CHICAGO DEFENDER

LANGSTON HUGHES

CHICAGO'S SOUTHSIDE HAS A WEALTH
OF NEGRO TALENT IN THE ARTS

As a center of cultural activities, Chicago's Negro Southside bids fair to take the play right away from Harlem. Things are going on there right now culturally speaking which make me, as a New Yorker, envious and jealous. Harlem's "Negro Rennassaince" of the '20's seems to be happening all over again in Chicago. There's a creative ferment in the air.

Colored Chicago has given the world some fine examples of Negro creative genius in the past, from its part in the development of jazz and boogie woogie to the sociological brilliance of Horace Cayton and Sinclair Drake, from the World War II I poetry of Fenton Johnson to Margaret Walker, from the spoken drama of the contemporary poems of Langston Hugues from the distinguished Theodore Ward to the dance drama of Katherine Dunham, from the distinguished journalism of Robert Abbott to the powerful fiction of Richard Wright. But during and since World War II a whole young generation of talented dark folks has come into being on the South Side.

As I fine a young woman poet as any in America is Bwendolyn Brooks whose "A STREET IN BRONZEVILLE", written tiny little war-time/that it was, created a literary sensation, seems likely with her new book, 'Annie Allen', to receive even greater critical acclaim.

Alden Bland, the novelist, Sylvestre Watkins, the anthologist, Charles Enoch Wheeler, the poet, Era Bell Thompson of "American Daughter", Margaret Goss, both artist and children's writer, and Charlemae Rollins all live on Chicago's South Side. (And Willard

2.

Motley of "Knock On Any Door" lives not too far away (.)

A revised edition of Charlemae Rollin's "We Build Together" has just been published by the National Council of Teachers of English, 211 West 68th Street, Chicago. It is an excellent "Reader's Guide to Negro Life and Literature", listing and evaluating hundreds of books by or about Negroes, and with two splendid introductory essays by Mrs. Rollins on "The Need for a Guide to Literature of Negro Life for Boys and Girls" and "Criteria for Judging Books about Negroes for Young People". This booklet is an invaluable addition to the libraries of all teachers, writers, and ~~any others interested in Negro life and literature.~~

Margaret Cunningham is a new up-and-coming Southside poet of real talent. Robert Lucas is Negro America's best television writer, XXXX as well as working in radio. And Richard Durham is one of the best dramatists of the airwaves in our group in the country. His "Democracy series of Negro biographies, U.S.A." and currently his/"Destination Freedom" have received high praise as radio dramas of social and entertainment value. He has many ~~weekly~~ listeners throughout the Middle West.

More so than in Harlem, Chicago's Southside writers tend to work and study in groups, and to listen and learn from each other through group discussions and criticisms. For a long time there was an excellent poetry class conducted by Mrs. Stark at the Southside Community Arts Center. Now there is a very good writing group in charge of Marjorie Peters at the Parkway Community House. There is also the Writers Incorporated with several talented young members.

Until the War Arna Bontemps lived there, and the playwright, Theodore Ward, Chicago has had a wealth of writers.

small
A/book about books, a

3.

E. Simms Campbell and Richmond Barthe lived for a time in the painters, Chicago, IL, from 1948 to 1952, and/Charles Seebre and Charles White have not long been moved to New York. Probably the best known of contemporary younger Negro artists in Chicago is Eldzier Cator who has recently received a Guggenheim Fellowship for study and painting in the West Indies. Other interesting young painters on the Southside are Ernest Alexander, Bernard Goss, and William Carter.

The finest group of young Negro actors outside of New York or
Hollywood live in Chicago. It is regrettably that, except for those
new taking part in Richard Durham's weekly radio show, their activi-
ties must be confined almost entirely to little theatre productions.
The Southside has several excellent little theatre groups, among them
the Center Aisle Players, the Richard B. Harrison Players,
the DuBois Theatre Guild directed by the lovely and talented Janice
Kingslow, the Chicago Negro Art Theatre under William Nix,
and the Skyloft Players (which I established at Parkway Community
's existentialism
House) who have most recently presented Sartre/to N. H. H.ahn to the Southside (a well acted mini/mmento for the first time in an acted production of "No Exit").
Chicago can well be proud of the great existing and potential
creative talent in all the arts to be found among its citizens of
Negro blood. They have given are giving and will surely continue
to give artistic gifts of great value to America and the world.

