Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance
About this ebook
The 1920s in New York City was a time of freedom, experimentation, and passion—with Harlem at the epicenter. White men could go uptown to see jazz and modern dance, but women who embraced black culture too enthusiastically could be ostracized.
Miss Anne in Harlem focuses on six of the unconventional, free-thinking women, some from Manhattan high society, many Jewish, who crossed race lines and defied social conventions to become a part of the culture and heartbeat of Harlem.
Ethnic and gender studies professor Carla Kaplan brings the interracial history of the Harlem Renaissance to life with vivid prose, extensive research, and period photographs.
This landmark work of American history uncovers the real stories behind the myth of "Miss Anne" and explores:
- Crossing the Color Line: Meet the six white women—including patrons, artists, and activists—who defied convention to become part of Harlem's vibrant cultural scene.
- Race, Gender, and Identity: A deep dive into the complex identity politics of the 1920s, exploring why these women risked social ostracism to embrace black culture when it was most dangerous to do so.
- Patronage and Primitivism: Uncover the complicated dynamics between white patrons and black artists, and how the search for the "primitive" shaped the art and relationships of the New Negro movement.
- Meticulously Researched Narrative: Based on years of archival research, this essential work of African American studies brings a forgotten chapter of the Jazz Age to life with vivid detail and period photographs.
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About the author
Carla Kaplan is an award-winning professor and writer who holds the Stanton W. and Elisabeth K. Davis Distinguished Professorship in American Literature at Northeastern University. She has published seven books, including Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters and Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance, both New York Times Notable Books. A recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Humanities “Public Scholar” fellowships, Kaplan has been a fellow in residence at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute; is a fellow of the Society of American Historians; and serves on the board of Biographers International. She divides her time between Boston and Cape Cod.
