Alice Dunbar-NelsonCritiques

This concise mint edition features three writings from people who knew Paul Laurence Dunbar well: his wife, Alice Dunbar Nelson, William S. Scarborough, and Reverdy C. Ransom. Each person brings a unique perspective of Dunbar as a poet, and an African American man. Alice shares Dunbar's love of nature and how he integrated nature and race into his poems. William S. Scarborough writes about the unveiling of the poet's monument event, sharing his thoughts about the poet and the event. Reverdy pays homage to Dunbar's ancestry.

This brief monograph is a reprint of a text from 1914. Its 32 pages contain three essays; the longest is by Dunbar's wife, emphasizes his connection to nature, and read as if it was written in response to some criticism. The other two essays are also somewhat personal. None of them is literary criticism as we think of it today; rather, they are appreciations of the man and his work in general. Probably useful mostly to those who want a brief look at who Dunbar was and why he is revered.½

Quite a few years ago I acquired a rather bedraggled book entitled "The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar", published in 1926. I knew nothing about the poet but was interested in the fact that he was Black. So, despite the condition of the book, I added it to the twenty some books of American, English and German poetry that I already had in my library. Over the years I have enjoyed reading Dunbar's poetry, even getting a kick out of some of his Black dialect renderings. I did a bit of research on him. He died young of tuberculosis in 1906 at the age of just 33. He had a number of challenges in his life, not the least being alchohol and a tendency toward volence under its influence. But he was recognized in the United States and Europe during his short life as a poet of merit.
So, when Library Thing as part of its Early Rviewer program listed the booklet "Paul Laurence Dunbar: Poet Laureate of the Negro Race", I requested a copy and was fortunate enough to receive one.
The booklet (soft cover and just 32 pages of text) contains three essays on Dunbar's life and poetry, written by other recognized Black poets or scholars of the time. Originally published in 1914, the booklet being reviewed here is a 2021 reprint by Mint Editions.
The first essay is a lengthy one by his wife, Alice Dunbar Nelson. They were married just four years before she separated from him in 1902 because of his alcholholism and abuse. She was a poet and a master of the English language in her own right, as demonstrated by her essay in honor of Dunbar's attachment to nature. The second essay is by William S. Scarborough, a Black acedemic. The third essay, the shortest of the three, is by Reverdy C. Ransom, a Black minister. Each essay gives interesting insights into the life of Dunbar and the depth of his creativity through his poetry. It is a welcome supplement to my sad looking but precious book of Dunbar's poetry.
There is a bit of a fly in the ointment, however. While the booklet is attractively laid out and the cover is intereesting, the editing of the volume was sadly lacking. I fear that we have become too dependent on computers to do spell check, grammar checks and sentence structure analysis. But it is my opinion that there is nothing to compare to the ability of a good, live editor when it comes to the actual act of editing a work. The number of errors that slipped by in just 32 pages of text does not speak well of Mint Editions editing department.

This is a nice reprint from Mint Editions of a 1914 pamphlet containing three essays about poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. The first, and longest, is by Dunbar's wife, Alice Dunbar Nelson; her writing is erudite, but it reads like she is responding to some contemporary criticism so at times I felt like I was reading only one half a conversation. The remaining two pieces are powerful panegyrics by William S. Scarborough and Reverdy C. Ransom.½

Paul Laurence Dunbar, whose line "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" has been copied countless times, is a shining star in the pantheon of world poets. Although he died quite young, the ink his poems and stories were written in has been indelible.

"Paul Laurence Dunbar: Poet Laureate of the Negro Race" is a tribute to Dunbar's legacy. It is written in three short but glowing essays: one by his wife Alice Dunbar-Nelson, one by classical scholar William Scarborough, and one by influential AME minister Reverdy C. Ransom.

This collection of essays is an important reminder of the profound impact Dunbar had on society as a precursor to the Harlem Renaissance. It will be of value to literary scholars, teachers, and anyone interested in history. It is, however, not a substitute for reading the Dunbar's own words.

