INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY EDITOR ARNA BONTEMPS

HUGHES, Langston and BONTEMPS, Arna, editors. The Book of Negro Folklore. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1959. Octavo, original gray cloth, original dust jacket. $1100.

Second printing of this collection of African American folklore, presentation copy inscribed by editor Arna Bontemps, who authored the Introduction, on the front free endpaper: "For Elise Hope, Arna Bontemps, 8-8-61."

"Bontemps and Hughes edited The Poetry of the Negro (1949) and The Book of Negro Folklore (1958)… Bontemps' historical interests also led him to write 100 Years of Negro Freedom (1961) and to edit Great Slave Narratives (1969) and The Harlem Renaissance Remembered (1972). He also edited a popular anthology, American Negro Poetry (1963), just in time for the black reawakening of the 1960s… the impact of his work as poet, novelist, historian, children's writer, editor, and librarian is far greater than the sum of its parts. He played a major role in shaping modern African-American literature and had a wide-ranging influence on African-American culture of the latter half of the 20th century" (ANB). Second printing stated on copyright page. Recipient Elise Hope was the daughter-in-law of noted civil rights activist John Hope, President of Morehouse College from 1909-36; his son, John Hope II, was also a renowned civil rights advocate.

Book fine, price-clipped dust jacket with some light edge-wear, clean and extremely good.