Jean Toomer was an American poet and novelist, a pivotal figure of the Harlem Renaissance and modernism. His work delves into the complexities of identity and the tensions between diverse cultural influences. Toomer grappled with racial categorization, resisting classification as a Black writer to emphasize the multifaceted nature of human experience. His writing probes profound questions of American identity and cultural displacement.
Darwin T. Turner's "Introduction" (to the 1975 Liveright edition of Cane), reprinted here, presents the historical and literary backgrounds of the work, as well as additional biographical information on Toomer. "Criticism", both contemporary and recent, on Cane and Toomer is wide-ranging and includes essays by W. E. B. Du Bois, Gorham B. Munson, Robert Bone, Patricia Watkins, Lucinda H. MacKethan, Nellie Y. McKay, and Darwin T. Turner.
This reprint offers an exact facsimile of the original 1931 edition, preserving the authenticity and details of the initial publication. It is not produced using Optical Recognition Software, ensuring that the text and layout remain true to the original. This edition is ideal for collectors and those interested in historical texts, providing a glimpse into the past through its unaltered presentation.