Jessie Redmon Fauset
Biography
Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882–1961) was an African American novelist, poet, essayist, and editor who played a central role in the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Fredericksville, New Jersey, she was the first Black woman to graduate from Cornell University. As literary editor of The Crisis magazine (1919–1926), she mentored and published Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Jean Toomer, and Countee Cullen. Fauset wrote four novels exploring the lives of educated, middle-class African Americans navigating racial barriers and the "color line." Her novels, including There Is Confusion (1924) and Plum Bun (1929), used the conventions of the novel of manners to explore race, class, and gender in Black America.
Common themes in Jessie Redmon Fauset's work
Harlem Renaissance
A recurring theme throughout Jessie Redmon Fauset's writing.
African American literature
A recurring theme throughout Jessie Redmon Fauset's writing.
Racial passing
A recurring theme throughout Jessie Redmon Fauset's writing.
Black middle class
A recurring theme throughout Jessie Redmon Fauset's writing.
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Why Jessie Redmon Fauset is still read today
Fauset’s role as literary midwife of the Harlem Renaissance was crucial. Her novels’ focus on the Black middle class and the complexities of racial passing offer perspectives often absent from canonical Harlem Renaissance narratives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Jessie Redmon Fauset?
Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882–1961) was a Harlem Renaissance novelist and literary editor of The Crisis who mentored Hughes, McKay, and other major writers.
What are her major novels?
There Is Confusion and Plum Bun. Both are available free on TextStack.
Why is she important to the Harlem Renaissance?
As literary editor of The Crisis, she discovered and published many of the movement’s most important writers.
Where can I read Fauset free?
TextStack offers Fauset’s novels to read free online.
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