 nigger heaven is a 1926 novel written by carl van vechten, set during the harlem renaissance in the united states in the 1920s. the book and its title have been controversial since its publication. the novel is a portrayal of life in the "great black walled city" of harlem. it describes the interactions of intellectuals, political activists, bacchanalian workers, and other harlem characters. the plot of the novel concerns two people, a quiet librarian and an aspiring writer, who try to keep their love alive as racism denies them every opportunity. this roman Ã  clef became an instant bestseller and served as an informal pocket guide to harlem. it also split the black literary community, as some, e.g. langston hughes, nella larsen, and wallace thurman, appreciated it, while others like countee cullen, w. e. b. du bois, and alain locke regarded it as an "affront to the hospitality of black folks". the book fueled a period of "harlemania", during which the area of harlem became en vogue among white people, who then frequented its cabarets, bars, and so on. ==background== ===title=== "nigger heaven" was a term used in the 19th century to refer to church balconies, which were reserved for african americans, as the white members of the congregation sat below. ==reception== the book, due in part to the inclusion of the pejorative "nigger" in its title, was met with mixed reception. it was initially banned in boston. van vechten's own father was said to have written his son two letters imploring that he change the title to something less offensive. many early reviews of the novel focused on the seemingly negative portrayal of african-american culture, with its vivid depictions 
1926_novels 20th-century_American_novels Alfred_A._Knopf_books Harlem_Renaissance