Not Without Laughter

I. Storm II. Conversation III. Jimboy's Letter IV. Thursday Afternoon V. Guitar VI. Work VII. White Folks VIII. Dance IX. Carnival X. Punishment XI. School XII. Hard Winter XIII. Christmas XIV. Return XV. One by One XVI. Nothing but Love XVII. Barber-Shop XVIII. Children's Day XIX. Ten Dollars and Costs XX. Hey, Boy! XXI. Note to Harriett XXII. Beyond the Jordan XXIII. Tempy's House XXIV. A Shelf of Books XXV. Pool Hall XXVI. The Doors of Life XXVII. Beware of Women XXVIII. Chicago XXIX. Elevator XXX. Princess of the Blues

Langston Hughes (1902-1967), a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance and one of the most influential and esteemed writers of the twentieth century, was born in Joplin, Missouri, and spent much of his childhood in Kansas before moving to Harlem. Among his other awards and honors were a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Rosenwald Fellowship, and a grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hughes published more than thirty-five books, including works of poetry, short stories, novels, an autobiography, musicals, essays, and plays.

Angela Flournoy (introduction) was a finalist for the National Book Award for her debut novel, The Turner House. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, and she has written nonfiction for many publications, including The New York Times, The Nation, and the Los Angeles Times. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Flournoy was raised in Southern California by a mother from Los Angeles and a father from Detroit.

Not Without Laughteris a debut in the best of ways: it covers uncharted territory, it compels its readers to see part of the world anew, and it prizes exploration over pat conclusion
An eye-opening portrait of the artist as a young black man in the Midwest
A lyrical, charming and moving story of a black Midwestern boy