The Short Stories (Lh15): Volume 15 - Hardcover

by Langston Hughes (Author), R. Baxter Miller (Editor), Arnold Rampersad (Introduction by)

For the first time in many years, Langston Hughes's published collections of stories are now available in a single book. Included in this volume are: Ways of White Folks, originally published in 1934; Laughing to Keep from Crying, originally published in 1952; and additional stories from Something in Common and Other Stories, originally published in 1963; as well as previously uncollected stories.

These fictions, carefully crafted in the language Hughes loved, manifest the many themes for which he is best known. We meet and come to know many characters--black and white, young and old, men and women--all as believable as our own families, friends, and acquaintances. Hughes's stories portray people as they actually are: a mixture of good, bad, and much in-between.

In these short stories, as in the Simple stories, the reader enjoys Hughes's humor and irony. The stories show us his inclination to mock himself and his beloved people, as much as he ridicules the flaws of those who belittle his race. His genuine characters interact and realistically bring to life this era of America's past. By maintaining the form and format of the original story collections, this volume presents Hughes's stories as he wanted them to be read. This volume will be an invaluable addition to the library of anyone interested in African American literature generally and the fiction of Langston Hughes specifically.

Author Biography

About the Editor
R. Baxter Miller is Professor of English at the University of Georgia in Athens. He is the author of The Art and Imagination of Langston Hughes as well as many other critical studies.

About the Author
Langston Hughes was one of the most influential and prolific writers of the twentieth century.