{"product_id":"my-america-langston-hughes-on-democracy-hardcover","title":"My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRandal Maurice Jelks\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"An engaging, introspective view of poet Langston Hughes and curates a compelling narrative of Hughes as an activist, advocate, and champion of justice through his poetry.\" --\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"By resisting a sanitized version of Hughes, \u003cem\u003eMy America\u003c\/em\u003e presents him as a radical thinker who, at the risk of criticism and scorn, demanded better of our country.\" --\u003cem\u003eBookPage\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBest known as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance, the celebrated poet and writer Langston Hughes believed in the power of art as resistance. What can we learn from his works today?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRandal M. Jelks delivers this revelatory portrait of the celebrated poet, essayist, playwright, and American artist Langston Hughes. \u003cem\u003eMy America \u003c\/em\u003etraces Hughes's journey from a child captivated by the wonder of Kansas City to cosmopolitan witness in Paris, New York, Mexico City, and Madrid. We encounter Hughes as a young man discovering the pulse of modern life in a world on the verge of exploding metaphorically and literally. His experiences informed his work and his thinking on art, democracy, and activism.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLangston Hughes is one of the few American writers who consistently wrote about democracy from a joyous perspective, and \u003cem\u003eMy America\u003c\/em\u003e explores how his works speak to the political anxieties and crises we face today. Jelks deftly examines the themes in Hughes's work, including creative expression, communal dignity, class struggle, and human suffering and what they mean for our inner well-being as democratic persons and political participants.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith care and no-holds-barred insight, \u003cem\u003eMy America\u003c\/em\u003e removes the veneer of respectability often placed on Hughes's work and life to reveal his political adeptness. In a world threatened by fascism, Hughes's writing wasn't afforded the luxury of subtlety. He made a spiritual and political decision to stand on the side of the oppressed. He believed art should be practiced for the sake of justice. And democracy can be practiced with joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 292\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.94 x 8.71 x 5.93 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 07, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52046196015405,"sku":"9798889832126","price":28.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/my-america-langston-hughes-on-democracy-hardcover-8744479.webp?v=1780169888","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/my-america-langston-hughes-on-democracy-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}