Harlem Rhapsody

Over lunch, Nina inquires about Jessie’s life, and Jessie talks about her love for writing and books. Nina admits that she’s not much of a writer herself but loves that her husband is one. They also talk about Jessie’s education, accomplishments, and family. Nina is surprised that Jessie is living so close to her. When Jessie refers to Will as Dr. Du Bois, Nina questions why she doesn’t call him W.E.B. Jessie says that name is for his friends and that Dr. Du Bois is her boss. Nina approves of this. When Jessie returns to the office, Will is excited to show her the first copies of his book Darkwater. He says that he couldn’t have done it without her editorial help but dedicates the book to his wife.

Jessie stops seeing Will after witnessing his dedication to his wife. Will travels frequently and doesn’t invite Jessie to have intimate relations when he’s in town. Three months later, Will asks Jessie out on a Valentine’s Day date. She mentions that neither of them has made any advances in the past three months. He claims to have not noticed because he’s been so busy traveling and asks if they can talk somewhere private. They get a room at the Hotel Olga again.

There, Will says that he’s been overwhelmed with work and is getting through it by planning to spend Valentine’s Day with her. Jessie doesn’t feel comfortable continuing the affair after talking with Nina. Will explains that Nina gave him a new purpose in life: being a father. However, their first son, Burghardt, died when he was a toddler. Will was comforted by the fact that his son was free from oppression in death and wants to create a world where Black children can be free without dying. He prefers engaging in activism instead of spending time at home and loves the work of social justice more than his wife.

Will believes that monogamy is another way that white people control Black people and notes that marriages are different in other parts of the world. He claims that “love should be without limit” (91). Jessie thinks about his double consciousness needing two different hearts for two different women. Nina is aware of his dalliances and accepts them. Will claims that even when he is distant, he still desires Jessie. Jessie accepts this, and they have sex.

In the present moment, at the hotel, Jessie looks over the sixth issue of The Brownies’ Book with pride, especially pleased with the letters that children sent in. Will says that there will be a second printing of Darkwater, and she says they should celebrate.

Jessie meets Nella at the Mad Hatter. Maman, who volunteers at the library where Nella works, approves of this friendship. Jessie shows Nella the issue of The Brownies’ Book where Nella’s writing appears in print for the first time. Nella thinks that Jessie should be the editor, not just the literary editor. Being an editor who is completely in charge of a publication is Jessie’s dream job. When Jessie compliments Georgia Douglas Johnson’s poem in the book, Nella tells Jessie that Will is having an affair with Georgia. Then, Nella confesses that her husband, Elmer, used to think that Jessie and Will were having an affair but now believes that it’s Georgia who is sleeping with Will. Jessie laughs to cover her true feelings. Nella discusses her work-in-progress, a novel titled Quicksand, and Jessie offers to be her writing partner.

Will laments that Jessie won’t come with him to the NAACP convention in Atlanta, Georgia. She worries about the Jim Crow laws and asks if she can book Will’s return ticket. He says that he’s going to Washington, DC, after Atlanta to meet with Alain Locke. Jessie suspects that he’s seeing Georgia, who lives in DC. Will and Jessie discuss publishing Nella’s work again, and Jessie doesn’t mention that Nella didn’t finish her degree at Fisk because Will thinks that Black people should have college degrees. He mentions a concern about magazine sales but won’t elaborate.

Will mentions that Georgia is impressed with The Brownies’ Book. Jessie changes the topic and asks Will to write an opinion piece for the July issue. They discuss the lawyer and insurance executive Harry Pace starting an all-Black phonograph company—Black Swan Records, the first widely distributed, Black-owned record company in the US. Jessie asks Will not to get upset when he has to move to a segregated car on the train as it passes into the South. Will asks Jessie to take time to work on her own novel while he’s away.

While Jessie is walking into work, she notices a former student named Eugene Pinchback outside the building. He has become a writer under the pen name Jean Toomer. Jessie invites him to submit to The Crisis magazine. Jean, whose parents are both mixed race, doesn’t identify as Black and is hesitant to submit to a publication run by the NAACP. Jessie assures him that many members of the NAACP and writers for the magazine are white. Jean agrees to submit and admits that he and Jessie’s other students at M Street High School had crushes on her.

Jessie looks for new writers in Howard University’s Stylus and A. Philip Randolph’s The Messenger. Then, she writes to Langston Hughes, asking him to submit writing in addition to his graduation photo, which she published. Miss Ovington asks Jessie about Will’s schedule. He has been traveling and giving lectures. Miss Ovington doesn’t know that Will has already returned or that Jessie saw him at the Hotel Olga the previous night. Jessie claims that Will is spending time with Yolande. When Miss Ovington continues to ask about Will’s schedule, Jessie directs her to Pocahontas, who is in charge of Will’s schedule. Ovington makes a snide remark about Jessie knowing more about Will than anyone else in the office.

Countee arrives, sparing Jessie from the need to respond to Miss Ovington’s provocation. Jessie and Countee discuss his poem, and Jessie gives him her written suggestions on it. She recommends that he work on developing the story of his poem, and they discuss John Keats. Jessie promises to publish Countee’s work after they edit it together.

Jessie comes home to see Maman preparing for a party while listening to music. Jessie is surprised to see Maman listening to music that isn’t hymns or spirituals, as she used to listen only to those two genres when she was with the reverend, Jessie’s father. Harlem introduced Maman to new music and slang. 

The party is a celebration of the 19th Amendment—ratified just three days before, on August 18, 1920—granting women the right to vote. Mary-Helen arrives, followed by Nella, Ernestine Rose, and Sadie, a former student of Jessie’s from Dunbar High School who also attended the University of Pennsylvania while Jessie was studying there. Next, Laura Wheeling, an illustrator for The Crisis with whom Jessie traveled in France, arrives. They toast the amendment with grape juice.

