African American Studies

NOTES ON THE PORO IN LIBERIA and MASKS AS AGENTS OF SOCIAL CONTROL IN NORTHEAST LIBERIA.
by George W. Harley
(Hardcover)
Ethnos Publications, 2001

These two seminal studies by Dr. George Way Harley are the basis of our present day knowledge of the Poro men's secret society of West Africa and of masks and masking traditions in Liberia. Harley, a physician, traveled to Liberia from Durham, N.C., in 1926, cutting his way through the bush when there were no roads. He established a clinic at Ganta in Mano country near the Guinea border, and ministered to the needs of the people in the region for over three decades. Because of the trust placed in him by Poro secret society initiates, and through his anthropological training at Harvard, he slowly accumulated an immense knowledge and deep insight into the otherwise impenetrable secrets of the Poro.

Nearly impossible to find in their original, these classic works are presented together in this facsimile reprint. The two papers have been bound together… Read More

Book Description: Harper & Row, New York, NY, 1989.
1st edition, 1st printing with full number line. Book Condition: FINE. Pages are clean and bright, binding tight. Text is bright and unmarked. Not remaindered. SIGNED, DATED and INSCRIBED by Abernathy on the half-title page: "To: Mr. Leon Davis — Keep Strong, Be Well and Pursue Happiness. Thanks for all you have done to advance the cause of freedom. God Bless You — Ralph David Abernathy 11-9-89". Dust Jacket Condition: FAIR/GOOD. DJ shows some wear, wrinkling to edges. .75 inch closed tear to bottom front spine edge, .25 inch closed chip to top back spine edge. But no major damage. Not price clipped. 16 pages of great black and white photos. 638 ppgs. Please feel free to email with any questions. Book will be carefully wrapped and shipped in a box.

Chicago: Univ. Of Chicago Press, 1935. Winner of the first Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, in 1936. Near Fine, light soiling. Association Copy, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR on front end page - "To Commissioner L. D. White (p.221) Harold F. Gosnell". Gosnell cites White's "Prestige Value of Public Employment" (Chicago 1929) at page 221. Uncommon SIGNED. . SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR. First Edition. Cloth. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Association Copy.

Wilberforce, Ohio: Payne Theological Seminary. Very Good. 1942. First Edition. Hardcover. Clean green cloth with slightly faded gilt title. Rubbed edges; Interior of text is tight, clean & intact. Inscribed by the author. Afro-American, Religion; 8vo; 272 pages; Signed by Author .

Clinton, South Carolina : Jacobs Press, 1942. Poems in dialect that "explore the literary possibilities" of the "Gullah Negroes" of South Carolina, while at the same time being utterly clueless as to the the casual harm caused in that exploration. Excellent and unsentimental black and white photographs by Carl Julien provide subtle yet clear counterpoint . Near Fine, slight even toning, small bumps at corners, lacking the dust jacket. Photographic paper label front cover. . First Edition. Pebbled Cloth. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Heyward, Du Bose. The Country Bunny And The Little Gold Shoes. 1939 Houghton Mifflin First Edition, First Printing Thus. QUITE RARE in this first printing. No other printings listed. ILLUSTRATED BY MARJORIE FLACK. EXLIB. Good Condition/ No Dust Jacket Included. Library Bound. Bright red pictorial boards with red, green, and gold ornamentation. Plot Summary: "With twenty-one baby bunnies to look after, mother bunny Cottontail abandons her dream of becoming an Easter Bunny. But when Grandfather Bunny spies her perfectly behaved brood, he's so impressed that he makes Cottontail the most important Easter Bunny of all!"

Braamfontein, South Africa: Ravan Press, 1982. 1st edition. Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket (as issued). VG. 4to, 48pp, stapled wrappers. Scarce 1982 issue of this important multiracial South African literary magazine. Includes work by a vast number of writers. Unmarked copy, clean with minor creasing.

