"ONE OF THE MAJOR VOICES OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE": CAROLING DUSK, INSCRIBED BY COUNTÉE CULLEN, WITH THE POETRY OF PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR, LANGSTON HUGHES AND MANY MORE
CULLEN, Countée. Caroling Dusk. An Anthology of Verse by Negro Poets. Edited by Countée Cullen. Decorations by Aaron Douglas. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1929. Octavo, original black cloth, original printed paper labels to cover and spine, decorative endpapers. Housed in a custom clamshell box.
First edition, early printing, of Cullen's groundbreaking Harlem Renaissance collection—"a touchstone African American poetry anthology"—inscribed by him, "To E— H— Sincerely Countee Cullen," featuring over 200 poems by 38 leading writers, including Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, Angelina Grimké, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Jessie Faucet, James Weldon Johnson and many more.
"Countée Cullen was one of the most honored poets of the Harlem Renaissance, winning every major prize of his era." Caroling Dusk, edited by Cullen, is "a touchstone African American poetry anthology" (Double-Take, 553-4), bringing together in one volume the poetry of leading writers such as Paul Laurence Dunbar, Angelina Grimké, James Weldon Johnson, Jessie Fauset, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Bennett and Arna Bontemps, along with select poems by Cullen. This important volume also "remains notable for the extraordinary range of poetic styles and themes it includes" (Hutchinson and Young, Publishing Blackness, 44). At the time of publication, "Cullen was the most celebrated African-American writer in the nation and by many accounts is considered one of the major voices of the Harlem Renaissance… Cullen said that he wanted to be known as a poet, not a 'Negro poet.' This did not affect his popularity, although some Harlem Renaissance writers, including Langston Hughes, interpreted this to mean that he wanted to deny his race… A reading of his poetry reveals this view to be unfounded. In fact his major poems, and most of those still being printed in anthologies, have racial themes" (ANB). With a foreword by Cullen. The distinctive endpapers, spine and cover labels, and title page were designed by Aaron Douglas. First published in 1927. Copyright page with "First Edition" and code "C-D" indicating publication in March 1929. Without very scarce dust jacket. "The biographical notices carried with these poems have been written by the poets themselves save in three cases. Includes index" (Blockson 4959). Work, 457.
Only lightest rubbing to spine label. A fine inscribed copy.