{"product_id":"my-america-langston-hughes-on-democracy-9798889832126","title":"My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"An engaging, introspective view of poet Langston Hughes and curates a compelling narrative of Hughes as an activist, advocate, and champion of justice through his poetry.\" --\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"By resisting a sanitized version of Hughes, \u003cem\u003eMy America\u003c\/em\u003e presents him as a radical thinker who, at the risk of criticism and scorn, demanded better of our country.\" --\u003cem\u003eBookPage\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest known as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance, the celebrated poet and writer Langston Hughes believed in the power of art as resistance. What can we learn from his works today?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRandal M. Jelks delivers this revelatory portrait of the celebrated poet, essayist, playwright, and American artist Langston Hughes. \u003cem\u003eMy America \u003c\/em\u003etraces Hughes's journey from a child captivated by the wonder of Kansas City to cosmopolitan witness in Paris, New York, Mexico City, and Madrid. We encounter Hughes as a young man discovering the pulse of modern life in a world on the verge of exploding metaphorically and literally. His experiences informed his work and his thinking on art, democracy, and activism.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLangston Hughes is one of the few American writers who consistently wrote about democracy from a joyous perspective, and \u003cem\u003eMy America\u003c\/em\u003e explores how his works speak to the political anxieties and crises we face today. Jelks deftly examines the themes in Hughes's work, including creative expression, communal dignity, class struggle, and human suffering and what they mean for our inner well-being as democratic persons and political participants.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith care and no-holds-barred insight, \u003cem\u003eMy America\u003c\/em\u003e removes the veneer of respectability often placed on Hughes's work and life to reveal his political adeptness. In a world threatened by fascism, Hughes's writing wasn't afforded the luxury of subtlety. He made a spiritual and political decision to stand on the side of the oppressed. He believed art should be practiced for the sake of justice. And democracy can be practiced with joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Randal Maurice Jelks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Broadleaf Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/07\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 292\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.13lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.71h x 5.93w x 0.94d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798889832126\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2026 pg. 59\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJelks, Randal Maurice:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRandal Maurice Jelks\u003c\/strong\u003e is a professor, documentary producer, and award-winning author. His writings have appeared in the \u003cem\u003eBoston Review\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as blogs, journals, newspapers, and other periodicals. He is the coeditor of the academic journal \u003cem\u003eAmerican Studies.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Randal Maurice Jelks \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":48230299009181,"sku":"9798889832126","price":35.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_1f9632ab-0379-4b0f-b2c9-819aa407c73c.jpg?v=1778576995","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/my-america-langston-hughes-on-democracy-9798889832126","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}