Chester Himes

An item at American Writers Museum

"My life itself was so absurd I saw everything as absurd," wrote Chester Himes. Indeed, he endured a traumatic childhood, began his writing career in jail, weathered a screenwriting stint in Hollywood, and crafted five novels-all before escaping the virulent racism of America to start anew as an expatriate in France.

While living in France, he wrote ten Harlem-set novels featuring the detective duo of Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones. Dubbed "black noir," the Harlem cycle was funny, violent, and fast-paced, winning Himes literary fame in his adopted homeland and, by the end of his life, in the United States, as well.

AMERICAN VOICES

An exhibit at American Writers Museum

American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nation. The 100 authors featured here represent the evolution of American writing. Learn more about each writer on the timeline by turning the panels below their portraits. Explore centuries of writing by pulling, turning, and touching the interactive elements on the counter.

This is not meant to be a list of the greatest or most influential writers. Instead, we present authors and works as part of the American story as it grows and changes. Taken together, this rich literary heritage reflects America in all of its complexity: its energy, hope, conflict, disillusionment, and creativity.

American Writers Museum