The publisher - Mint Editions - seems to be taking works like this that are now in the public domain and reprinting them in readable formats, much like Dover Publications.

1895-99 Creole New Orleans
Review of The Modern Library paperback edition (February 2022) of the original hardcover "The Goodness of Saint Rocque" (1899) + selected stories from "Violets and Other Tales" (1895)

There had been a picnic the day before, and as merry a crowd of giddy, chattering Creole girls and boys as ever you could see boarded the ramshackle dummy-train that puffed its way wheezily out wide Elysian Fields Street, around the lily-covered bayous, to Milneburg-on-the-Lake. Now, a picnic at Milneburg is a thing to be remembered for ever. One charters a rickety-looking, weather-beaten dancing-pavilion, built over the water, and after storing the children—for your true Creole never leaves the small folks at home—and the baskets and mothers downstairs, the young folks go up-stairs and dance to the tune of the best band you ever heard. For what can equal the music of a violin, a guitar, a cornet, and a bass viol to trip the quadrille to at a picnic? - excerpt from the short story "The Goodness of Saint Rocque."

I subscribe to the newsletter from The Modern Library and the last one announced a new printing in their Torchbearers series of the early short story fiction of journalist/ suffragette/ activist Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935). I didn't previously know Dunbar-Nelson's work, but the synopsis that promised "this vivid collection transports readers to New Orleans, from the delights of Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street, to the quiet Bayou where lovers meet, and to fish fries on the shore of the Mississippi Sound" did make it sound intriguing.

Only a few of the stories are completely immersive in the mixed French/English patois of Creole vernacular and I enjoyed those the most. The French language texts are not translated in footnotes, but even with my poor French knowledge I had no trouble understanding sentences such as "Ah, ma petite, you tak'? Cing sous, bébé , may le bon Dieu keep you good!"*. I think the context will make for easy comprehension by most readers.

The stories are quite short. There are 20 of them in the 125 pages of story texts. 14 of them are from the original The Goodness of St. Rocque (1899), and that includes 3 which are repeated from the earlier Violets and Other Tales (1895). A further 6 stories from the earlier collection are then added in this 2022 edition. The 3 repeated stories have minor edits. I didn't do a complete A/B comparison, but the conclusion of Titee was turned into a "happy ending" version from the earlier one The charitable young boy dies from exposure in the first version, but survives in the second..

So there was nothing earthshaking here, but this was a very enjoyable period fiction collection that takes you back to late 19th century Creole New Orleans.

Other Reviews
She Was Hard to Impress by Brent Staples, New York Times, April 14, 1985. This is actually a review of the posthumous publication of her diaries in Give Us Each Day: The Diary of Alice Dunbar-Nelson (Norton, 1985), but it gives quite an excellent portrait of her. Her fiction is not even remembered, as she is described as a "columnist, poet, popular platform speaker, former suffragette and - though she secretly chafed under this identifier - the widow of the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar."

Trivia and Links
* excerpt from The Praline Woman.

Alice Dunbar-Nelson's two books of fiction and poetry are in the public domain and can be read online at Project Gutenberg.

Table of Contents
1. The Goodness of Saint Rocque
2. Tony's Wife
3. The Fisherman of Pass Christian
4. M'sieu Fortier's Violin
5. By the Bayou St. John
6. When the Bayou Overflows
7. Mr. Baptiste
8. A Carnival Jangle [repeated from the original Violets and Other Tales]
9. Little Miss Sophie [repeated from the original Violets and Other Tales]
10. Sister Josepha
11. The Praline Woman
12. Odalie
13. La Juanita
14. Titee [repeated (but w/edits) from the original Violets and Other Tales]
Selected Stories from Violets and Other Tales**
15. Violets
16. The Woman
17. Anarchy Alley
18. A Story of Vengeance
19. In Our Neighbourhood
20. The Bee-Man
** The complete book contains 14 poems and 15 stories.½

“Sister Josepha” by Alice Dunbar

The lead into the story sets a tone of boredom of a routine life. The author begins the story by showing us Sister Josepha in church doing what must have been part of her daily routine. This dullness is well represented in the text by using such verbs and adjectives as in this sentence “…hold her beads mechanically, her fingers numb with the accustomed exercise,” (407). Again, the author sets the tone of monotony with “always the same old work…” and “filling the same old lamps,” (407). The reader instantly notices how dull Sister Josepha feels that life in a convent is.

