Claude McKay (1889-1948)

A selective list of online literary criticism for early twentieth-century African American poet Claude McKay, favoring signed articles by recognized scholars and articles published in peer-reviewed sources

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introduction

"Claude McKay." Encyclopedia-type introduction to the poet's themes, style and techniques, with a biography and samples of poems. Poetry Foundation.

"Claude McKay." Excerpts from reputable critical articles on Claude McKay. Modern American Poetry, U of Illinois. Ed. Cary Nelson.

An introduction to Claude McKay from the Academy of American Poets.

Appel, Jacob M. "Claude McKay." Says the author: "While scholar Alain Locke and novelist James Weldon Johnson attempted to make the Harlem Renaissance palatable to white audiences, Claude McKay rose to prominence as the most militant voice in the African-American literary movement." St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture.

"Home At Last: The pilgrimage of Claude McKay," by David Goldweber. On Claude McKay's surprising conversion to Catholicism. Commonweal, 10 Sept. 1999.

Cooper, Wayne. "Claude McKay and the New Negro of the 1920's." Phylon 25, 3 (3rd Qtr., 1964), pp. 297-306 [free at jstor].

Keller, James R. "'A chafing savage, down the decent street': the politics of compromise in Claude McKay's protest sonnets." African American Review 28, 3 (Fall 1994)[Questia subscription service].

Denizé, Donna E. M.; and Louisa Newlin. "The Sonnet Tradition and Claude McKay" (teaching suggestions). The English Journal 99, 1 (Sep., 2009), pp. 99-105 [free at jstor].

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