Picture of Author Author Name
Van Vechten published his fifth novel, NIGGER HEAVEN, in August 1926. His take on black New York life became a bestseller, and made him not a few enemies. Langston Hughes always supported the novel, praising it in articles and in his 1940 autobiography THE BIG SEA.

Click on the letter below to listen to Emily Bernard's commentary.

 


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young Langston Hughes
Carl Van Vechten

The cover of "Weary Blues"
The cover of "Nigger Heaven"

 

 

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  • Listen to a rich conversation between Emily and Judith Jones, who was Langston Hughes's last editor and who continues to work at Knopf -- Judith served as Emily's editor on this project as well. While you listen to the conversation (about 15 minutes in length), you can still move around the site, look at images and read excerpts and letters. This is a large file to download.

  • Hear Emily read several of the letters from the book on Random House's Bold Type.

  • Visit the Langston Hughes pages in the Knopf Poetry Center.

  • Read an excerpt from Carl Van Vechten's contoversial novel, Nigger Heaven.

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