Richard Wright, The Man Who Lived Underground

Patrick Chura (University of Akron)

Ed. by Patrick Chura, University of Akron
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.5: African American Writing and Culture of the United States.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Philathia Bolton (University of Akron), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), A Yemisi Jimoh (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 2021 - 2021

Places

United States (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Novel

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Richard Wright finished the manuscript of

The Man Who Lived Underground

in December 1941. The first copies of the novel reached bookstores in April 2021. The story behind the eighty-year publication delay is revealing.

In 1940, with Native Son still on the bestseller lists, Wright’s editors at Harper & Brothers saw a chance to leverage his status as America’s leading Black writer. They had a hunch that an uplifting tale with Wright’s name on it would be a hit and pressured the celebrity author for a new book under the upbeat title Black Hope. Wright agreed to the idea and began a novel about female domestic workers.

In 1940, with

Native Son

still on the bestseller lists, Wright’s editors at Harper & Brothers saw a chance to leverage his status as America’s leading Black writer.…

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2165 words

Citation: Chura, Patrick. "The Man Who Lived Underground". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 June 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40533, accessed 21 November 2024.]

Richard Wright, The Man Who Lived Underground

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