Reviewed in Booklist Review

By Vanessa Bush
Vol. 102, No. 11
February 1, 2006

*Starred review*

“One hundred years after the death of Dunbar, he is most remembered for his poem ‘We Wear the Mask,’ evoking the balance required of blacks to survive and prosper in nineteenth-century America. This collection of 103 of Dunbar’s short stories written between 1890 and 1905, including well-known pieces and many that have gone out of print, allows readers to see how the first African American writer to enjoy huge success evolved as a writer. The son of former slaves, Dunbar balanced the desire for a commercially successful career as a writer and the desire to tackle racial stereotypes. The first story he sold was a western tale with all white characters, part of his attempts to write outside of race issues. This collection also includes powerful stories of lynching, politics, religion, and social and interracial relationships—the broad spectrum of black life in America. In the introduction, the editors place Dunbar in the context of other contemporary writers, including Mark Twain and Charles Chesnutt, writers of sharp social commentary and possessing an adroit eye for human foibles. This is a valuable collection for readers interested in Dunbar and his place in African American and American literature.”

Booklist Review
Vol. 102, No. 11
February 2006