“Smoke, Lilies, and Jade” Richard Bruce
Nugent(1926)
A daring, homoerotic story by RICHARD BRUCE
NUGENTpublished in the first and only issue of
FIRE!!Nugent’s story, which appeared in Novem-
ber 1926, is set in contemporary times and features
a number of Harlem Renaissance figures, including
PAULROBESON,LANGSTONHUGHES,and ZORA
NEALEHURSTON. Nugent also makes reference to
GEORGES GURDJIEFF,JEAN TOOMER,H. L.
MENCKEN, and COUNTEECULLEN, among others.
The story, which is infused throughout with
ellipses and staccato-like phrases, follows the mus-
ings of Alex, a fatherless male protagonist whose
itinerant life and immersion in the world of artists
and writers distresses his mother and family. Alex
enjoys his contacts with the colorful figures of the
Harlem Renaissance and distracts himself from his
distressing past, which includes the death of his fa-
ther, by imagining artistic projects. These include
crafting a portrait of Fania, a character clearly
based on FANIAMARINOFFVANVECHTEN, wife of
CARLVANVECHTEN, the man who photographed
so many Harlem Renaissance figures. Alex is at-
tracted to two different individuals, a woman
named Melva and an intriguing, seductive male
persona named Beauty. After physical encounters
with both, Alex concludes that “one couldlove two
at the same time.” The story ends without any
definitive choice on Alex’s part. Nugent signals
that the story itself is not over, noting that it is “To
Be Continued.” The cessation of Fire!!,however,
meant that Nugent was unable to publish addi-
tional installments of his story.
Bibliography
Wirth, Thomas. Gay Rebel of the Harlem Renaissance: Se-
lections from the Work of Richard Bruce Nugent.
Durham: Duke University Press, 2002.
“Snakes” Eric Walrond(1924)
A short story by ERICWALRONDthat provides a
glimpse of West Indian interactions in NEWYORK
CITY. Published in the February 1924 issue of THE
MESSENGER,the story is narrated by a figure who is
prompted to assert that Lloyd, the main character,
is a West Indian man because “[to] say this is vital
if I am to get over the idea of this sketch.” The
narrator then provides insights about Lloyd, a Ja-
maican man who fought for the British in France
and Mesopotamia before arriving in HARLEM. Dur-
ing the course of the two men’s evening stroll
through Harlem, they come across all sorts of gath-
erings including impromptu dances of the
Charleston on the street corner. Before long, the
two men come across a Haitian man who is
writhing on the street. The man, who complains
loudly of the snakes in his belly, offers Lloyd $200
for his help. Lloyd listens to the man’s story about
the loss of 300 gold coins, and the suspected
treachery of his wife and best friend. Believing
himself cursed by snakes, 300 of them, the man has
left Haiti for Harlem and is desperate to be rid of
the snakes that now plague his belly. Lloyd finally
takes the $200 and writes him a prescription for
“aloe and scrutcheoneel” that he may fill at a West
Indian apothecary nearby.
Walrond’s sketch, written in the form of a
local-color anecdote, is part of the substantial body
of literature on West Indian life in New York City.Bibliography
Parascandola, Louis, ed. Winds Can Wake Up the Dead:
An Eric Walrond Reader.Detroit: Wayne State Uni-
versity Press, 1998.Sorbonne
One of the oldest educational institutions in Eu-
rope, the Sorbonne is one of the 13 educational fa-
cilities that make up the University of Paris.
Founded in 1253, the University of Paris became
known first for its teachings of theology. In 1257,
French theologian Robert de Sorbon established
the Sorbonne, which was known originally as La
Communauté des Pauvres Maîtres Etudiants en
Théologie, (the community of poor scholars).
During the Harlem Renaissance, a number of
gifted scholars, artists, and writers studied in
FRANCEand at the Sorbonne. Dr. ANNAJULIA
COOPER, principal of the highly respected M
STREETHIGHSCHOOLin WASHINGTON, D.C., be-
came the first African-American woman to earn a
Ph.D. from the Sorbonne and the fourth woman of
color in America to earn the degree. Cooper, aged
65, wrote a dissertation entitled “The Attitude of
France on the Question of Slavery Between 1789484 “Smoke, Lilies, and Jade”