Nella larsen 18911964 was the author of several short stories and two novels, quicksand and passing. While she was not prolific her work was powerful and critically acclaimed. Nella larsen was an important writer associated with the harlem renaissance. Her fictional portraits of women seeking their identities through a fog of racial confusion were informed by her own danishwest indian parentage, and passing offers fascinating psychological insights into. Knopf edition, in english passing 1929 edition open library. Below are the questions well use to discuss nella larsen s passing. Nella larsen s novels quicksand 1928 and passing 1929 document the historical realities of harlem in the 1920s and shed a bright light on the social world of the black bourgeoisie. Home browse literature fiction short story writers nella larsen. Nella larsens passing is one of those american classics that ive always meant to get around to.
Nella larsen author nella larsen 18911964 was the author of several short stories and two novels, quicksand and passing. Collected here are both of her novels, passing and quicksand. A gorgeous edition of nella larsens powerful classic novel on female racial. Libraries closed through at least may 31 all library locations and book drops are closed until at least may 31. Irene redfield, the novels protagonist, is a woman with an enviable life.
Library of america presents one of the masterworks of the harlem renaissance, the tragic story of a young woman caught b. Set primarily in the harlem neighborhood of new york city in the 1920s, the story centers on the reunion of two childhood friendsclare kendry and irene redfieldand their increasing fascination with each others lives. Clare, who is similarly lightskinned, has been passing for a white woman, married to a racist. Get passing pdf file for free from our online library created date. Passing ebook by nella larsen 9781627554022 rakuten kobo. The narrative then flashes back to two years before, when irene is shopping for. Nella larsens distinctive and revealing novel about racial identity set in new york in 1929. Passing is a novel by american author nella larsen, first published in 1929. Jan 01, 2004 an important figure in the harlem renaissance, nella larsen was the first africanamerican woman to be awarded a guggenheim fellowship. She received a guggenheim fellowship to write a third novel in 1930 but, unable to find a publisher for it, she disappeared from the literary. Quicksand a library of america ebook classic ebook by nella larsen.
Nella larsen project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Join us next monday, may 11, to discuss the book in person at the book cellar at 7. Nella larsens powerful, thrilling, and tragic tale about the fluidity of racial. After her other ordinary and clearly directed letters the long envelope of thin. Read passing by nella larsen available from rakuten kobo. She received a guggenheim fellowship to write a third novel in 1930 but, unable to find a publisher for it, she disappeared from the literary scene and worked as a nurse in new york city. Praise for passing the genius of this book is that its protagonists. She and her husband, brian, a prominent physician, share a comfortable harlem town house with their sons. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Passing modern library torchbearers kindle edition by larsen, nella, mae henderson. Larsen was an african american, seeing with a rather steely eye into some of the uncomfortable accommodations which might be made in order to best gain the riches and rewards which america offered the educated. She began writing during the harlem renaissance, a period during which black artists, writers, and musicians were prominent in the new york art scene.
The modern library is proud to present passing an electrifying story of two women who cross the color line in 1920s new yorktogether with a new introduction by the obie award winning playwright and. Nella larsen s passing is a beautifully written, touching novela masterpiece of 1920s american literature. Passing nella larsen nella larsen was an important writer associated with the harlem renaissance. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. An important figure in the harlem renaissance, nella larsen was the first africanamerican woman to be awarded a guggenheim fellowship. First published to critical acclaim in 1929, passing firmly established nella larsens prominence among women writers of the harlem renaissance. Nella larsen 18911964 was the author of two novels, quicksand and passing, and several short stories. The letter angers irene, though the reason why is not yet clear. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading passing modern library torchbearers. Nella larsen was born in chicago in 1893 to a danish mother and a west indian father. Quicksand ebook by nella larsen 9781598535747 rakuten kobo. Working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novels, quicksand 1928 and passing 1929, and a few short stories. First working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novels quicksand 1928 and passing 1929 and a few short stories.
