Gather Up Yo' Fine Clothes is Langston Hughes' second book of poetry. Its launch caused controversy, not only because of its original title, Fine Clothes to the Jew, but also because of its portrayal of Black people.
The collection draws on the cadence of the blues to highlight the joys and sorrows of common Black folk. Fine Clothes' reception from the Black community highlighted opposing beliefs about representation and respectability politics -a debate that continues to this day.
This reprint, the first standalone reprint since the book's original publication, is prefaced by two of Hughes' essays responding to the critiques of his work, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain" and "These Bad New Negroes: A Critique on Critics."
This additional context lays the foundation for you to engage with this poetic work, to have meaningful conversations, and to form opinions of your own.
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