But Sister Josepha, the reader learns, is battling herself in her search for identity. She faces the decision of either living a mundane life as a nun or escaping into the world outside of the church that she knows hardly anything about. She finds herself torn between wanting excitement and freedom and wanting safety and security. The first glimpse of this we see is when a couple comes to the convent and wants to adopt her. Sister Josepha refuses to go with them because she thinks that the man looks at her in a vulgar way. “Untutored in worldly knowledge, she could not divine the meaning of the pronounced leers and admiration of her physical charms which gleamed in the man’s face, but she knew that it made her feel creepy, and stoutly refused to go,” (408). I took this to mean that although she is not highly educated she is smart enough to reject this couples’ offer because of the way the man looks at her. He looked at her in a sexual way. Why else would it make her feel creepy?



The author’s focus is on Sister Josepha’s identity. All she knows about herself is that her name is Camille and she is beautiful, but outside of that, she knows not much. That is why she stays at the convent after thinking about running away. At least at the convent she has an identity as “Sister Josepha” she is a nun. In the world outside, she would be nothing but a beautiful nameless object. She realizes this after overhearing Sister Francesca talking about her: “…how hard it would be for her in the world, with no name but Camille, no friends, and her beauty…” (411). I think Sister Josepha, as a character, was quite wise to chose staying with the mundane life where she knew what she could expect over the life beyond the convent’s walls. I expected her to runaway from the convent after she spotted the young military man and their eyes met. But found myself glad that she didn’t. After all routine and mundane can be a good thing.

“Sister Josepha” by Alice Dunbar

The lead into the story sets a tone of boredom of a routine life. The author begins the story by showing us Sister Josepha in church doing what must have been part of her daily routine. This dullness is well represented in the text by using such verbs and adjectives as in this sentence “…hold her beads mechanically, her fingers numb with the accustomed exercise,” (407). Again, the author sets the tone of monotony with “always the same old work…” and “filling the same old lamps,” (407). The reader instantly notices how dull Sister Josepha feels that life in a convent is.

But Sister Josepha, the reader learns, is battling herself in her search for identity. She faces the decision of either living a mundane life as a nun or escaping into the world outside of the church that she knows hardly anything about. She finds herself torn between wanting excitement and freedom and wanting safety and security. The first glimpse of this we see is when a couple comes to the convent and wants to adopt her. Sister Josepha refuses to go with them because she thinks that the man looks at her in a vulgar way. “Untutored in worldly knowledge, she could not divine the meaning of the pronounced leers and admiration of her physical charms which gleamed in the man’s face, but she knew that it made her feel creepy, and stoutly refused to go,” (408). I took this to mean that although she is not highly educated she is smart enough to reject this couples’ offer because of the way the man looks at her. He looked at her in a sexual way. Why else would it make her feel creepy?



The author’s focus is on Sister Josepha’s identity. All she knows about herself is that her name is Camille and she is beautiful, but outside of that, she knows not much. That is why she stays at the convent after thinking about running away. At least at the convent she has an identity as “Sister Josepha” she is a nun. In the world outside, she would be nothing but a beautiful nameless object. She realizes this after overhearing Sister Francesca talking about her: “…how hard it would be for her in the world, with no name but Camille, no friends, and her beauty…” (411). I think Sister Josepha, as a character, was quite wise to chose staying with the mundane life where she knew what she could expect over the life beyond the convent’s walls. I expected her to runaway from the convent after she spotted the young military man and their eyes met. But found myself glad that she didn’t. After all routine and mundane can be a good thing.