The seminar provided doctoral students with a comprehensive and wide-ranging
introduction to the Harlem Renaissance. It began with a discussion of Gertrude Stein’s
early stylistic experiments with repetition, pattern and rhythm, as well as her deep
engagement with innovations in the visual arts. Professor Rubeo then presented a
series of key figures from the Renaissance, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Claude McKay,
Langston Hughes and Sterling A. Brown. The seminar usefully emphasised the
diverse and heterogenous nature of the Harlem scene, including debates between
writers and intellectuals of the time, whilst also considering its roots and resonances
in American culture.
12 maggio 2022