Braamfontein, South Africa: Ravan Press, 1982. 1st edition. Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket (as issued). VG+. 4to, 48pp, stapled wrappers. Scarce 1982 issue of this important multiracial South African literary magazine. Includes work by a vast number of writers. Unmarked copy, clean with light wear.

The Easton Press, 1990. 2 Vols. Collector's Edition. Illustrated by Richard Sparks. Hardcover. Issued without dust jacket. Used - Fine, Like New condition. Appears unopened / unread. Bindings and text blocks are tight, bright, crisp, and clean with no ownership markings or bookplates. Bound in full (genuine) leather with hubbed spine. Embossed in 22kt gold on the spine and front and back covers. Heavy duty binding boards. Printed on acid-neutral, archival paper with gilded edges. Smyth sewn with concealed muslin joints, and permanent satin ribbon marker. Photos are of the copy we have at Barbed Wire Books.
A gorgeous gift set!

One World, 2021-11-16. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. 9x6x1. Signed. SIGNED IN PERSON BY NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES and comes with 2 photos from the event. Signed directly to the half-title print in bold black marker; NOT personalized. A lovely 6th printing in unread near fine condition. Expedited shipping is welcome; signed by author.

Smith, Lillian. Strange Fruit. Reynal & Hitchcock, 1944 1st. Edition, Stated 23rd Printing Thus. BANNED BOOK. USED. VG/VG Dust jacket. Author photo back panel. Now protected in a mylar wrap. About this book: Strange Fruit is a 1944 bestselling novel debut by American author Lillian Smith that dealt with the then-forbidden and controversial theme of interracial romance. The title was originally "Jordan is so Chilly", with Smith later changing the title to Strange Fruit.

New York : Exposition Press, 1976. 3rd Printing. Hardcover. Fair/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Octavo. 151 pages. Hardcover bound in black cloth. The binding is rubbed and shows some smudging. Edges are lightly bumped. The text block is slightly uneven. The inner hinges are secure. There is a small liquid stain at the bottom corner of the front end paper. Previous owner's address sticker also on the front end paper. The pages at the rear of the book are creased at the top corners.

This is a first edition printing - the author's desk copy (noted by the author on the first flyleaf and top of title page. The author has made notations throughout the book - in pencil. This volume is one of three which grew out of a study of Black culture on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. This book deals with certain major aspects of dialect, folk songs, and folklore. The section on dialect attempts to describe the Gullah dialect traits. Condition problems: Book is cocked. Cover corner tips are slightly bumped. Shelf wear on top and bottom of spine. Binding beginning to separate but remains tight.

Book cover shows modest shelf wear - pages clean, bright and unmarked, light wrinkle to lower corner of pages – spine solid and undamaged.
Ex-library copy containing light stamps and/or stickers, no pockets.
No dust jacket issued with this book.
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'The impressive array of scholars gathered in this collection, all experts in the field, read the plays with nuance and situate them deftly within their cultural and historical contexts. Scholars of contemporary theater and drama and of African American literature will find value in this engaging collection.' Choice
'For students and scholars of American theatre and drama generally and African American theatre and drama most particularly, this is an extremely valuable critical source.' Harry Elam, Stanford University, USA
In the last fifty years, American and World theatre has been challenged and enriched by the rise to prominence of numerous female… Read More

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. First Edition. Published 1945 by Hougton Mifflin, Boston/The Riverside Press, Cambridge- "Material gathered by Workers of the Works Progress Administration, Louisiana Writers Project, and Sponsored by by The Louisiana State Library Commission". Front cover includes statement: "Here are stories that make New Orleans a legend anong cities- The Zulu Parade, the Macabre Night of the Axeman's Jazz, the Needle Men, and the Irish Channel". dRed cloth covered boards with title in black on front cover and spine. Jacket is still bright but has chips along top bottom edges, and spine. Original price of 5.00 on inside flap- statement at bottom: "A Wartime Book This Complete Edition is Produced In Full Compliance With the Government's Regulations for Preserving Paper and Other Essential Materials". Interior pages are clean with foxing expected from wartime paper. A very nice rare copy.