Carl Van Vechten was a polymath unparalleled in the history of American arts. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1880, he was, at various times, the nation’s most incisive and far-seeing arts critic who promoted names as diverse as Gertrude Stein and Bessie Smith long before it was popular to do so; a notorious socialite who held legendary parties; a de facto publicist for great forgotten names including Herman Melville; a best-selling author of scandalous novels; and one of the most important champions of African-American literature, vital in advancing the careers of Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and Chester Himes.
-
TITLEKIND
-
02.20.14Transfixed by CelebrityGuest Writer
-
02.14.14Grappling with a Timeless ProblemGuest Writer
-
01.09.14Flappers, Gatsby, & the Lingua Franca of Youthful RebellionGuest Writer
-
10.24.13Beyond Frankenstein: Costumes for the Science SavvyGuest Writer
-
10.24.13The Dirty Half DozenGuest Writer
-
10.24.13After the Jelly Bean IncidentGuest Writer
-
08.22.13Reflections on George ZimmermanGuest Writer
-
06.26.13Reading in the ClosetGuest Writer
-
06.20.13Designing The Towers of TrebizondGuest Writer
-
01.31.13The Problem with Aesthetic ViolenceGuest Writer
-
08.23.12Remembering Phyllis DillerGuest Writer
-
11.18.11Henry Hitchings: Unholy ShitGuest Writer
-
11.18.11Will Hermes: Four Weeks of New York MusicGuest Writer
-
10.13.11André Aciman: ParallaxGuest Writer
-
10.13.11Paul La Farge: The Immersive Text and the NovelGuest Writer
-
09.15.11We Brought Tomorrow Until Today Was GoneGuest Writer
-
07.14.11Misha Glouberman: The Happiness ClassGuest Writer
-
07.14.11Miroslav Penkov: Bulgaria and FictionGuest Writer
-
06.15.11Ten French Films for a Revised CanonGuest Writer
-
05.17.11Orientation: A Short Story by Daniel OrozcoGuest Writer