A Drama of the Southwest: The Critical Edition of a Forgotten Play

Jean Toomer (1894–1967) was a modernist writer, a member of the Harlem Renaissance, and briefly part of the literary and artistic community that grew up around Mabel Dodge Luhan in Taos, New Mexico. This book, a critical edition of a previously unpublished 1935 manuscript, makes A Drama of the Southwest available to readers for the first time. The play provides a vivid glimpse into the social world of the artists who mined Taos for creative and spiritual renewal in the early twentieth century, and editor Dekker provides cultural and literary historical context, arguing for Toomer’s continuing creative power and significance at a time in his career that has been largely overlooked by critics.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Jean Toomer (1894–1967) was an American poet, novelist, and playwright. His modernist work Cane was an inspiration for many African American authors.

Carolyn J. Dekker is an assistant professor of English at Finlandia University.

more about Carolyn Dekker

University of New Mexico Press, 2016

hardcover, 200 pages, 2 tables, 6 x 9 in