New World A-Coming

Reviews:  "Roi Ottley's anatomy of Harlem, the Negro capital of America, will probably be referred to as a dispassionate account.  The epithet will be correctly applied, but will be misleading.  It is true he doesn't rant, nor give way to a pitiful recital of the woes and wrongs of his races.  But there is no cool detachment here; Ottley presents a tragic and stormy picture with that extra accuracy that deep understanding and intense feeling give a trained, observant reporter."  A. C. Spectorsky. Book Week 15 Aug. 1943: 1.

"In depicting the color and rhythm of Harlem, Roi Ottley is at his best...Writing about this scene with zest, vitality and bright imagery, voicing their militant demand for a full share of 'democracy--cleansed and refreshed,' and expressing their faith in the ultimate realization of this demand."  H. L. Moon.  New Republic 6 Sept. 1943: 342.

"Mr. Ottley, who was born in New York and who has spent most of his life there, is one of the ablest of the younger negro writers.  He knows the racial scene intimately, and he writes about it with honesty, subtle humor, and a faint touch of ironic detachment.  One may have to disagree with his poetic premise that 'a new world is a-coming with a sweep and fury of the Resurrection,' but one must admit that he has portrayed well what the Negro thinks, how he behaves, and what he wants in that 'new work a-coming.'" G. B. Johnson.  Social Forces (Dec. 1943): 235.

Friedsam Memorial Library Call Number:
F128.9.N3 075 1943

Last updated: 05 December 2011