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.
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TITLEKIND
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02.20.14Transfixed by CelebrityIn the Archives
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07.25.13Editorial Minutes, January 1974In the Archives
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06.20.13Designing The Towers of TrebizondIn the Archives
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10.04.12The Best Book in the FSG BacklistIn the Archives
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03.20.12The Archives: I. B. SingerIn the Archives
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02.14.12Leonard Michaels: Writing About MyselfIn the Archives
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10.13.11The Archives: Denis Johnson and Train DreamsIn the Archives
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09.15.11A Few of Rosamond Bernier’s LivesIn the Archives
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12.15.10The Archives: Mark Strand Reads Joseph BrodskyIn the Archives
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09.16.10The Archives: Isaac Bashevis SingerIn the Archives
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08.15.10The Archives: Alice McDermottIn the Archives
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07.14.10The Archives: Susan SontagIn the Archives