91探花

鈥淸McKay] was just telling a story about the people he knew who had not been written about.鈥�

Gary Edward Holcomb, professor and chair of 91探花鈥檚 African American Studies Department, is describing 鈥�,鈥� a novel by Jamaican-born author Claude McKay. McKay was a significant figure in the Harlem Renaissance, an era that celebrated Black art and Black identity. The novel was written 80 years ago and was published with Holcomb鈥檚 help in 2020. 

If not for the work of Dr. Holcomb and his co-editor William J. Maxwell, the manuscript may have remained in the archives, only available to those who sought it out. The novel features controversial topics and identities that would have been considered taboo, or at least highly unusual, for their time. Those themes and McKay鈥檚 own frustrations contributed to the delay in the novel鈥檚 publication.

鈥淗e kind of lost faith in it.鈥� Holcomb said. 鈥淗e says in his letter as well 鈥業'm not sure if I'm able to pull this off鈥�. Writing about this disabled African character, West African character, [when] all of his male characters up until then had been robust and healthy,鈥� Holcomb continued. 鈥淸McKay] himself was ill most of his adult life, so he was drawing from his own experience.鈥�

McKay published several novels and poetry collections throughout his life, but what sets this novel apart from others is its inclusion of an especially diverse cast of characters, including a disabled Black protagonist and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The novel also addresses topics such as ableism, politics, and Black identity across the Black diaspora. 

Holcomb first learned about the manuscript in the 1990s when he came across a reference to it in a McKay biography. Intrigued, he searched for the book in local libraries, but could find no trace of it.

鈥淸I鈥檇] heard his name, but I didn't know much about him. I started wanting to write a dissertation on Caribbean writers. And so I started reading about McKay and ultimately wanted to write about him.鈥�

After attending a conference on the Harlem Renaissance early in his career, Holcomb shifted from Caribbean Studies to African American Literary Studies. He explains that he did not intentionally focus on Claude McKay, but that the process of learning more about McKay and his work came naturally.

After learning about the manuscript and being unable to find it in local libraries, Holcomb traveled to New York鈥檚 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, where one of two copies of 鈥淩omance in Marseille鈥� was held.

鈥淎nd I looked at the book and I went, this thing is amazing,鈥� Holcomb says. 鈥淵ou know, someone should publish this. I thought I might try.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 until several years later that Holcomb decided to come back to 鈥淩omance in Marseille鈥� and finally pursue its publication alongside his co-editor. Despite several setbacks, 鈥淩omance in Marseille鈥� was eventually published in 2020.

One of Holcomb鈥檚 favorite reviews of 鈥淩omance in Marseille鈥� came from the Jamaican newspaper . The paper picked up the news of the novel鈥檚 publication and felt that its content could aid in dismantling any remaining anti-LGBTQ+ laws and targeted behaviors.

鈥淚 had never thought about that,鈥� Holcomb said. 鈥淭hat a novel could come along from the 1930s and people would say 鈥榳e鈥檝e got to use this as a weapon against the attack on LGBTQ people in this country鈥�. I just thought these publishers that have this major newspaper in Jamaica are saying 'this book comes along from almost a century ago and tells us what we should be doing now in modern day.'鈥�

The now-published novel has been well-received by students as well. Since its publication, Holcomb has integrated 鈥淩omance in Marseille鈥� into his African American Studies courses. Students learn about McKay and the history of the book鈥檚 publication in the novel鈥檚 introduction, written by Dr. Holcomb himself. The course is often cited as a favorite among Holcomb鈥檚 students. 

Recently, Holcomb visited Marseille and Tangier, Morocco, where McKay spent time when he was writing the novel. Holcomb was invited to present about McKay鈥檚 personal letters at a conference and took the opportunity to walk in the author鈥檚 footsteps. 

鈥淚 wanted to go hunt down a few things that McKay wrote about,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can see why he liked these places so much. He liked to be in places that were not bougie, and everything is normal, and everybody's following the rules all the time.鈥�

鈥淩omance in Marseille鈥� serves as an important reminder that just because people from certain communities were not often talked about does not mean that they didn鈥檛 exist. 

To keep his story alive, Holcomb and a co-writer will be publishing a book of McKay鈥檚 letters that will be available in 2025. The novel will continue to be taught in classrooms; McKay鈥檚 impact on the literary world is far from over.