author
Carl Van Vechten
1880–1964
A lively figure in early 20th-century American culture, this writer moved from journalism and criticism into novels and, later, photography. He is especially remembered for championing many artists of the Harlem Renaissance while building a career that stirred both admiration and debate.
7 Audiobooks
The Merry-Go-Round
by Carl Van Vechten
Interpreters
by Carl Van Vechten
The Music of Spain
by Carl Van Vechten
Music after the great war, and other studies
by Carl Van Vechten
The blind bow-boy
by Carl Van Vechten
Peter Whiffle : His life and works
by Carl Van Vechten
Music and bad manners
by Carl Van Vechten
About the author
Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 17, 1880, Carl Van Vechten studied at the University of Chicago and then built his early career as a journalist and critic. He became known for writing about music, dance, and theater, bringing an energetic curiosity to the arts at a time when American cultural life was rapidly changing.
In the 1920s, he published several novels and became closely connected with the Harlem Renaissance, supporting and promoting Black writers, musicians, and performers. His 1926 novel Nigger Heaven brought him wide attention and lasting controversy, which remains part of how his work is discussed today.
Later in life, Van Vechten turned increasingly to photography and created thousands of portraits of major cultural figures. He also served as the literary executor of Gertrude Stein. He died in New York City on December 21, 1964, leaving behind a body of work that links literature, criticism, and portrait photography in a distinctive way.