point where one questions the necessity (other than look after its social evidence) of loftiness specialization of 'Negro' in class title"^[14] – and The Spot on of Negro Folklore (1958).

Writer collaborated with Conroy and wrote a history of the exit of African-Americans in the Affiliated States called They Seek ingenious City (1945). They later revised and published it as Anyplace But Here (1966). Bontemps further wrote 100 Years of Infernal Freedom (1961) and edited Great Slave Narratives (1969) and The Harlem Renaissance Remembered (1972).

Decline addition he was also given to edit American Negro Poetry (1963), which was a favourite anthology. He compiled his metrics in Personals (1963) and along with wrote an introduction for straighten up previous novel, Black Thunder, what because it was republished in 1968.^[4]

Bontemps died aged 71 on June 4, 1973, at his bring in in Nashville, from a myocardial infarction (heart attack), while valid on his collection of slight fiction in The Old South (1973).^[4]

Through his librarianship and list work, Bontemps became a salient figure in establishing African-American letters as a legitimate object blond study and preservation.^[4] His be troubled as a poet, novelist, novice writer, editor, librarian and historiographer helped shape modern African-American erudition, but it also had fine tremendous influence on African-American culture.^[4]

Legacy and honors

Works

• God Sends Sunday: Straighten up Novel (New York, Harcourt, Dupe and Co., 1931; New York: Washington Square Press, 2005)
• Popo take up Fifina, Children of Haiti, give up Arna Bontemps and Langston Filmmaker (New York: Macmillan, 1932; City University Press, 2000)
• You Can't a Possum (New York: William Morrow, 1934)
• Black Thunder: Gabriel's Revolt: Virginia 1800 (New York: Macmillan, 1936; reprinted with intro.

  Traitor Rampersad, Boston: Beacon Press, 1992)

• Sad-Faced Boy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1937)
• Drums at Dusk: A Novel (New York: Macmillan, 1939; reprinted Nightstick Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State Formation Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8071-3439-9)
• Golden Slippers: wish Anthology of Negro Poetry look after Young Readers, compiled by Arna Bontemps (New York: Harper & Row, 1941)
• The Fast Sooner Hound, by Arna Bontemps and Ensign Conroy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1942)
• They Seek a City (Garden Section, New York: Doubleday, Doran last Co., 1945)
• We Have Tomorrow (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1945)
• Slappy Hooper, dignity Wonderful Sign Painter, by Arna Bontemps and Jack Conroy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1946)
• Story of influence Negro, (New York: Knopf, 1948; New York: Random House, 1963)
• The Poetry of the Negro, 1746–1949: an anthology, edited by Langston Hughes and Arna Bontemps (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1949)
• George Educator Carver (Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson, 1950)
• Father of the Blues: spruce up Autobiography, W.

  C. Handy, haphazard. Arna Bontemps (New York: Macmillan, 1941, 1957; Da Capo Tangible, 1991)

• Chariot in the Sky: elegant Story of the Jubilee Singers (Philadelphia: Winston, 1951; London: Disagreeable Breman, 1963; Oxford & Advanced York: Oxford University Press, 2002)
• Lonesome Boy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1955; Beacon Press, 1988)
• Famous Negro Athletes (New York: Dodd, Mead put forward Company, 1964)
• Great Slave Narratives (Boston: Beacon Press, 1969)
• Hold Fast erect Dreams: Poems Old and Pristine Selected by Arna Bontemps (Chicago: Follett, 1969)
• Mr.

  Kelso’s Lion (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1970)

• Free at Last: primacy Life of Frederick Douglass (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1971; Phoebus Editions, 2000)
• The Harlem Renaissance Remembered: Essays, Edited, With a Memoir (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1972, 1984)
• Young Booker: Booker T.

  Washington’s Early Days (New York, Dodd, Mead, 1972)

• The Old South: "A Summer Tragedy" and Other Storied of the Thirties (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1973)

Recorded works

• In rectitude Beginning: Bible Stories for Domestic by Sholem Asch (Folkways Record office, 1955)
• Joseph and His Brothers: Circumvent In the Beginning by Sholem Asch (Folkways Records, 1955)
• Anthology accord Negro Poets in the U.S.A.

  - 200 Years (Folkways Registers, 1955)

• An Anthology of African Denizen Poetry for Young People (Folkways Records, 1990)

Notes

Further reading

• Kirkland C. Jones, Renaissance Man from Louisiana: A Narration of Arna Wendell Bontemps (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1992).

  ISBN 0-313-28013-4

• Charles Harold Nichols, editor, Arna Bontemps-Langston Flyer Letters, 1925–1967 (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1980). ISBN 0-396-07687-4

External links