Claude Mckay

 

Claude Mckay, a Jamaican-American author and poet, is one of the Harlem Renaissance's most well-recognised figures. His first and most famous novel, Home to Harlem, won him the Harmon Gold Award for Literature.

 

Home to Harlem is a vibrant and candid piece of fiiction that has gained both praise and criticism for its portrayal of Harlem nightlife in the 1920's. Color prejudice, alcoholism, promiscuity, racial tension, homosexuality; no topic is too taboo for Mckay to take on in this libido-driven piece of literature. 

 

In the chapter "Zeddy's Rise and Fall," Mckay offers the reader several examples of Harlem sexuality. From the strong female sexuality expressed through Congo Rose, to Zeddy's innocuous japes at openly gay Billy Biasse, "Zeddy's Rise and Fall" displays a colorful and diverse image of sexuality in 1920's Harlem. 

 

Claude Mckay Home to Harlem.