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Examines the relationship between “The Biglow Papers,” by James Russell Lowell and the Simple sketches by Langston Hughes. Role of both works as part of the American literary tradition of the crackerbox philosopher; Ways in which both works deal extensively with the problem or race relations; Journalistic origins of the characters; Treatment of relatives in the works.

The article presents a list of academic papers on African American literature. The articles include "Sandra Maria Esteves' Nuyorican Poetics: The Dignifying Difference," by Miriam DeCosta Willis, "Sacred Relics in Cane and Home to Harlem," by Ronald Dorris, "The Honeysuckle and the Camellia: A Reader-Response Theory of Literary Interpretation," by Samuel B. Garren, "Du Bois, Conrad and the Luminous Darkness," by Dolan Hubbard.

The article discusses the scholarly uses of the digital extension of the Eugene B. Redmond Collection of disparate material from mainly African American literary figures from the 1970s through the 2000s. Topics covered include the literary journal "Drumvoices" manuscripts, posters, and photographs contained in the Collection, and the easier access to specific information therein afforded by digitization. Also noted are tools for creating free or low-budget digital collections online.

The author discusses the use of blogs to facilitate student voices and interaction on African American literature. Topics covered include her classroom teaching experiences, her creation of a blog which led to a community where creative contributions of students received public exposure, and a blog's enabling of online sharing of thoughts and of combining traditional practices and technology. Also noted are ways in which teachers can integrate blogging in everyday classes.

An essay is presented on the embedding of the African American sports narrative in the Harlem Renaissance. Topics discussed include the dignified view of the play of African American athletes within a segregationist order from the1840s onwards, the legacy of black baseball players, boxers, and the Harlem Globetrotters basketball group, and the rise and fall of black entrepreneurship. Also noted are the emergence of African American literature in the1920s and of racial integration in the 1960s.