dited “ The Book of American Negro Poetry.” This collection included many of the Renaissance’s most talented poets. Included was Claude McKay, a Jamaican born writer. Weldon’s collection also included a young talented poet named Langston Hughes. Hughes had a love for music, mainly the blues, which became a bridge between African American Literature and Folk music. Zora Neale Hurston, an anthropologist originally born in Florida, wrote the literary magazine “Fire!” Although it lasted only one issue because of financial difficulties, Hughes, publisher Wallace Thurman, and a number of other influential black artists had shared in making one of most recognized Harlem Renaissance materials. Hurston later went on to publish “Their Eyes were Watching God,” in 1937, still keeping with the themes of strong black characters. Music was another art form found in the Harlem Renaissance. It became the background, inspiration, and the structure for the Harlem Renaissance literature. A style of music known as jazz represented the new, urban, unpredictable lifestyle. One of the greatest jazz singers of this time was Bessie Smith. She was a southerner and her recordings were rare for black performers during her time. Duke Ellington, whose legendary band played at the Cotton Club, personifies jazz. Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday would also record jazz music form the 1930’s until the 1950’s. Langston Hughes was one of the few poets that would combine both blues and jazz to create an original art form. Claude McKay used the jazz atmosphere in his novel “Home to Harlem.” In this novel, he presented Harlem as a beautiful, fantastic place. In the Harlem Renaissance some where using words to create images, while others were using canvas and various mediums to produce a visual art. By 1926, another stage in the developmental history of African-American visual artists came about, with the ...
