Aphrodite's daughters, three modernist poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Maureen Honey
Type
Label
Aphrodite's daughters, three modernist poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Maureen Honey
Language
eng
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 251-255) and index
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
Literary Form
non fiction
Main title
Aphrodite's daughters
Nature of contents
bibliographydictionaries
Responsibility statement
Maureen Honey
Sub title
three modernist poets of the Harlem Renaissance
Summary
"Aphrodite's Daughters brings to dramatic life three lyrical poets of the Harlem Renaissance whose work was among the earliest to display erotic passion as a source of empowerment for women. Angelina Weld Grimké, Gwendolyn B. Bennett, and Mae V. Cowdery are framed as bold pioneers whose verse opened new frontiers into women's sexuality at the dawn of a new century. Honey describes Grimké construction of a Sapphic deity inspiring acolytes to express forbidden same-sex desire while she outlines Bennett's exploration of sexual pleasure and pain and Cowdery's frank depiction of bisexual erotics. Grimké, Bennett, and Cowdery, she argues, embraced the lyric "I" as an expression of their modernity as artists, women, and participants in the New Negro Movement by highlighting the female body as a primary source of meaning, strength and transcendence. Honey juxtaposes each poet's creative work against her life writing, personal archive, and appearances in the black press. These new source materials dramatically illuminate verse that has largely appeared without its biographical context or modernist roots. Honey's highly nuanced bio-critical portraits of this unique cadre of New Negro poets reveal the fascinating complexity of their private lives, and she creates absorbing narratives for all three as they experienced sexual awakening in lesbian, heterosexual, and bisexual contexts. The vivid interplay between intimate, racial and artistic currents in their lives makes Aphrodite's Daughters a compelling story of three courageous women who dared to be sexually alive New Negro artists paving the way toward our own era. "--, Provided by publisher
resource.variantTitle
Aphrodite's Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
Creator
Subject
- African American women -- New York (State) -- New York -- Intellectual life
- African-American arts -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century
- LITERARY CRITICISM / Women Authors
- American poetry + Women authors + History and criticism
- Harlem Renaissance
- African American poets -- 20th century
- Women poets, American -- 20th century
- LITERARY CRITICISM / Poetry
- SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies
- American poetry + African American authors + History and criticism
- SOCIAL SCIENCE / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies
- LITERARY CRITICISM / American / African American
- Modernism (Literature) -- New York (State) -- New York
- BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women
- Bennett, Gwendolyn, 1902-1981 -- Criticism and interpretation
- HISTORY / United States / 20th Century
- Grimké, Angelina Weld, 1880-1958 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Cowdery, Mae V., Mae Virginia, approximately 1909-1953 -- Criticism and interpretation
Content
Author
Other version
Incoming Resources
- Has instance2
Outgoing Resources
- Creator1
- Subject18
- African American women -- New York (State) -- New York -- Intellectual life
- African-American arts -- New York (State) -- New York -- 20th century
- LITERARY CRITICISM / Women Authors
- American poetry + Women authors + History and criticism
- Harlem Renaissance
- African American poets -- 20th century
- Women poets, American -- 20th century
- LITERARY CRITICISM / Poetry
- SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies
- American poetry + African American authors + History and criticism
- SOCIAL SCIENCE / Ethnic Studies / African American Studies
- LITERARY CRITICISM / American / African American
- Modernism (Literature) -- New York (State) -- New York
- BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women
- Bennett, Gwendolyn, 1902-1981 -- Criticism and interpretation
- HISTORY / United States / 20th Century
- Grimké, Angelina Weld, 1880-1958 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Cowdery, Mae V., Mae Virginia, approximately 1909-1953 -- Criticism and interpretation
- Content1
- Author1
- Other version1
- resource.partOf2