Winston James

Claude McKay: The Making of a Black Bolshevik by Winston James presents McKay in a manner which sheds life on both the man and his writing.

I have long liked McKay's work but knew very little beyond what I learned in various courses, which amounted to a very skeletal outline of his life and influences. While these shed some light on his literary output we were largely left to interpret and understand him with minimal context. This volume corrects that gap in my education and understanding.

This is a critical biography that focuses on his political and revolutionary changes as his experiences exposed him to new obstacles and communities, both welcoming and unwelcoming. While reading this I went back and reread a couple of his pieces and noticed so many more nuanced meanings than I had before.

While this will certainly appeal to anyone with an interest in literature and the Harlem Rennaissance, this will also satisfy most whose interest leans more toward political science and social/cultural history in general. McKay's life trajectory is exceptional, yet it also speaks to many of the intellectual trends of his day and into the present.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)