Dorothy West facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy West
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| Born | June 2, 1907 Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | August 16, 1998 (aged 91) Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Occupation | Novelist, short story writer, columnist |
| Notable works | The Living Is Easy (1948); The Wedding (1995) |
Dorothy West (born June 2, 1907 – died August 16, 1998) was an American writer. She wrote stories and short stories during a special time called the Harlem Renaissance. She is most famous for her 1948 book, The Living Is Easy. This book, along with her other stories and essays, was about the lives of wealthy Black families.
Contents
Early Life and First Stories
Dorothy West was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 2, 1907. She was the only child of Isaac Christopher West and Rachel Pease Benson. Her father was born into slavery but became a successful businessman. Her mother came from a large family. The famous poet Helene Johnson was her cousin.
Dorothy later wrote that Black people in Boston learned early on to deal with challenges. Her mother taught her and her cousins to be proud. She would tell them, "Come on, children, let's go out and drive the white folks crazy." This was a funny way to help them feel strong. It helped them face a world that was not always kind.
Dorothy reportedly wrote her first story when she was just seven years old. Her first story to be printed was "Promise and Fulfillment." It appeared in The Boston Post when she was 14. She was inspired by a writing contest in the NAACP magazine, Crisis. She won several writing contests in her hometown. Dorothy went to Girls' Latin school and later studied at Boston University and the Columbia University School of Journalism.
In 1926, she won second place in a writing contest. This contest was held by Opportunity magazine. Her winning story was called "The Typewriter." She shared second place with another future famous writer, Zora Neale Hurston. "The Typewriter" was even printed in a book called The Best Short Stories of 1926. This book also featured stories by famous writers like Ernest Hemingway.
Between 1928 and 1930, some of Dorothy's other early writings were printed. They appeared in Saturday Evening Quill, a small magazine she helped start.
The Harlem Renaissance Years
Before winning the Opportunity contest, Dorothy West moved to Harlem, New York. She moved with her cousin, Helene Johnson. In Harlem, she met many other writers of the Harlem Renaissance. This was a time when Black artists, writers, and musicians created amazing works. She met famous people like Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Dorothy said in 1995, "We didn't know it was the Harlem Renaissance, because we were all young and all poor."
Langston Hughes gave Dorothy the nickname "The Kid." She was known by this name during her time in Harlem. In 1932, she traveled to Russia with Langston Hughes and other African Americans. They went for a film project about race relations in America. This trip later gave her ideas for an essay she wrote in 1985. The film project was stopped, and she returned to the United States after a year. She came back because her father had passed away.
During the Great Depression, Dorothy West started her own magazine called Challenge. She began it with just $40 in 1934. The last issue came out in 1937. She also published a short-lived magazine called New Challenge. This magazine printed important essays and stories by writers like Richard Wright, Margaret Walker, and Ralph Ellison.
Becoming a Novelist and Journalist
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After working on her magazines, Dorothy West found a steady job. She worked for the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writers' Project until the mid-1940s. During this time, she wrote many short stories for the New York Daily News. She was the first Black writer to have her work published there.
In 1947, she moved to her family's home in Oak Bluffs. This was on Martha's Vineyard, where she had spent summers before. There, she wrote her first novel, The Living Is Easy. The story was about a young girl from the South who wanted a fancy, upper-class life. It used humor to make fun of wealthy Black families. The book was published in 1948 and received good reviews. However, it did not sell many copies. A reviewer from The New York Times said it was a "housewifey novel." They meant it looked at life from the point of view of women in their homes.
For the next 40 years, Dorothy West worked as a journalist. She mainly wrote for a small newspaper on Martha's Vineyard. In 1948, she started a weekly column about the people, events, and nature of Oak Bluffs.
In 1982, a publisher called The Feminist Press reprinted The Living Is Easy. This brought new attention to Dorothy West and her important role in the Harlem Renaissance. She was also included in a book called Daughters of Africa in 1992. Because of this new interest, Dorothy West finished her second novel at age 85. It was called The Wedding. The story takes place over a weekend on Martha's Vineyard. It tells the history of a rich Black family over many years. She dedicated the book to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was an editor at her publisher, Doubleday.
The Wedding was published in 1995 and was very popular. A review said, "West's first novel in 45 years is a triumph." It became a best-seller. This led to a collection of her short stories and memories called The Richer, the Poorer. This book had 30 stories, including 11 that had never been printed before. The New York Times reviewer said to enjoy her clear writing style. Later, Oprah Winfrey's company made The Wedding into a two-part TV show in 1998.
Later Years and Passing
Filmmaker Salem Mekuria made two documentaries about Dorothy West. One was called Our Place in the Sun (1988), about the Black community on Martha's Vineyard. The other was a film about Dorothy's life, As I Remember It: A Portrait of Dorothy West (1991). Both films were nominated for Emmy awards.
After becoming famous again, Dorothy was a celebrated person on Martha's Vineyard. Many important guests came to her 90th birthday party. These included Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Jessye Norman.
Two years before she passed away, Dorothy West won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. This award was for her lifetime of great writing.
Dorothy West passed away on August 16, 1998, at age 91. She died in Boston. She was one of the last living writers from the Harlem Renaissance. When asked what she wanted people to remember about her, she said: "That I hung in there. That I didn't say I can't."
Selected Writings
- The Living Is Easy (1948) – reissued by The Feminist Press, 1982
- The Wedding (1995)
- The Richer, the Poorer (1995)
Papers
- James Weldon Johnson Collection, Yale University
- Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University
Images for kids
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Dorothy West, a famous American writer.
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Dorothy West in 1981, looking thoughtful.
See also
In Spanish: Dorothy West para niños