Nella points out that Black women aren’t going to enjoy this progress as much as white women. Laura agrees, noting that constitutional changes haven’t helped Black men. Ernestine mentions an event she attended where women were the ones arguing against women’s rights. Jessie says that she supports women who choose not to vote; they fought for the right to choose. The conversation turns to Jessie’s work at The Crisis. She hopes that the magazine will bring white and Black writers together. Georgia arrives next, and Nella interrogates Georgia about traveling without her husband. Georgia claims that he’s busy working with the Republican Party. Jessie changes the subject and asks Laura to talk about the time she spent with Jessie in Paris. Internally, Jessie hopes to be friends with Georgia.

Will, Augustus, and Jessie have a meeting. Will mentions offering a deal for subscribers who bring in other subscribers, but he doesn’t want to discuss the specific figures with Jessie, saying, “[D]on’t worry your pretty little head about this” (119). Augustus is willing to talk about the details, but Will stops him, saying that Jessie is already doing too much. The discussion turns to Will’s column, which Jessie has edited, and how they can use the magazine to educate women about voting. Augustus found a pamphlet that claims that Warren Harding has some Black ancestry and wants to publish a piece on it. Jessie rejects the idea because it is only gossip at this point. The two men eventually agree with her.

After Augustus leaves, Will and Jessie discuss their plan to attend the Harlem Symphony the next day. Jessie delivers a message from the tailor about Will’s suit, thinking that they sound like a married couple. Will’s wife isn’t fond of attending the events that Will is invited to, and people don’t seem to be suspicious of Will and Jessie going everywhere together. Jessie suggests that they see Eugene O’Neill’s play The Emperor Jones because the star is a Black man. Will doesn’t want to see it because it is written by a white man. He believes that fictional representations of Black people should be written by Black people. They debate for a while and agree to disagree. Jessie decides to invite Maman and Mary-Helen to see the play with her since Will refuses to go.

Jessie, Maman, and Mary-Helen arrive at the Provincetown Playhouse. Jessie pulls Mary-Helen aside and tells her that Will decided to join their group at the very last minute. Mary-Helen believes that Maman will not be upset about this, as they are in a public venue. Will arrives with Joel Spingarn, the NAACP treasurer. Joel compliments Jessie’s work on The Crisis. Will and Jessie speak briefly about the next Pan-African Congress. When Will greets Maman politely, Maman gets up and leaves. Jessie follows her. Maman insults Jessie and her relationship with Will as Mary-Helen approaches. Mary-Helen says that she’ll take Maman to her house, and they leave.

Jessie returns to her seat. Georgia and her husband, Mr. Johnson, arrive. Mr. Johnson, meeting Jessie for the first time, thinks that she’s the one who Georgia is spending time with, not Will. Will speaks warmly to Mr. Johnson about his political work and the upcoming election. Will offers Georgia and Mr. Johnson the seats vacated by Maman and Mary-Helen. The play begins, and Jessie is impressed with the lead actor, Charles Sidney Gilpin. She takes part in the standing ovation at the end, but Will refuses to stand.

Will, Jessie, and the Johnsons go to Happy Rhone’s—an influential Harlem club and music venue—after the play. The Imeses, Walter White, and Walter’s sister join the group. Mamie Smith is singing. When she takes a break, a waitress approaches their table. Mr. Johnson and Georgia order alcoholic beverages while the others order juices and soda. Will condemns drinking, citing Frederick Douglass as his model. They believe that alcohol is “evil” because it was used to control enslaved people. The waitress returns with their drinks, and Mr. Johnson toasts to temperance with Will. Jessie wonders if he is referring to Georgia’s affair with Will.

Walter compliments the play, and Nella agrees that it was incredible. Georgia also enjoyed it. After a lengthy discussion that Will doesn’t participate in, Georgia asks him if he liked the play. Will says that he didn’t and is shocked that the others enjoyed it. Jessie believes that a leading role for a Black actor is progress; Will believes that it is another form of “blackface” (134). They argue about the function of art. Will believes that art is only good when it is propaganda, and Jessie thinks that art can simply be beautiful. No one else adds to the debate. Will insults Jessie for liking the play.

Georgia intervenes, arguing that the play was better than plays with Black minstrelsy. Will agrees and thanks Georgia. Mamie Smith begins singing again as Jessie is stunned into silence by Will’s comments. After a few songs, Will says that he is leaving, and Jessie goes with him. He drives her to her brownstone in silence. When they arrive, he chastises Jessie for disagreeing with him in public. Jessie points out that Will was the one who spoke inappropriately. They part ways unhappily.

Jessie and Maman have lunch at Frank’s. Jessie apologizes, again mentioning that Will said he wasn’t going to the play. Maman says that she is going back to live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, because she can’t watch Jessie destroy her life and the life of Will’s wife. Jessie explains that she doesn’t want Will to leave his wife. Maman laments that she failed to instill morals in Jessie when she was young. Jessie challenges the idea that marriage is the only moral path. Maman says that she doesn’t regret giving up a career to raise children but feels like she’s failed as a parent. Maman suggests that Jessie leave The Crisis to save her soul. Jessie says that her goal is to become the full editor of The Crisis, not just the literary editor. Maman asks if Will is leaving, and Jessie says no; she hopes for him to hold an emeritus position and be freer to travel.

Just then, Nina approaches their table, and Maman introduces herself. Jessie wonders how much Nina heard. Nina asks if Maman is enjoying New York. Maman admits that she was thinking about going back to Philadelphia but has decided to stay because her daughter needs her. Nina says that her family is her anchor, so she understands.