Margaret Bonds, the pianist and composer, comes from Chicago. Etta Moten still lives there, as does Theodore Charles Stone, the tenor. (But there is no more space for mention now the many other musical talents.) The Windy City

CHICAGO DEFENDER

LANGSTON HUGHES

As a center of cultural activities, Chicago's Negro Southside bids fair to take the play right away from Harlem. Things are going on there culturally speaking which make me, as a New Yorker, envious and jealous. Harlem's "Negro Renaissance" of the '30's seems to be happening all over in Chicago. There is an artistic ferment in the air.

Chicago has given the world some fine examples of Negro creative genius in the past, from its part in the development of jazz and boogie woogie to the sociological brilliance of Horace Cayton and Sinclair Drake, from the World War I poetry of Penton Johnson to the contemporary poems of Margaret Walker, from the spoken drama of Theodore Ward to the dance drama of Katherine Dunham, from the distinguished journalism of Robert Abbott to the powerful fiction of Richard Wright. Now during and since World War II a whole young generation of talented dark folks has come into being on the South Side.

As fine a young woman poet as any in America is Gwendolyn Brooks whose "A STREET IN BRONZERVILLE", tiny little war-time volume that it was, created a literary sensation. Her forthcoming book, "Annie Allen," seems likely to receive even greater critical acclaim.

Alden Bland, the novelist, Sylvestre Watkins, the anthologist, Charles Enoch Wheeler, the poet, Era Bell Thompson of "American Daughter," Margaret Goss, both artist and children's writer, Alice Browning, and Charlemae Rollins all live on Chicago's South Side. (And Willard Motley of "Knock On Any Door" lives not too far away.) Until the War Arna

CHICAGO'S WEALTH OF NEGRO TALENT--2

Bontemps and the playwright, Theodore Ward lived there. Chicago has
had a wealth of writers.

A small book about books, a revised edition of Charlemae Rollin's
"We Build Together" has just been published by the National Council of
Teachers of English, 211 West 68th Street, Chicago. It is an excellent
"Reader's Guide to Negro Life and Literature", listing and evaluating
hundreds of books by or about Negroes, and with two splendid introductory
essays by Mrs. Rollins on "The Need for a Guide to Literature of Negro
Life for Boys and Girls" and "Criteria for Judging Books About Negroes
for Young People." This booklet is an invaluable addition to the libra-
ries of all teachers, writers, and others interested in Negro life.

Margaret Cunningham is a new up-and-coming Southside poet of real
talent. Robert Lucas is Negro America's best television writer, as well
as working in radio. Richard Durham is one of the best dramatists of
the airwaves in our group in the country. "Democracy U.S.A." and our-
rently his series of Negro biographies, "Destination Freedom" have re-
ceived high praise as radio dramas of social and entertainment value.
He has many listeners throughout the Middle West.

More so than in Harlem, Chicago writers tend to work and study in
groups, and to listen and learn from each other through discussions and
criticisms. For a long time there was an excellent poetry class con-
ducted by Mrs. Stark at the Southside Community Arts Center. Now there
is a very good writing group in charge of Marjorie Peters at the Park-
way Community House. There is also Writers Incorporated with several
talented members.

E. Simms Campbell and Richmond Barthe lived for a time in Chicago,
and the painters, Charles Seebre and Charles White have only recently
moved to New York. Probably the best known of contemporary young Negro

'CHICAGO'S WEALTH OF NEGRO TALENT--3

artists in Chicago is Elosier Cortor who just received a Guggenheim
Fellowship for painting in the West Indies. Other interesting young
painters on the Southside are Ernest Alexander, Bernard Gods, and
William Carter.

The finest group of Negro actors outside of New York or Hollywood
live in Chicago. It is regrettable that, except for those taking part
in Richard Durham's weekly radio show, their activities must be confined
almost entirely to little theatre productions. The Southside has several
little theatre groups, among them the Center Aisle Players, the Richard
B. Harrison Players, the DuBois Theatre Guild directed by the lovely and
talented Janice Kingslow, the Chicago Negro Art Theatre under William
Mix, and the Skyloft Players (which I established) who have recently
presented Sartre's existentialism to the Southside for the first time in
a well acted production of "No Exit."

Margaret Bonds, the gifted pianist and composer, hails from Chicago.
Etta Moten still lives there, as does Theodore Charles Stone, the tenor.
(But there is no more space to mention now its many other musical talents.)
The Windy City can well be proud of the great existing and potential
creative talent in the arts to be found among its citizens of Negro blood.
They are giving artistic gifts of great value to America and the world.