If you want to read some really deep and powerful insights into the human condition, check out "Mary Winowsky" (written when LH was in HIGH SCHOOL!), "The Gun," Fine Accomodations," "One Friday Morning," "The Little Virgin," "The Young Glory of Him." These stories will make you weep and think about the everyday people you pass in the street and wonder about the stories they may have inside of them. This book should be in EVERY literature class!

This book tells more than just what it is to be Black, it says a lot about being human.

THIS BOOK IS TRULY A MASTERPIECE!I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED LANGSTON HUGHES WHETHER IT WAS HIS POETRY OR HIS SHORT STORIES. HE WAS A VERY INTELLIGIENT MIND(WHAT A BRILLIANT MAN). R.I.P. MY DEAR LANGSTON!

I have recently taken on the project of reading all the classic novels I was suppose to care about in high school and college. I started with Langston Hughes.
I found the introduction to this book most helpful in understanding where Mr. Hughes was writing from. It is odd how little has changed from pre WWII society to today. If you are looking for a wonderful look into the African American mind and world, this is the book to read. Such a vast array of different stories, form merchant steamer to Harlem to South America, this book has it all. I especially recommend you to spend time reading "Cora Unashamed" I read it four times in the first sitting and have now revisited it a number of times finding hidden colors and tones that are remarkable.

I had read several Hughes poems before buying this book, but I will admit that I had no grasp on the extent of his talent. These vivid poems were chosen by Hughes personally before his death in 1967.

They do so well to paint a picture of the time he lived -- of the blues, of love, of passion, of choices. He writes about faith and protest in a way that will move you.

I have read all of the poems exactly as they are placed in the book several times. I think I keep going back to them because this is poetry free of pretense -- it is grounded in reality and in sorrow.

Independent of age, of your ethnicity, and of your literary grasp, you will enjoy these poems. Simple and superb -- read them out loud.

"Selected Poems of Langston Hughes" is a rich selection from several decades of this poet's work. Hughes (1902-1967) is a poet of many moods and voices. His work is at times mournful, humorous, sensuous, or ironic. Many poems capture the rhythms of African-American vernacular speech. A number of narrative poems tell stories of Black life, and a number of his best poems feature female speakers. He also writes poems of social protest that deal with the anti-Black violence that has plagued the United States for so much of its history.

The poems in this book are divided into several sections. One of my favorite such sections, "Feet of Jesus," contains poems which evoke the prayers, preaching, and religious songs of African-American churches. "Madam to You" contains a number of poems in which Alberta K. Johnson tells her story. A strong-willed entrepreneur who often challenges authority figures, "Madam" is one of the most delightful characters in African-American literature.

The other sections of the book contain many of Hughes' most memorable poems: the sensuous "Midnight Dancer" ("Lips / Sweet as purple dew"), "Mother to Son" ("Life for me ain't been no crystal stair"), "Theme for English B" ("I am the only colored student in my class"), and "I, Too" ("I, too, sing America. / I am the darker brother").

The lines I quoted from "I, Too" may call to mind Walt Whitman's great American poem "Leaves of Grass." Indeed, I consider Hughes to be one of the great 20th century poetic heirs of Whitman, and "Selected Poems" is a magnificent testament to Hughes' passion and vision.

Langston Hughes wrote poetry of exquisite pain and beauty throughout his life. His poetry can be sparse and rhythmic. It evinces visions of cities, the south, churches and deep muddy rivers.

Hughes touches on every subject important to life in 20th century America: family, friends, race, religion,love, music, prejudice and poverty. Each poem sparingly provides an image in words. Together these poems represent the great work of a true artist of the American Poetry.

One of his most popular and poignant poems is Harlem. It contains such beauty in his phrase - "a dream deferred" and such power in his words or does it explode?

I recommend this highly to anyone interested in modern poets and poetry.

Since April is National Poetry Month, this would be a nice gift for a child who loves poetry. Langston Hughes died the year I was born, 1967 but his writing will live on through this book of poetry.

Hughes poems express the feelings and experiences of us all. He is well known for the poetry showing the joys and pain of African-American people. His love of writing began with his love of reading. As a lonely child, he was comforted by reading. His first poem was published in Cleveland. He continued to write over 800 poems.

The Dream Keeper is a collection of poems just for kids. I love the poem entitled: The Kids in School with Me. In this poem he describes American kids from many races (Polish, Spanish, Russian, Grecian, Chinese) and how America is made up of "Every race beneath the sun, But our motto for graduation was: One for All and All for One!"

I enjoyed this poem because it shows so well that there is room for everyone, no matter what race. I think this poem promotes social harmony and has a wonderful "sing-song" type rhyme to it.

"And the kid across from me-Just American kids together-The kids in school with me."

Another book I love is called: Tides of Memory. It is a wonderful book of poems for adults which truly will make you realize how human we all are. It explores all aspects of life.

The Dream Keeper and Other Poems is essential for anybody trying to share the beauty of Langston Hughes with children. The poems in this collection rank among Hughes' finest. Pinkney's illustrations compliment the imagery of the poetry wonderfully. Children and adults will become true Langston Hughes fans after reading this introductory book.

