Why “Smoke, Lilies and Jade”?

Our previous #QueerHarlemRenaissance short, #CongoCabaret, depicted a gay-friendly cabaret described in the 1928 novel, Home to Harlem. I now want to turn my attention to the other important gay prose piece coming out of the Renaissance, “Smoke, Lilies and Jade.” SL&J was written by a talented young dilettante by the name of #RichardBruceNugent, the most openly gay writer of the Renaissance. His story is the first positive depiction of same-sex desire in American letters. For that reason alone it is remarkable, but it’s also beautifully written. As a rediscovered classic of early gay writing, it has been cited, mentioned and featured in all sorts of ways. Rodney Evans‘ film Brother to Brother. #IsaacJulien #LookingForLangston. #indiefilms #seedandspark


When we shot "Congo Cabaret," we interviewed the actors about the project, and they all professed astonishment that there was a queer presence in the Harlem Renaissance. "I didn't know," was the refrain. We have clips from interviews with Karen Obilom (@karenobilom), Darryl Stephens (@darrylstephens), Russell Richardson (@iamrussellr), Julio Marcelino (@juliobyme), Kevin Daniels (@kevindaniels27), and Parisa Fitz-Henley (@parisafitzhenley.

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Of the many visual artists born at the turn of the last century who came of age during the Harlem Renaissance, only one has been pegged (no pun intended!) as unambiguously gay -- Richmond Barthé. Perhaps because of this odd underrepresentation (I mean, isn't any boy who dabbles in the arts under suspicion?), the visual arts haven't figured much, or at all, in any inventory of the Queer Harlem Renaissance. (Not that there's been such an inventory, but rest assured, it's coming!)
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The Two Maids of Ethel Waters

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In 1950, the superstar singer and actor Ethel Waters checked off another box in her list of African American firsts when she starred in a weekly television series, Beulah. As the name indicates, Beulah was a maid whose raison d'être was to serve her white employers, "Mr. and Mrs. Henderson," and act as a nanny to their son, "Donnie." Although Waters brought as much warmth and humor as she could to the stereotype, the other Black characters portrayed were even flatter and more offensive: "Bill," the unemployed beau who is a braggart and a screw-up; and "Oriole," a ditzy maid (played by Butterfly McQueen, no less!) who works for the family next door.
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What Do We Do About Carlo?

By Dr. Robert Philipson • 13 Feb, 2024
In 1931, James P. Johnson wrote and recorded a song, "Go Harlem," extolling the extraordinary life of New York's Black Mecca. Among the lyrics: "Like Van Vechten/Start inspection'./Go Harlem!/Go Harlem!/Go Harlem/ Startin' right now." Carl Van Vechten, a white writer, music critic, journalist, photographer, and tastemaker, was such an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance that within the artistic and intellectual circles of the movement he needed no introduction. Hence, the lyric penned by the incomparable Andy Razaf.
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