Fiction, passing identity, african american women, human skin color, female friendship. Ultimately, larsen forces us to consider whether we can ever truly choose who we are. As noted in the editors comprehensive introduction, larsen takes. Soon to be a major motion picture two women in 1920s new york discover how fluid and dangerous our perceptions of race can be in this electrifying classic of the harlem renaissancew ith an introduction by kaitlyn greenidge, author of we love you, charlie freeman, finalist for the 2016 center for fiction first novel prize.
First published to critical acclaim in 1929, passing firmly established nella larsen s prominence among women writers of the harlem renaissance. Passing is a novel by american author nella larsen. List of books and articles about nella larsen online. The success of quicksand and passing made nella larsen one of the most f. She received a guggenheim fellowship to write a third novel in 1930 but, unable to find a publisher for it, she disappeared from the literary s. Her work arranging charity balls that gather harlems elite creates a. The plot centers on the meeting of two childhood friends of mixedrace africanamerican ancestry.
Passing modern library torchbearers kindle edition by. Passing modern library torchbearers kindle edition by larsen. Book club wed may 06 2009 passing discussion questions. Nella larsen s passing was originally published in 1929, and is a chilling, chilly account of the politics of race, class and gender.
Passing by nella larsen penguin random house canada. Passing macmillan collectors library kindle edition by larsen, nella, vogelius, christa holm. First working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novelsquicksand 1928 and passing 1929and a few short stories. Description of the book passing modern library classics. After resigning from this position, larsen began her literary career by writing her first novel, quicksand 1928, which won her the harmon foundations bronze medal.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring tessa thompson, ruth negga and alexander skarsgard. Larsen later practiced nursing, and from 1922 to 1926, served as a librarian at the new york public library. She received a guggenheim fellowship to write a third novel in 1930 but, unable to find a publisher for it, she disappeared from the literary scene and worked as a nurse. Clare kendry and irene redfiel are friends from old and a chance meeting sees them rekindle a forgotten friendship. With an overdrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for ataglance information about availability.
Passing modern library torchbearers series by nella larsen. The novels greatest appeal and achievement, however, is not sociological, but psychological. The modern library torchbearers series features women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance. Nella larsen the beautiful, elegant, and ambitious clare kendry leads a dangerous life. Dec 18, 2007 nella larsen 18911964 was the author of several short stories and two novels, quicksand and passing. The daughter of an afrocaribbean father and a danish mother, larsen was brought up in a primarily white environment and spent a number of years in denmark before entering fisk university in 1907. Passing macmillan collectors library kindle edition by. Discover librarianselected research resources on nella larsen from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. Read quicksand a library of america ebook classic by nella larsen available from rakuten kobo. Though her literary output was scant, she earned recognition by her contemporaries. Passing ebook the seattle public library bibliocommons. The complete fiction of nella larsen navy general library. In the context of a highly raceconscious 1920s urban society, its storyline and characters lives and times are fascinating, and there isnt a person of any race or gender who couldnt relate to at least some of the challenges faced by irene, clare, and brian. The modern library is proud to present passingan electrifying story of two women who cross the color line in 1920s new yorktogether.
Passing book by nella larsen, maggie lily, darryl pinckney. Larsen was an african american, seeing with a rather steely eye into some of the uncomfortable accommodations which might be made in order to best gain the riches and rewards which america offered the educated and wealthy at least, those who were white or. Share via facebook share via twitter share via reddit. An exciting repackage of nella larsens classic novel, passing, about two women. Passing modern library torchbearers kindle edition by larsen, nella, mae henderson, ntozake shange. A lightskinned african american married to a white man unaware of her racial heritage, clare has severed all ties to her. The novel focuses on two childhood friends clare and irene, both of whom are light. Passing by nella larsen overdrive rakuten overdrive. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read passing. Nellallitea nella larsen, born nellie walker april, 1891 march 30, 1964, was an american novelist of the harlem renaissance.
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