Month: March 2015

 

One of my most cherished material treasures is this Pandora Bracelet, which Hubby, Children and Grands gifted to me several years ago. At the time, there were maybe three charms.  Since then, one or more have gifted me with a charm either for my birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas, or Just Because.

The bracelet is full, but my heart opens up to happiness and joy when I look at my left wrist and think of the unconditional love that I continue to receive from the givers.

The three charms in the middle were a gift from Hubby.  By adding his nickname, GUY, he said, “Now everyone knows you belong to me” (smile).  Fifty-five years married, next month, and I love this GUY more and more every day.

 

During this last week of Women’s History Month, I set as a goal to write about an African-American female author that I had never heard of.  And, instead of a few, I found many both past and present.

My lack of knowledge in this area is partially reflective of being miseducated in a public school system where there was little or no opportunity to learn about the history, literature and culture of African-Americans in this country.

Added to the equation, I grew up within a family, church and community that either were unaware or failed to share what they knew about the accomplishments and achievements of African-Americans.

Lastly, before retiring five years ago, I focused on learning and working in order to succeed.  In doing so, I failed to venture out of my comfort to seek out those things that could have inspired and uplifted me spiritually and emotionally.

So, here I am at the seasoned age of seventy-two attempting to self-educate in literature, especially the works of African-American authors.  This is something I choose to explore with the hope that future generations in my family will have access to that which I did not.

Selected Quote and Author

After Googling and reading a number of biographies, Jessie Redmon Fauset peaked my interest and this is the quote I selected.

Jessie Redmon Fauset was a poet, essayist, novelist and mentee of W.E.B. DuBois.  For seven years, she worked by his side as the Literary Editor for The Crisis, a magazine published by the NAACP.  While working there, she collaborated and supported famous authors like Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer and Langston Hughes.  College literature and English courses introduced me to the works of these men.

Now, it is time for me to get acquainted with the woman referred to as the Literary Midwife who guided and supported these authors and many others during the Harlem Renaissance period.

Her Writings

A talented wordsmith in her own right, Jesse Redmon Fauset, from 1912 through 1933 produced:

• Novels
  • There is Confusion
  • Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral
  • The Chinaberry Tree: A Novel of American Life
  • Comedy American Style 
• Poems
  • “Rondeau,” The Crisis
  • “La Vie C’est La Vie,” The Crisis
  • “‘Courage'” He Said,” The Crisis
• Short Stories
  • “Emmy,” The Crisis
  • “My House and a Glimpse of My Life Therein,” The Crisis
  • “Double Trouble,” The Crisis
• Essays
  • “Impressions of the Second Pan-African Congress,” The Crisis
  • “What Europe Thought of the Pan-African Congress,” The Crisis

Where Do I Go From Here?

I view this post as the first encounter with Jessie Redmon Fauset; and, I plan to open my space up to learning more.  All of her novels are available through Amazon.com.  Today, I purchased, “Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral,” and the other three went on my Wish List.

In this season of life, I am grateful for the opportunity to open up my space to exploring the “little known” and “unknown” literary works of authors that peak my interest.

Thank you, Silver Threading, your Writer’s Quote 2015 cracked the door; and, it is exciting to open it and begin this new literary learning experience.