May 2025

I confess that I knew little about the Harlem Renaissance before reading HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Robin Miles. Each time I tuned into it, I found myself ensconced in the time period.

Victoria includes wonderful details not just about the writing that happened at The Crisis, the NAACP’s literary magazine, but also about the music, fashion and social scene that filled the times. The novel is set in 1920s Harlem, during the days of Prohibition, as well as enlightenment in the Black community. When I talked to Victoria about the book, she was quick to note that these strides for Black people had happened just 50 years after the end of slavery.

HARLEM RHAPSODY is centered on Jessie Redmon Fauset, the literary editor of The Crisis who singlehandedly runs the publication and reports to its founder, W. E. B. Du Bois. Du Bois is not only her boss, he is also her lover. And to complicate things further, he is married. As Jessie discovers new talent and elevates the magazine’s identity, she wants only one thing --- the title of Editor. But she is denied that again and again. Instead, along with her work at The Crisis, she publishes a novel that garners great reviews. Victoria does an outstanding job of handling Jessie’s plight as a woman trying to get the position that she deserves, as well as her personal successes.

I found myself wanting to read more about this time period that was brilliantly depicted. The Author’s Note at the end of the book is not to be missed as Victoria shares how she conducted her research. Be sure to watch or listen to my interview with her.