author
Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson
1875–1935
A vivid voice of the early Harlem Renaissance, this poet, journalist, and activist wrote with grace, sharp observation, and a strong sense of justice. Her work moves easily between lyric beauty and fearless engagement with race, gender, and public life.
2 Audiobooks
Violets and Other Tales
by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson
The Goodness of St. Rocque, and Other Stories
by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson
About the author
Born in New Orleans in 1875, Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson grew up in a richly mixed cultural world that shaped both her writing and her public work. She studied at Straight University, became a teacher while still very young, and began publishing early, earning notice for her poems and short fiction.
She went on to build a wide-ranging career as a poet, essayist, journalist, diarist, and editor. Often linked with the Harlem Renaissance, she wrote about love, identity, race, and the lives of Black Americans with intelligence and emotional precision. Her books include Violets and Other Tales, The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories, and Mine Eyes Have Seen.
Dunbar-Nelson was also deeply involved in political and civic life. She worked for racial justice and women's suffrage, gave lectures, organized in her community, and used journalism as another way to speak to the issues of her time. She died in Philadelphia in 1935, and her reputation has continued to grow as readers rediscover both her literary talent and her remarkable life.