Simples Uncle Sam

Langston Hughes's most beloved character comes back to life in this extraordinary collection Langston Hughes is best known as a poet, but he was also a prolific writer of theater, autobiography, and fiction. None of his creations won the hearts and minds of his readers as did Jesse B. Semple, better known as "Simple." Simple speaks as an Everyman for African Americans in Uncle Sam's America. With great wit, he expounds on topics as varied as women, Gospel music, and sports heroes--but always keeps one foot planted in the realm of politics and race. In recent years, readers have been able to appreciate Simple's situational humor as well as his poignant questions about social injustice in The Best of Simple and The Return of Simple. Now they can, once again, enjoy the last of Hughes's original Simple books.

Forty-six stories in which "Simple" of Harlem comments on American life.

"Simple text and full-color photographs briefly describe the iconic Uncle Sam image and its role as a national symbol"--Provided by publisher.

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, University of Wuppertal, course: Cultural Studies: As American as Apple Pie, language: English, abstract: This paper is going to deal with the poet and author Langston Hughes and his stories published under the title Simple’s Uncle Sam during the era of Modernism and Postmodernism. I am going to begin with a short biographical overview about Langston Hughes’ life. The information used, is taken from the Wikipedia website entry about Langston Hughes (en.wikipedia.org) but can also be found on more reliable websites (poemhunter.com; nathanielturner.com). Since this paper is part of the course ‘As American as Apple Pie’ which is concerned with the meaning of food scenes in different texts, I will present the topic of ‘soul food’. I am going to explain where soul food has its roots and what it exactly is. Further I am going to show what important role soul food or food in general plays in the extracts of Simple’s Uncle Sam and how it refers to the ethnical and cultural background of African Americans.

The "Simple" stories, Langston Hughes's satirical pieces featuring Harlem's Jesse B. Semple, have been lauded as Hughes's greatest contribution to American fiction. In Not So Simple, Donna Akiba Sullivan Harper provides the first full historical analysis of the Simple stories. Harper traces the evolution and development of Simple from his 1943 appearance in Hughes's weekly Chicago Defender column through his 1965 farewell in the New York Post. Drawing on correspondence and manuscripts of the stories, Harper explores the development of the Simple collections, from Simple Speaks His Mind (1950) to Simple's Uncle Sam (1965), providing fresh and provocative perspectives on both Hughes and the characters who populate his stories. Harper discusses the nature of Simple, Harlem's "everyman", and the way in which Hughes used his character both to teach fellow Harlem residents about their connection to world events and to give black literature a hero whose "day-after-day heroism" would exemplify greatness. She explores the psychological, sociological, and literary meanings behind the Simple stories, and suggests ways in which the stories illustrate lessons of American history and political science. She also examines the roles played by women in these humorously ironic fictions. Ultimately, Hughes's attitudes as an author are measured against the views of other prominent African American writers. Demonstrating the richness and complexity of this Langston Hughes character and the Harlem he inhabited. Not So Simple makes an important contribution to the study of American literature.

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, University of Wuppertal, course: Cultural Studies: As American as Apple Pie, language: English, abstract: This paper is going to deal with the poet and author Langston Hughes and his stories published under the title Simple's Uncle Sam during the era of Modernism and Postmodernism. I am going to begin with a short biographical overview about Langston Hughes' life. The information used, is taken from the Wikipedia website entry about Langston Hughes (en.wikipedia.org) but can also be found on more reliable websites (poemhunter.com; nathanielturner.com). Since this paper is part of the course 'As American as Apple Pie' which is concerned with the meaning of food scenes in different texts, I will present the topic of 'soul food'. I am going to explain where soul food has its roots and what it exactly is. Further I am going to show what important role soul food or food in general plays in the extracts of Simple's Uncle Sam and how it refers to the ethnical and cultural background of African Americans.