As the sequel to "The Big Sea", Mr.Hughes again speaks the language of a poet so well that he makes the reading of his life seem like a first-person experience. After his travels on several ships and the taste of his first successes(and failures), he simply explores and writes: of Paris, Russia, and Cuba, and shares his experiences with the reader. His writing is so rich and vivid that he makes every location in the world seem like poetry in motion. This book and "The Big Sea" should definitely be on reading lists everywhere-or, if you have a friend or relative who feels like they're a "wandering spirit", these books would make great gifts. Mr.Hughes touches on everything human: from the strained relationship with his father to the blatant racism he encounters everyday; to the women he becomes fond of and his neverending thirst for experience and knowledge; to the countless sights of wonder in the world that one never sees when they are ignorant. Beautiful writing by a true poet.

IN THIS BOOK , MR. HUGHES REALLY OPENS UP AND LETS THE READER INTO HIS WORLD. IT IS NOT HARD TO IMAGINE BEING IN THE PLACES THAT HE DESCRIBES. THE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS POP OUT AT YOU. THIS BOOK IS AN ENJOYABLE READ

This book has 425 pages in. It is wonderful and full of energy. It starts with one of Hughes poems and leads you down the ailes. The book is interesting, to the point and gives you enough information to find out more about how great Hughes is. I loved reading it and it gives you so much information to help you fully get to know Mr. Hughes. It is long but worth reading every page of it. I highly recommend reading this book.

I thought this was a very interesting book. It is VERY well written, I recomend it!

This is a great for every reader. It's a book you can and will read from again AND AGAIN. Hughes' diverse body of work is well represented here. The works, like his career, span decades and reflect the passage of time.

The book is full of terrific Hughes pieces. Humor, political commentary, current events. There's something for everybody. Hughes' work is always engaging and always interesting. He deals with questions that remain vibrant today. Even when addressing serious or dark topics, Hughes' intellect, curiosity, and wit bring light to the reader. Buy it now!

No other writer in America has been as "on-the-mark" with the pulse of Black America than Langston Hughes. Sometimes humerous, often touching, but, most often, hard-hitting and reflective, Hughes wrote from his experience as well as the experiences of what it is to be black in America. All of his significant works are here: the "Simple stories," the epic "Montage to a Dream Deferred," poems designed chiefly for children, plus articles and speeches made in his later years.

The book is a must for those who appreciate well-crafted prose and poetry.

Hughes ranks up there with Shakespeare, Hugo, Poe, and others as one of the giants of literature.

I cannot stress enough how much I like this book, and all of Langston Hughes' writings. He is my favorite author, poet, playright and I always enjoy his work. No mattter what race you are (I myself happen to be white), you should be able to realize the social importance of all of Langston Hughes' work. This particular book really sheds light on the plight of so many black people that really isn't tought to young people. The progression that all the characters make in this book is really written quite well. I liked the fact that the book took place over a long period of time. Also, there are some events and plots that are unexpected, but definitely realistic.

I had to read a book for a book report due in a week. I was beginning to feel hopeless before I stumbled onto this in the library. Langston Hughes is an amazing Writer and poet. This was the first of his novels that I have read and I think it couldn't have been more perfect. This book is so rich in its characters and Hughes shows no mercy in telling of the bittersweet culture that engulfs the world of Sandy and his family. After reading this book, the beauty of this people was more evident than ever before. With words that are lovely and flowing and thoughts that are deep and abundant, Hughes is a person whom I wish was still with us.

Despite his considerable output of poetry, short stories and autobiographical work, this is Langston Hughes' only novel. It is the tremendously crafted story of Sandy, a black child of the 1920s in rural Kansas. In poignant tightly written chapters, Hughes' depicts various events in Sandy's life often slipping into the perspective of those closest to him. Sandy lives most his life with his strong-willed and deeply religious grandmother Aunt Hager. She is a benevolent woman who desires peaceful racial relations despite the overwhelming amount of racism and discrimination professed by both white and black community members. Sandy's mother Annjee is a loving and hard working woman eternally devoted to her husband Jimboy who is a good hearted man constantly on the move. Sandy's aunt Tempy is a well-off woman trying to immerse herself in white society and denigrating her own race in the process. His other aunt Harriett is a wilful woman who turns from the church for a different kind of existence. Through these expertly drawn characters, Sandy views their examples and he must make the choices that will effect his future. The novel is a tremendous chronicle of the struggle of a family to survive financially. It gives accounts of the psychological dilemma created by growing in a racially divided society and the diffuse joy in life that can be found even in troubling circumstances.

Maya Angelou wrote of Not Without Laughter: "This book was written when preachers had to be poets and poets were preachers, because they needed to be available to all the people all the time." The messages this novel gives are not subtle. But, through its varied perspectives and eloquently written prose, it envelops the issues it preaches with emotionally edifying ideas. It leaves the reader with a feeling of deep connection to all the characters, particularly the beautiful Sandy in whom we invest our hope and trust to fulfil his potential to become a good, intelligent and strong man who does not feel limited by his racial heritage despite any restrictions society may attempt to place for him. Although it may be a shame that Hughes never wrote another novel as he aptly demonstrated his skill in this one, Not Without Laughter stands as shining work be a skilled artist.

