This collection of writings by African-American women in the first half of this century is not quite like any other anthology in our field. Both in its multiplicity of genres represented, as well as in its wide array of authors, the book stakes its claim as remarkable. The editors have made judicious selections; while the canonical works are represented, I encountered many stories that I had not read before. This was quite delightful.
-- Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University
A treasure...This is an incredibly rich amalgam of prose, poetry, non-fiction and fiction that readers will adore, with unifying commentary, footnotes, and illustrated biographies that scholars will respect...[It is] a collection of great diversity that still speaks fully to the African-American experience of racial hypocrisy and unity, of solidarity between black women and white, of the intellectual lives of those who've had a book in hand but no bread on the table...[Roses and Randolph] have also provided a context in which the work of all black writers of the period, but especially women, can be viewed as part of a rich tradition rather than a short-lived fluke of history in a crowded corner of one northern city.
-- Publishers Weekly
The wealth of poetry, short fiction, novel excerpts, memoirs, and travel and political essays anthologized in this volume provides an excellent introduction to African American literature, culture, history, and consciousness...Roses and Randolph's compilation reads richly...Harlem's Glory will become a standard source for those thinking about women's writing.
-- Choice
The recuperative nature of much of African American scholarship, the drive to replace a present absence with a former presence, continues to yield gems such as Harlem's Glory. Produced by the editors of the award-winning Harlem Renaissance and Beyond, the current work selects works by fifty-nine women, some of whom 'are already well-known, while others are virtually undiscovered'...[The book] counters the traditional view that the Harlem Renaissance period yielded mostly male artists...[and] includes pieces that confirm the active participation of women authors in the Renaissance and that 'offer a perspective quite different from that of their male counterparts'...Harlem's Glory strikes a fine balance between being a text that can, and should, be used in African American curricula and one that will be savored by the non-specialist.
-- Isabel Soto Borderlines
The editors have done a brilliant job at collecting and recovering the writings of not only better known figures such as Zora Neale Hurston and the anti-lynching activist Ida Wells, but also many less known writers and previously unpublished work.
-- Esme Choonara Socialist Review
Roses and Randolph...have done a great service in compiling this excellent anthology of African American women's poetry, short stories, drama, memoirs, and essays dating from 1900 to 1950...There are gems here to be found by any reader.
-- Library Journal
The volume makes a unique contribution to American literature and history. I was particularly impressed by the introductory sections. They were uniformly insightful, clearly written, and struck the appropriate tone. The editors did a fine job of organizing the sections in a logical yet provocative manner. This is a wonderful book.
-- Darlene Clark Hine, Michigan State University
Splendid...This book establishes, once and for all, the extent of black women's literary activities in the period covered. It demonstrates what the editors draw attention to: that the writers since 1970 had precursors, even though most of them were completely unaware of these earlier writers until after they were themselves published. That too makes for some interesting hypotheses on what made them want to write in the first place. And the wide range of subjects and styles in which these earlier women wrote is extremely interesting, as is the mixture of genres.
-- Nellie McKay, University of Wisconsin-Madison