Propaganda and Aesthetics
The Literary Politics of Afro-American Magazines in the Twentieth Century
University of Massachusetts Press
The literary materials in Afro-American magazines of the twentieth century weave into a rich narrative. The journals provide insight, not available in a comparable manner elsewhere, into the evolution of Afro-American literature. They trace the contributions made by major figures, including W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Charles S. Johnson, Alain Locke, and Richard Wright, among several others. They record the discussions over art and propaganda which have been long prominent in black literature. Decade by decade, black artists and intellectuals have debated the function of Afro-American literature: should it serve the aesthetic tastes of the individual writer, or should it advance the interests of Afro-Americans as a group. Some writers favored art-for-art's sake, or approximations of that emphasis; others articulated the need for art-for-people's sake, as they termed it.
Little work has been done on individual Afro-American periodicals and nothing, up to this point, has been published on twentieth-century black journals as a group. Studies of magazines in general are relatively rare, with only The Little Magazine, by Frederick Hoffman, Charles Allen, and Carolyn P. Ulrich, attempting a survey of small journals in this century. This book fills a considerable gap in literary history by detailing the development of Afro-American magazines in this century.
Little work has been done on individual Afro-American periodicals and nothing, up to this point, has been published on twentieth-century black journals as a group. Studies of magazines in general are relatively rare, with only The Little Magazine, by Frederick Hoffman, Charles Allen, and Carolyn P. Ulrich, attempting a survey of small journals in this century. This book fills a considerable gap in literary history by detailing the development of Afro-American magazines in this century.
A solid and informative contribution to scholarship on Afro-American literature and journalism.'—Journalism Quarterly
'A clearly written introduction to the shifting currents of twentieth-century political and cultural nationalism as writers and critics debated whether art justified itself or should be for the purpose of propaganda and racial progress and demonstration. . . . The implications of this study go far beyond the pages and readership of the periodicals studied in this volume.'—American Historical Review
'An important, path-breaking study, . . . an original and comprehensive work of scholarship, one that should be of great interest to students and teachers of Afro-American and American literature. Highly recommended.'—Choice
'A penetrating and well-documented study. . . . The work is replete with factual data, helpful interpretive commentary, and appropriately selected quotations. Good balance is sustained in explaining the journals' influence on politics, social movements, and aesthetics. The epilogue ties together such aspects as the interrelationships among personalities, journals, and the public. The book treats an area not dealt with adequately in the past and is a contribution of merit to Black literary history.'—Library Journal
Abby Arthur Johnson is a senior writer and editor at Science Applications International Corporation. Ronald Maberry Johnson is professor of history and director of American studies at Georgetown University.
