Romancing the Gullah in the Age of Porgy and Bess - (New Southern Studies) by Kendra Y Hamilton

About the Book

"Romancing the Gullah in the Age of Porgy and Bess is a literary and cultural history of the Gullah Geechee Coast, a four-state area that is one of only a handful of places that can truly be said to be the "cradle of Black culture" in the United States. An African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the lowcountry region of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands, the Gullah people have preserved a significant influence of Africanisms because of their unique geographic isolation. This book seeks to fill a significant cultural gap in Gullah history. While there is a veritable industry of books on literary Charleston and on the lowcountry-along with a plenitude of Gullah-inspired studies in history, anthropology, linguistics, folklore, and religion- there has never been a comprehensive study of the region's literary influence, particularly in the years of the Great Migration and the Harlem (and Charleston) Renaissance. By giving voice to artists and culture makers on both sides of the color line, uncovering buried histories, and revealing secret cross-racial connections amid official practices of Jim Crow, Kendra Y. Hamilton sheds new light on an incomplete cultural history. A labor of love by a Charleston insider, the book imparts a lively and accessible overview of its subject in a manner that will satisfy the book lover and the scholar"--

Book Synopsis

Romancing the Gullah in the Age of Porgy and Bess is a literary and cultural history of a place: the Gullah Geechee Coast, a four-state area that's one of only a handful of places that can truly be said to be the "cradle of Black culture" in the United States.

Romancing the Gullah seeks to fill a gap and correct the maps. While there is a veritable industry of books on literary Charleston and on "the lowcountry," along with a plenitude of Gullah-inspired studies in history, anthropology, linguistics, folklore, and religion, there has never been a comprehensive study of the region's literary influence, particularly in the years of the Great Migration and the Harlem (and Charleston) Renaissance.

By giving voice to artists and culture makers on both sides of the color line, uncovering buried histories, and revealing secret connections between races amid official practices of Jim Crow, Romancing the Gullah sheds new light on an only partially told tale. A labor of love by a Charleston insider, the book imparts a lively and accessible overview of its subject in a manner that will satisfy the book lover and the scholar.

Review Quotes

For libraries located on or near the Gullah Geechee Coast, this book is an essential purchase, but all Southeastern libraries with collections related to African American literature and culture should also consider this groundbreaking volume.--Allison Faix "Coastal Carolina University"

A beautifully written, comprehensively researched, and profoundly informed critical study that stands alone as a long-needed monograph focused on the literary/artistic treatments of the Gullah/Geechee experience.--Keith Cartwright "author of Reading Africa into American Literature: Epics, Fables, and Gothic Tales"

Today, there are no universities or colleges which consistently offer courses in Gullah Geechee studies and none that provide a major or degree in the field. The field has languished and failed to gain traction because of a lack of modern, theoretical, synthesizing work and a clear, teachable canon that includes rigorous, academic publications by Gullah Geechee scholars. Romancing the Gullah follows in the wake of other recent works that collectively aid the project of providing sound points of engagement for modern students and scholars beyond the older, primary texts.--Heather L. Hodges, director of external relations at the Historic New Orleans Collection and former executive director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor NHA

About the Author

KENDRA Y. HAMILTON is an associate professor of English and director of Southern Studies at Presbyterian College. Her work has appeared in Callaloo, The Southern Review, Shenandoah, and in the anthologies Angles of Ascent: A Norton Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry; Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry; and Shaping Memories: Reflections of 25 African American Women Writers.