Images in the River - (Afro-Texans) by Cynthia Davis & Verner D Mitchell (Hardcover)

About the Book

The first history of Harlem Renaissance poet William Waring Cuney, containing 100 of his poems, many never before collected or published

Book Synopsis

The poet William Waring Cuney (1906-1976) hails from an
illustrious Afro-Texan family whose members include the charismatic politician
Norris Wright Cuney (1846-1898) and his daughter, Maud Cuney Hare (1874-1936),
the concert pianist and writer. Waring Cuney's maternal line, after whom he was
named, was equally eminent.

Cuney was born and raised in Washington, DC, just a few
blocks from Howard University where three generations of his family studied.
Despite his privileged upbringing among the city's Black elite, Cuney embraced
his family's passionate commitment to racial uplift and civil rights; in
exploring the relationship between African Americans and their environment, he
was thus able to transmute into two books of poetry a broad cross section of
African American life; his poems and songs explore the lives of jazz musicians,
athletes, domestic and railway workers, women and children, blues singers,
prisoners, sharecroppers, and soldiers. In addition, Cuney published in all the
major Harlem Renaissance journals and anthologies alongside the luminaries of
the period, many of whom were good friends.

Through 100 of his best poems, many never before collected or
published, and a detailed biographical monograph, Images in the River: The Life
and Work of Waring Cuney introduces readers to a newly recovered Harlem
Renaissance poet, and to the history of a remarkable American family.

Review Quotes

"In assembling Cuney's poems and delving into his biography, [authors Verner D.] Mitchell and [Cynthia] Davis aim to restore the poet to a central position among Harlem Renaissance writers. . . . In the process, they have recovered a complex family story that offers a window into Texas history." --Robyn Ross, Texas Monthly, April 15, 2024