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Article: Jean Toomer: Selected Essays and Literary Criticism.
- Article from:
- African American Review
- Article date:
- September 22, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 African American Review. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Robert B. Jones, ed. Knoxville: U of Tennessee P, 1996. 160 pp. $25.00.
Reviewed by
Kathleen Pfeiffer Oakland University
Jean Toomer has long been an enigmatic figure in both American literature and African American culture. The breathtaking lyricism of Cane (1923) demonstrates his gift for literary expression, yet many critics believe that he never realized the artistic potential so evident in that collection of stories, poems, and sketches. Toomer did see several essays and poems appear in print, but he died in obscurity, frustrated by his inability to market much of his work. Many scholars argue that he failed because he rejected his African ...