By Emma Ward | On June 4, 2017 | Updated October 27, 2022 | Comments (0)
Jessie Redmon Fauset was a novelist and poet associated with the Harlem Renaissance. She was also a teacher of languages and editor for The Crisis magazine of the NAACP.
She also contributed her own writings — editorials, poetry, short stories, translations from the French of writings by black authors from Europe and Africa, as well as accounts of her worldwide travels.
Such was her influence that Fauset has long been considered one of the “midwives” of the Harlem Renaissance literary and artistic movement of the 1920s.
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By Taylor Jasmine | On June 3, 2017 | Updated October 27, 2022 | Comments (0)
Djuna Barnes (1892 – 1982) was a singular voice in the literary world, best know for her experimental novel, Nightwood. Often viewed as eccentric and morbid, it’s no wonder that quotes by Djuna Barnes can be described the same way.
Early in her career, Barnes became a freelance journalist and illustrator for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and in just one year she became a renowned feature reporter, interviewer, and illustrator.
She left for Paris in 1920, and continuing her work as a journalist, she interviewed expatriate writers and artists. Continuing to pursue her own writing, she established herself as a literary figure in her own right, producing plays, short stories, and poems. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On June 2, 2017 | Updated October 27, 2022 | Comments (0)
Isak Dinesen(1885 – 1962), born Karen Christenze Dinesen, was a Danish author best known for her 1937 memoir, Out of Africa, and her long short story, Babette’s Feast.
Later known as Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke, she was published in the United States, after being denied publication in both Denmark and England.
Admired for her poetic prose, her work has endured for her adventurous life as well as her literary talent. Here are quotes by Isak Dinesen hinting at her philosophy on life and her storytelling skills. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On June 2, 2017 | Updated July 19, 2025 | Comments (4)
Betty Smith (1896 – 1972) is best known for her sensitive autobiographical 1943 novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, often described as “raw and real.” Following is a selection of memorable quotes from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, an American coming-of-age classic:
After years of struggling to write a novel (she had already achieved a measure of success as a playwright), Betty Smith struck literary gold with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, her first.
Growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s is seen from the perspective of Francie Nolan, a down-to-earth girl who’s neither the kind of genius or beautiful heroine that are favored in novels. Read More→
By Skyler Gomez | On June 1, 2017 | Updated June 7, 2025 | Comments (0)
Gwendolyn Brooks (1917 – 2000), the multi-award-winning poet created a significant body of poems reflecting African American life. Following is a selection of quotes by Gwendolyn Brooks on poetry and the poet’s life.
Brooks’ lifetime output encompassed more than twenty books, including children’s books. In 1950 she won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, becoming the first African American to do so.
In 1968, Brooks was named Poet Laureate for the state of Illinois. From 1985 to 1986 she was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Read More→
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