The Sport of the Gods

First published in 1902, "The Sport of the Gods" tells the story of a black family forced to leave the South and face the harsh realities of life in a Northern city. A moving examination of the life of African-Americans post-emancipation, "The Sport of the Gods" represents a landmark in African-American literature that will appeal to those with an interest in this particular chapter of American history. Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet during the start of the 20th century. Born to ex-slave parents, Dunbar began writing at a very early age and had even published his first poems by the age of 16 in a local newspaper. Much of his work was written in the "African-American Vernacular" associated with the antebellum South, although he also employed conventional English in his novels and poems. Dunbar was among the first African-American writers to garner international acclaim for their work. Contents include: "The Hamiltons", "A Farewell Dinner", "The Theft", "From a Clear Sky", "The Justice of Men", "Outcasts", "In New York", "An Evening Out", "His Heart's Desire", "A Visitor from Home", "Broken Hopes", "'All the World's a Stage'", etc. Read & Co. Classics is proudly republishing this novel now complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.