John Henry: Roark Bradford's Novel and Play Roark Bradford's Novel and Play

Roark Bradford's 1931 novel and 1939 play dealing with the legendary folk-hero John Henry (both titled John Henry) were extremely influential in their own time, but have since then been nearly forgotten. Steven C. Tracy has united these hard-to-find works in a single critical edition that helps contextualize-and revive-both texts. An expansive introduction explores Bradford's life; recounts critical responses to his works; and surveys John Henry's pervasive influence in folk, literary, and popular culture. The volume also features a wide array of supplementary materials including a selected bibliography and discography, transcriptions of folksong texts and recordings available during the 1930s, and a chronology of the lives of both Bradford and Henry. As Tracy's introduction makes clear, such a consideration of Bradford--set in the context of writers, both black and white, drawing upon African American folklore and using dialects along with stereotypical and non-stereotypical portrayals--is long overdue. This new edition is a windfall for scholars and students of folklore and African American literature.

Introduction; Bibliography for introduction; Discography of recordings echoing the folk tradition in the novel; Transcriptions of versions of the folk songs; John Henry folk song bibliography; John Henry bibliography, 1932-Present; John Henry folk song discography, 1921-1931; Roark Bradford Bibliography; Reviews of the novel; Reviews of the play; Roark Bradford Chronology; John Henry: the novel _; I. The Birth of John Henry; II. Coonjine; III. The Black River Country; Bend Your Back and Sing; Roll, You Wheelers; VI. Back of Town; VII. Julie Anne; VIII. Fourteen-Thirty-Six; IX. Woman on My Weary Mind; X. Poor Selma; XI. Stacker Lee; XII. The Poor Selma "Gris Gris"; XIII. Man's Ever Burden; XIV. Hand in Hand; XV. Shoulder Your Load and Walk John Henry's Pathway; XVI. John Henry's Pathway; XVII. Ring, Steel, Ring; XVIII. Down the Road; XIX. The Way with Women; XX. Doing for His Woman; XXI. The How Long Song; XXII. No Rest for the Weary Burden; XXIII. Lord, My Burden; XXIV. John Henry Lays His Burden Down; XXV. John Henry's Last Go

Steven C. Tracy is Professor of Afro-American Studies at University of Massachusetts at Amherst and editor of A Historical Guide to Ralph Ellison and A Historical Guide to Langston Hughes (OUP 2003 and 2004).