Radical vision A biography of Lorraine Hansberry

Colbert (Black Movements), professor of African American studies and performing arts at Georgetown University, sheds light in this sweeping account of playwright Lorraine Hansberry (1930--1965) as an artist and Black radical. Colbert argues that Hansberry, who died at age 35 of cancer, has been misrepresented as a "liberal darling rather than a radical" since the success of her 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun. To that end, Colbert focuses on her other works as a journalist, short story writer, as well as playwright, and convincingly shows that Hansberry was far from a one-hit wonder. The author analyzes one of Hansberry's last plays, What Use Are Flowers, seeing it as a contemplation on materialism and the value of art; chronicles how Hansberry "marched on picket lines" and "spoke on street corners in Harlem"; and surveys how Hansberry's work engaged with philosophical ideas in her era, such as existentialism and absurdism (which she saw as an "indulgent reprieve" for many of her male contemporaries). "For Hansberry," Colbert writes, "the theater provided a space to investigate how illusions inform humans' ability to make material changes." This scholarly biography hits the mark as a fresh and timely portrait of an influential playwright. Photos. (Apr.)

Lorraine Hansberry, the playwright best known for her masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun, comes alive in this comprehensive biography. Colbert (African American studies and performing arts, Georgetown Univ.) pulls from Hansberry's distinctly separate public and private lives to produce a fully formed portrait of this brilliant, complex woman. Born in 1930, Hansberry understood the work it took to achieve racial justice from an early age, when her family moved into a predominantly white Chicago neighborhood. Her move to New York City in 1950 marked the beginning of her writing career as well as her deeper involvement in civil rights. Colbert illustrates how Hansberry's firsthand experience of suffering as a Black woman influenced her writing. The influences of existentialism and feminism, as well as her role as a lesbian and wife, defined her radical vision for racial justice in the U.S. Hansberry's marriage to Robert Nemiroff and friendships with James Baldwin and Nina Simone are just some of the many illuminating aspects of this vivid biography. VERDICT A scholarly yet accessible account of the life of a singular American artist and activist. Recommended for enthusiasts of American literature, and anyone who is interested in learning more about this transformational woman, whose vision for the country is as relevant today as ever.--Megan Duffy, Glen Ridge P.L., NJ