Dorothy West

Dorothy West (June 2, 1907 - August 16, 1998) was a novelist and short story writer who was part of the Harlem Renaissance. She is best known for her novel The Living Is Easy, about the life of an upper-class black family.

West's Literary Works

After both magazines folded because of financial reasons, West worked for the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writers' Project until the mid-1940s. During this time she wrote a number of short stories for the New York Daily News. She then moved to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, where she wrote her first novel, The Living Is Easy. Published in 1948, her novel was well received critically but did not sell many copies.

Related Topics:
Works Progress Administration - Federal Writers' Project - New York Daily News - Martha's Vineyard

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In the four decades after publishing her novel, West worked as a journalist, primarily writing for a small newspaper on Martha's Vineyard. In 1982 a feminist press brought The Living Is Easy back into print, giving new attention to West and her role in the Harlem Renaissance. As a result of this attention, West wrote a new novel at age 85, titled The Wedding. Published in 1995, the novel was a best-seller and resulting in the publication of a collection of West's short stories and reminiscences called The Richer, the Poorer. Oprah Winfrey also turned The Wedding into a two-part television miniseries.

Related Topics:
Feminist - Oprah Winfrey

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West died on August 16, 1998, at the age of 91. At her death, she was the last surviving member of the Harlem Renaissance.

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