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Volume 5, Number 2 Spring/Summer 1997 On Richard Wright and Paul Eliot Green In This Issue BY JOHN HERBERT ROPER EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE but also featured the black ac­ Cover essay: tors Rose McClendon, Fannie . On Richard Wright One of the fascinating con­ I and Paul Eliot Green .................... 1 Bell De Knight, Gus Smith, and troversies in Richard Wright's (in England) Grace Walker. Fur­ complex artistic and personal ca­ Letter from the Editors .................... 2 thermore, during the era 1927- ALA Symposium on The reers involves his working rela­ 1940, Green was virtually alone Trickster, Oct 9-11, 1997 .......... 3 tionship with the white play­ among Broadway and off-Broad­ wright Paul Eliot Green (1894- TEACHING RICHARD WRIGIIT way playwrights whose works 1981) of North Carolina Wright ... In Chicago, Illinois consistently provided African learned of Green through the lit­ by Barry Kritzberg ....................... 4 American actors an opportunity erary, artistic, and interracial for serious dramatic roles, a fact READING WRIGHT grapevines of the day, and it was ... In Tougaloo, Mississippi known well to Wright. the novelist who made the fIrst by Terrica Redfield ....................... 5 In 1936 Wright was in Chi­ approach to the playwright, cago working for the federal the­ Abstracts from RWC at CLA ......... 9 doing so in a letter in 1936, as atre project of the federal writ­ RWC at ALA: ................................. 10 he records in his memoirs. ers program, and he wrote to Georlze Moses Horton Society Green had received the Pul­ for-the Study of African American Green in order to get pennission itzer Prize in 1927 for his play Poetry is newly founded ............. 12 for--and artistic advice about--a In Abraham's Bosom. This play production of Green's Hymn to Plus the latest Richard Wright is a dramatization of a black the Rising Sun, an anti-chain­ Bibliographic Supplement! man's struggle to build schools gang play grounded in a number for his people in eastern North of real incidents of racist abuses strange politics that censored Carolina; he also wants to build in Richmond and Charlotte. As their artistry. For what it is a life for himself despite being Wright records in his memoirs, worth, in his memoirs Wright the "wrong sheet" brother of the some of the black actors in the records problems with local white landlord and the unac­ program protested the play be­ members of the Communist knowledged offspring of the cause they wanted a happier and Party (CP) over his artistic free­ community's patriarch. It fea­ more uplifting theme. Incredi­ dom in the abortive production, tured not only an African Ameri­ bly, some even denied that there although others date his defIni­ can theme for subject of its art, were such abuses of the chain tive split with the CP much later. gang in North Carolina and Vir­ However, neither man aban­ ginia. Wright's own life was doned the effort to fuse art and Wright and Green threatened, he had to transfer politics, or in the Aristotelian were very much jobs within the program, and phrase dear to Green, to actual­ frustrated by the eventually the mayor of Chicago ize art. In 1940, Wright agreed strange politics that intervened to cancel the produc­ to work on a redraft of his new censored their artistry. tion. Wright and Green were novel Native Son so that the very much frustrated by the work could be brought to Broad- (cont. page 7) Spring/Summer 1997 Page 1 From the Editors American Literature Association, In the Fall '96 issue we in­ College Language Association, vited members to share ideas for Modem Language Association, celebrating the Richard Wright and National Council of Teach­ Centenary (2008). And we do ers of English meetings for 2008. need those ideas as soon as pos­ 6. The Richard Wright Circle sible. As a catalyst, we have should encourage prisoners who itemized a few of our ideas about feel they have learned invaluable what should be done to make lessons from reading Wright's 2008 a memorable year for an works to submit brief essays for international readership, teachers the Richard Wright Newsletter and students, and Wright schol­ and longer articles to other jour­ ars. nals. 1. Instead of planning a single, We could list ad infinitum, but large and costly conference for we are more interested in hav­ Natchez, Mississippi or Paris, ing ideas from members than in France, we propose that all aca­ listening to our wish list. demic institutions where 1997 promises to be a good Wright's works are studied plan year for seious study of Richard local symposia or conferences Wright and other African Ameri­ for 2008. can authors. The publication 2. It would be good for the within the last few months of Beinecke Library, Yale Univer­ Houghton Mifflin's Call and sity, to plan a special conference Response, The Norton Anthology on Wright's unpublished manu­ of African American Literature, scripts. The Richard Wright Trouble the Water: 250 Years Circle would be interested in of African American Poetry, and having selected papers from such other books that contain Wright's a conference published in a spe­ work creates optimism. So too cial Wright number of African does Trudier Harris' founding of American Review. the George Moses Horton Soci­ 3. HarperCollins should explore ety for the Study of African the feasibility of issuing a American Poetry, which will Centennial Edition of Wright's have its inaugural meeting at the works. 