Pure Poetry: Women of the Harlem Renaissance

6 poets from a fabled time in American creativity

The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was a fertile decade for Black creators of all kinds — writers, musicians, playwrights, actors, and artists. A number of women rose to prominence, especially in the literary realms of playwriting, fiction, and especially poetry.

In her introduction to Shadowed Dreams: Women’s Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance, editor Ma…