Henry Dumas (1934–1968)

An illuminating collection of the short fiction and poetry, reflecting the ongoing search of identity and emancipation African Americans.

To understand these wonderfully written tales fully, is to understand their author, Henry Dumas. Born in a small, predominantly black town of Sweet Home, Arkansas , Dumas was raised in the church until moving to New York City. After graduating from high school in 1953, he joined the Air Force, stationed in San Antonio originally and then once more in show more Saudi Arabia. These three areas shaped Dumas' personality and writing significantly, each contributing to the content and artistic style of his works. Sweet Home, a small rural Southern town influenced Dumas to incorporate folklore and Christian inspired themes, while northern urban Harlem gave Dumas a new cultural and political perspective during times of social unrest, uprising and rebellion, and Saudi Arabia broadening Dumas' spiritual consciousness and connection with a Higher force.

The timely release of this collection is essential when clearly there is much progress to be made socially and Dumas writes a path forward. show less

A moving piece of fiction that had me imagining not only the numerous floods of the Mississippi over the years, but the more recent devastation in New Orleans, and the resulting human pain and loss.