Harlem Shadows
ByPublisher Description
A collection of poetry from the award-winning, Jamaican-American author of Home to Harlem.
In Harlem Shadows, poet and writer Claude McKay touches on a variety of themes as he celebrates his Jamaican heritage and sheds light on the Black American experience. While the title poem follows sex workers on the streets of Harlem in New York City, the sight of fruit in a window in “The Tropics of New York” reminds the author of his old life in Jamaica. “If We Must Die” was written in response to the Red Summer of 1919, when Black Americans around the country were attacked by white supremacists. And in “After the Winter,” McKay offers a feeling of hope.
Born in Jamaica in 1889, McKay first visited the United States in 1912. He traveled the world and eventually became an American citizen in 1940. His work influenced the likes of James Baldwin and Richard Wright.
“One of the great forces in bringing about . . . the Negro literary Renaissance.” —James Weldon Johnson, author of The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man
“This is [McKay’s] first book of verse to be published in the United States, but it will give him the high place among American poets to which he is rightfully entitled.” —Walter F. White, author of Flight
Download the free Fable app

Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities16 Reviews

Void
Created 4 months ago
Alejandro Astrá
Created 6 months ago
Vanessa Wampler
Created 12 months ago
Faith
Created about 1 year ago
Mariam Bazzi
Created about 1 year agoAbout Claude McKay
Other books by Claude McKay
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?