1997 ALA. Already the HOrlon ?' 4. On September 4, 2008 the Society has a very handsome American Embassy in Paris and web site: http://www.unc.edu/ on November 28, 2008 the depts/csas/horton. Forthcoming French Embassy in Washington books from the University Press should host Richard Wright of Mississippi that may be of memorial receptions. special interest to Richard 5. The Richard Wright Circle Wright Circle members are The should sponser forums at the Several Lives of Chester Himes Spring/Summer 1997 Page 2 by Edward Margolies and Michel tion unless it receives hundreds Fabre, scheduled for May, and A of letters. Therefore, we also ask ALA Symposium on Place Called Mississippi: Mis­ that members encourage stu­ The Trickster sissippiNarrativeseditedby Mar­ dents, colleagues, and profes­ October 9-11, 1997 ion Barnwell, scheduled for July. sional organizations to write in The Cal-Neva Resort Lake Tahoe, NY The Modern Language Associa­ support of this effort. Ideally, tion will issue Approaches to the stamp would be issued at Call for Papers: Author Socie­ Teaching Wright's Native Son, Natchez on September 4, to co­ ties and individuals are invited edited by James A. Miller, this incide with Wright's 90th birth- . to propose papers or panels on summer. The forthcoming Rich­ day. any aspect of the Trickster, ard Wright issue of Mississippi Please remember that we are Gambler, or Confidence Man in Quarterly will feature Michel anxious to receive ideas and American Literature. The Sym­ Fabre's "Richard Wright's Criti­ manuscripts from our members. posium will feature an opening cal Reception in France" and We need to develop a backlog celebration, panels all day Fri­ Yoshinobu Hakutani's "The Criti­ of material, especially for the day and Saturday, formal and cal Response in Japan to Richard Fall '97 issue. May we hear from informal talks by leading experts Wright." These events contribute you soon? in the field, an excursion to to a healthy climate for promot­ Maryemma Graham nearby Virginia City, Nevada, ing the study of Wright's works Jerry W. Ward, Jr. and a dosing cocktail buffet, all for themselves or in conjunction in the dramatic High Sierra set­ Introducing ... with works by others. ting of sparkling Lake Tahoe, the Assistant Editor The theme of this year's with its boating, fi shing, skiing, Natchez Literary Celebration hiking, and superb clubs and res­ (May 29-31 ) is "Famous South­ As the school year comes to taurants. ern Families in Fiction and in a close, so does my tenure as the Fact." The Richard Wright Liter­ novice at the Newsletter. In a few Deadline for proposals: June ary Excellence A wards will be weeks, I'll finish up my MA at 15, i997. Send to the Sympo­ presented to Elizabeth Spencer Northeastern in English. Thanks sium Coordinator: and Shelby Foote on May 3l. to the Newsletter, my future ca­ Jeanne Campbell Reesman, Di­ On behalf of the RWC, we reer as a college instructor is in­ vision of English, Classics, Phi­ extend our sympathy to the fam­ formed by a first-hand struggle losophy, and Communication, ily of Stephen E. Henderson who with the publishing process and University of Texas at San An­ died in January and to the family by cutting-edge writing about tonio, San Antonio, TX 78249. of John Albert Sekora who died Richard Wright and his contem­ Ph. 210-458-4374; fax 210-458- on February 2. poraries. Teachers' (and stu­ 5366; email We urge members ofthe Circle dents') contributions to this year's [email protected]. to send letters requesting that the newsletter have been especially U.S. Postal Service issue a stamp thought-provoking for me as an honoring Richard Wright in 1998, aspiring teacher of literature and Conference registration: $45. to: Dr. Virginia Noelke, Chair writing. Room: special conference rate Citizens' Advisory Stamp Com­ My gratitude to the Editors of $85 per night. mittee, 475 L 'Enfant Plaza SW, for their guidance and faith, and Deadline for hotel registration: Room 4474, Washington, D.C. to all you subscribers for sup­ September 8. 20260-2437. porting the Newsletter. It's been Phone: 702-832-4000 or 800- It is our understanding that a pleasure working with you.

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