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By: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

The Sport of the Gods by Paul Laurence Dunbar The Sport of the Gods

The Sport of the Gods is a novel by Paul Laurence Dunbar, first published in 1902, centered around urban black life.Forced to leave the South, a family falls apart amid the harsh realities of Northern inner city life in this 1902 examination of the forces that extinguish the dreams of African Americans.

Book cover He Had His Dream

LibriVox volunteers bring you 18 recordings of He Had His Dream by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This was the Weekly Poetry project for July 14, 2013.Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first African-American to gain national eminence as a poet. Born in 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, he was the son of ex-slaves.... Although he lived to be only 33 years old, Dunbar was prolific, writing short stories, novels, librettos, plays, songs and essays as well as the poetry for which he became well known. He was popular with black and white readers of his day, and his works are celebrated today by scholars and school children alike.

Book cover Poet and The Baby

What struck me in reading Mr. Dunbar's poetry was what had already struck his friends in Ohio and Indiana, in Kentucky and Illinois. They had felt, as I felt, that however gifted his race had proven itself in music, in oratory, in several of the other arts, here was the first instance of an American negro who had evinced innate distinction in literature.

Book cover Voice Of The Banjo

volunteers bring you 18 recordings of The Voice Of The Banjo by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for November 3, 2019. ------ What struck me in reading Mr. Dunbar's poetry was what had already struck his friends in Ohio and Indiana, in Kentucky and Illinois. They had felt, as I felt, that however gifted his race had proven itself in music, in oratory, in several of the other arts, here was the first instance of an American negro who had evinced innate distinction in literature...

Book cover Fanatics

This is a story about a town in Ohio during the civil war. The town is divided by ideology, but can they be united by love and respect? - Summary by Stav Nisser.Note to listeners: Because of the subject of this book, some of the ideas described and the words used can be offensive.

Book cover Oak and Ivy

"Oak and Ivy" is Paul Laurence Dunbar's first collection of poetry. He was by far the most successful Black American to write poetry in the so-called Negro dialect, although he also wrote a lot of verse in standard diction. His poetry and prose often speaks of the frustrated aspirations of and bleak prospects for African Americans in a white supremacist era. - Summary by TriciaG

Book cover Candle-Lightin' Time

Poetry about African American Southern life - Summary by Denise Ray

Book cover In Old Plantation Days

With this collection of short stories, Dunbar sought to draw on the success of his dialect poems by recreating and portraying the southern plantation during slavery. The stories focus on the stereotypical portrait of slaves as obedient workers happy to spend their lives in service of their benevolent owner. His attempt to find success was only partially realized, as his stories drew not only criticism but, in some cases, anger at their very stereotypical nature. The book itself, however, proved to be more lucrative than previous fiction works had been for the author.

Book cover James Whitcomb Riley

volunteers bring you 12 recordings of James Whitcomb Riley by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This was the Weekly Poetry project for May 15, 2022. ------ This Weekly Poem is taken from THE COMPLETE POEMS OF PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR.

Book cover Vagrants

volunteers bring you 19 recordings of Vagrants by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This was the Weekly Poetry project for August 21, 2022. ------ Much of Dunbar's more popular work in his lifetime was written in the "Negro dialect" associated with the antebellum South, though he also used the Midwestern regional dialect of James Whitcomb Riley. He also wrote in conventional English in other poetry and novels and is considered the first important African American sonnet writer. Since the late 20th century, scholars have become more interested in these other works.

Book cover Heart of Happy Hollow (Version 2)

Happy Hollow; are you wondering where it is? Wherever Negroes colonise in the cities or villages, north or south, wherever the hod carrier, the porter, and the waiter are the society men of the town; wherever the picnic and the excursion are the chief summer diversion, and the revival the winter time of repentance, wherever the cheese cloth veil obtains at a wedding, and the little white hearse goes by with black mourners in the one carriage behind, there—there—is Happy Hollow. Wherever laughter and tears rub elbows day by day, and the spirit of labour and laziness shake hands, there—there—is Happy Hollow, and of some of it may the following pages show the heart...

Book cover Love of Landry

The Love of Landry is one of Dunbar's four novels, and one of three that are about white people. In this case, the story is about the recuperation of the sick Mildred Osborne, an Eastern aristocrat, at a ranch in Colorado. The central character is faced with very different social norms operating in a world with so few women. Though the novel lacks black characters, allusions to them and plot conflicts that center on the position of a man in American society prejudice is hinted at. Mildred Osborne's journey of self-discovery ends in her finding out who Landry really is and that he is worthy of her love. Summary by Jim Locke


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