Overview
Color (1925) is a collection of poems by Countee Cullen. Published the same year Cullen entered Harvard to pursue a masters in English, Color was a brilliant debut by a poet who had already gained a reputation as a leading young artist of the Harlem Renaissance. Deeply personal and attuned to poetic tradition, Cullenās verses capture the spirit of creative inquiry that defined a generation of writers, musicians, painters, and intellectuals while changing the course of American history itself.
āOver three centuries removed / From the scenes his fathers loved, / Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, / What is Africa to me?ā In āHeritage,ā Cullen investigates his relationship with the past as a black man raised in a nation his people were forced to build. His question bears a dual sense of genuine wonder and cynical doubt, and ultimately produces no easy answer. For Cullen could have just as easily asked āWhat is America to me?ā, to which his poem āIncidentā might respond: āI saw a Baltimorean / Keep looking straight at me. / [ā¦] / And so I smiled, but he poked out / His tongue, and called me, āNigger.ā / [ā¦] Of all the things that happened there / Thatās all I can remember.ā In these lines, a single memory serves to define an entire city; an entire childhood, even, is defined by the violent response of a white man consumed with hatred. Cullenās relationship to place, whether Africa, America, or Baltimore, is inextricably linked to his experience of racial violence. With this knowledge, he navigates the spaces between these places, inhabiting a language and a poetic tradition thrust upon him at birth. For Cullen, poetry is as much a means of survival and self-invention as it is a form of artāwithout it, where would he be?
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Countee Cullenās Color is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.
This book title, Color - 9781513282381, ISBN: 9781513282381, by Countee Cullen, Mint Editions, published by Mint Editions (March 24, 2021) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer Color - 9781513282381 books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.
Prefer to work with a human being when you order Color - 9781513282381 books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!