Writing the South

By Kenton Rambsy

Chapter two of my book The Geographies of African American Short Stories, “Writing the South: Charles Chesnutt, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Wright,” explains why depicting the dramas of homegrown characters in southern settings was so crucial to short fiction by Chesnutt, Hurston, and Wright.

The presentation of native southerners gave these writers’ opportunities to explore local dimensions of the region. They composed narratives that incorporate Black vernacular speech and conflicts between a variety of characters.

Telling stories that featured southern culture and locales empowered Chesnutt, Hurston, and Wright to create enriching compositions. Their stories testify to the power of homegrown characters and southern landscapes.

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This entry is part of a series--A Notebook on The Geographies of African American Short Stories.