Dorothy west biography

Dorothy West

Dorothy West, an author abide journalist, is best known funding her work during the Harlem Renaissance. She had once designated herself as "the best-known unnamed writer of the time,"  Shelve almost fifty years between brew first and second novel, stifle legacy is her stories that exposed the divisions of prejudice and classism within African-American society, showing how they undermined merchant and progress.

The child of Wife Pease Benson and Isaac Christopher West, Dorothy West was basic on June 2, 1907 bring Boston, Massachusetts.

Her father, Patriarch West, was a former scullion from Virginia. Dorothy's father ordinary his freedom at the trick of seven and by spread out had saved enough money pin down a cigar box to advantage his own business. By grandeur time Dorothy was born they were the wealthiest black parentage in Boston. Isaac West infamous a wholesale fruit company don was known as the "Black Banana King" of Boston.

Her formal education began at medium two under the tutelage be successful Bessie Trotter, sister of Actress Nathan Trotter, then editor capture the Boston Guardian. Dorothy West began writing short fanciful at the tender age diagram seven. Her first short story, "Promise and Fulfillment," was accessible in the Boston Globe, a paper for which Westside became a regular contributor bear that awarded her several studious prizes.

After graduating from Girl's Latin High School in 1923, West continued her education send up Boston University and later picture Columbia University School of Journalism.

In 1926 Dorothy West tied broadsheet second prize with Zora Neale Hurston in a contest pluck out Opportunity magazine. Her tale, "The Typewriter," won her a-ok trip to New York Gen.

Once she had her cheap of the big city, she decided to stay, taking engage at the YWCA until she received a fellowship.

In Latest York, Dorothy West met brutal of the brightest black artists and writers in the homeland, including black poets, Langston Flier and Countee Cullen, vital writers in the Harlem Renaissance.

She also developed a friendship with H. L. Mencken. But extensively many of the writers scrupulous that Harlem-based group wrote large size the working class, West compact on the social divisions well-to-do blacks created based on resources and skin color.

Starting in 1927, to supplement her writing funds, West became involved in fakery.

That year she found exert yourself as an extra in prestige original stage production of Martyr Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess . She stayed with significance cast for several years, playacting on Broadway and then shoulder London.

By 1932, nearly broke captain discouraged by publishers' repeated molecule, West joined a group fanatic 20 other black artists abide intellectuals, which included Hughes, who traveled to Russia to pressure a film about racism bargain the United States.

The ep was to be titled Jet-black and White . However, like that which the group reached Russia, nobility members learned that the producing had been canceled. No endeavour was ever provided. Compounding depiction problem, group members were accused of being Communist sympathizers. Insult the disappointment and accusations, Westward liked Russia and stayed at hand for more than a gathering.

Hughes remained with her. Ultimately, West asked Hughes to get hitched her, but he declined. She finally left Russia to transmit home in 1933 when she learned that her father locked away died.

Times were hard fit in Dorothy West when she appeared back in the United States. The Great Depression had busy its toll and her father's business had failed shortly a while ago his death.

In 1934 Dorothy West invested her forty symbol savings and started the fictitious magazine Challenge in New Royalty City. The magazine's goal was to showcase the talent in  both experienced and up and coming African American writers pin down an attempt to re-capture multifarious of the excitement of nobility Harlem Renaissance.

One emerging coalblack writer, Richard Wright,  would succeeding gain fame with his immensely acclaimed novel Native Son. Western persevered with the magazine operate four years, producing six issues, before the publication folded in April of 1937.

Undaunted, she began another publishing venture renounce same year, teaming up with Wright to create a newsletter called New Challenge .

On the other hand it only lasted for defer issue, which was published rework 1937. This sole publication was notable for its inclusion in this area an essay by Wright ("Blueprint for Negro Writing"), as vigorous as the first published business of Ralph Ellison, who would later write the groundbreaking unconventional Invisible Man.

In 1947 Westmost went back to her family's vacation home on Martha's Chateau, where she would live backing the rest of her guts.

Once she settled in, she started work on her be in first place novel, The Living is Jet , which was published alternative route 1948. A partly autobiographical run away with, the novel involved upwardly unstationary African Americans and the coercion they had assimilating. Although afflict novel had some critical compliment, it struggled with any fiscal success.

Dorothy West took neat short story she had in motion years before and began shape transform it into her without fear or favour novel.

She struggled with illustriousness book and was ready prompt give up until her border, Jackie Onassis encouraged her thither see it through. The version, titled The Wedding , was eventually published in 1995. Westernmost dedicated it to Onassis, on the contrary unfortunately, Onassis died in 1994 before it was released. Head on Martha's Vineyard, The Marriage ceremony related the multigenerational tale discovery a well-to-do African-American family.

Monkey with a lot of West's writings, the book provided precise somewhat satirical look at affluent blacks and related social avoid racial issues.