Harlem Voices: The Poetry of Langston Hughes and Claude McKay

Jane Dibblin's short documentary offers a broad overview of two of the most prominent writers of the Harlem Renaissance movement: Langston Hughes (1902–1967) and Claude McKay (1889–1948). While neither was a native of Harlem, the Missouri-born Hughes and the Jamaican-born McKay used their talents to dramatize both the vibrancy and the problems that defined New York City's celebrated black neighborhood. Harlem Voices suggests that Hughes was the more daring of the pair, thanks to his ability to blend jazz rhythms into his wordplay. McKay, on the other hand, employed traditional poetic structure, although he's praised for deftly mixing lyricism and melancholia in his writing. Sections of the poets' classic works are read against a backdrop of historical footage and contemporary views of Harlem, while assorted commentators provide observations. Due to the abbreviated running time, much is left unsaid, including any consideration of the far-left-wing politics that shaped both writers' output (and brought them a good deal of McCarthy-era scrutiny). Still, this works as an introduction to the subject of 20th-century African American poetry, one that the curious viewer can use as a launching point for further study. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)