As part of the WPA Writer's Project, a number of gifted young authors such as Ralph Ellison, Dorothy West and Vivian Morris, created a vibrant record of Harlem's daily life, nightlife and intellectual scene. Lost for decades in the vaults of The Library of Congress, here for the first time are richly atmospheric essays detailing an exciting place, an evocative period and a wonderfully diverse collection of people. Visit with fish vendors, war veterans, Pullman porters, prostitutes, and countless others. Come listen to the memorable sounds of swing music, the singing and shouting of church choirs, and the lonely plea of mournful laundry workers who sing while they work to pass the time while they toil.