If you want Langston Hughes poems for a class or for personal use/reference, look no further. 860 poems puts you firmly in the completist category of Hughes's poetic output, so go ahead and fill out your library with this edition. A necessary buy for poets, teachers of literature of any stripe, and history buffs of the 20s through the 60s.

This is one of America's poets. Like Robert Frost or Billy Collins all should own and read Langston Hughes.

It is easy to take for granted how much of American culture has its roots in African-American culture, especially literature and music. If you are looking for an example of this notion, you have come to the right place. Langston Hughes's poetry is steeped in Jazz rhythms and social consciousness; it is, at the same time, an assertion of black civil rights and an astute observation of black (and, by extension, American) cultural awareness. In short, it is "must reading" for anyone with an interest in any of these areas.

It's a big book, certainly not something one can devour in a single sitting. Then, again, one wouldn't want to; this is a collection of poems to savor and reflect upon.

Hughes, from this book at least, seems to have a very simple yet honest style. From his writing we can easily tel he is a revolutionary writers even though he never states it. He sides with the african americans and describes them as being more humane then their white social superiors. The book is very good but his style is a bit bland for my taste.

Sitting at about 225p paper back for 10$ its an overpriced book. I payed 12 for mine, but it was for school so i hadnt the time to argue over the consumer's pretty pennies of fortune. 10 is cheaper than mine, but a paper back thats less than 350 pages should be over 6$ in my opinion. Plus Langeston is dead, so it's jsut going over to whomever has the rights to his work. Quite greedy of them, no?

Langston Hughes's work is a masterpiece at it's best. Any true fan of Langston should explore this fantastic journey of words driven by an absolute genius.

Before reading this book of short stories, I knew practically nothing about Hughes, other than that he was famous for being one of the first black American writers to develop a style of writing which directly reflected the uniqueness of the Afro-American experience.

Reading this collection, however, introduced me for the first time to the mind of a truly great observer, thinker, and communicator. Hughes achieved something which is very important in the now overly politicized climate of race: he documented not only the confounding and hostile conditions which blacks had to endure in the early 20th century, but he understood the white culture as well. Through the eyes of the shrewd and empathetic Hughes, these stories read not so much as indictments of white racism as they do as the clashes of two dramatically different cultures.

To be sure, Hughes does not pull any punches when describing the hostility, condescension, and apathy of whites towards blacks during the Great Depression. These stories are glimpses into a world when overt racism was not only condoned, it was institutionalized as part of the American fabric. But despite the awful conditions for black people at the time, I never got the sense that Hughes was writing to express any personal rage or contempt for white people. He seems to present each heartbreaking scenario as an absurd juxtaposition between two disparate cultures. Instead of taking the easy road by presenting whites as evil, he makes them out to be a paranoid, anal retentive, soulless lot who don't know how to enjoy themselves. Unlike many contemporary discussions of race which tend to oversimplify the complex problems we face, Hughes's stories paint the clash between blacks and whites with deep humanity, empathy, nuance, and even humor.

Stylistically, he certainly belongs to the canon of outstanding 20th century American writers, black and white. He was no mere experimentalist (as I had previously thought), but rather a well schooled craftsman who did his homework first, and then did his own thing with it.

But aside from all my amateur literary criticm, I would like to mention that I simply could not put this book down. These stories are a gift!

This book helps children make the transition in reading poetry from the beloved Dr. Suess to reading more sophisticated writing. My children loved the rhymes, and related to the stories. Like Robert Louis Stevenson in A Child's Garden of Verses, Langston Hughes captures childhood in his verses. Many current writers of children's poetry appeal to children using gross stories of bodily functions and gum in the hair. Langston Hughes gives kids more credit than that, but still appeals to children. What kid hasn't wanted to look down on "those stuck up clowns" in real life? This book was entertaining, and made my children want to hear more from this author.

This book is a wonderful tribute to one of America's finest poets. The book appeals to both children and adults. The poems are whimsical and fun. In my own classroom, the children list these poems as some of their favorites. The art work inspires my students to achieve as much as they can in their own art work. The introduction and afterward provide the reader with a history of the Harlem art's movement and Langston Hughes' contribution to this movement. The information provided could be shared with children, however it is written for advanced readers. Overall, this book is one of the most well thought out books that I have seen.

Although I enjoyed this book as a Langston Hughes fan, I was not sure that the children's artwork and Hughes' poetry would be appreciated by children. However, my 5-yr-old clearly responds to the rhyming text and enjoys the art. I've overheard him reciting lines from this book by memory. The rhythym is soothing and the children's art is charming. This is not Hughes at his most profound- (couldn't he have chosen "walrus" to star on the "w" page instead of a white mouse?) and does not teach kids much about the alphabet ("m" is for monkey, but we never hear that word in the poem, instead the monkey's name- "jocko"), but it will appeal to their sense of rhyme and whimsy. I'm leaving it 5 stars because of the beautiful art and catchy poems.