A broad artistic movement of the 1920s and early '30s, the Harlem Renaissance was one of the most productive eras in American literary history. Concentrating on the literary side of the movement - the writers, works, periodicals, editors, publishers, critics, and related topics - Encyclopedia of the Harlem Literary Renaissance provides authoritative coverage and unique insight into the literature of the Harlem Renaissance. More than 1,000 concise, A-to-Z entries detail the historical relevance of the subject and explain how the writer, work, or idea helped fundamentally reshape American literature. The author draws on historical studies, biographies, literary criticism, and primary materials, including letters and diaries of such Harlem Renaissance figures as Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston. The book also includes a list of works by Harlem Renaissance writers and a list of archives with holdings related to the Harlem Renaissance.

"Harlem Renaissance, includes entries on the major topics, authors and works of the period complete with reprinted full-text literary criticism. Volume 1 features an introduction and a descriptive chronology of events and entries on five major topics related to the movement. Volumes 2 and 3 include 33 entries on the major literary figures and their works from the period. These entries include a biographical/critical introduction, a complete bibliography of the author's works and full-text reprinted criticism about the author or individual works. The set also includes author, title and subject indexes; and more.