Harlem Rhapsody

Jessie goes to the 135th Street library, briefly greets Maman, and talks to Nella. Nella gets Jessie a copy of Birthright, and Jessie decides to read it in its entirety in one day at the library. She enjoys some of the writing but despises the derogatory terms for Black people that the author uses and realizes that this book will not find a receptive audience with Black readers. Nella gets Jessie a sandwich, and Jessie eats it while she continues to read.

She finishes the book around sunset and talks with Nella about it, critiquing its racist language and assumptions about Black people. Jessie now agrees with Will that Black people should be the ones writing their own stories. She says that it is important for her and Nella to finish their novels. Nella points out that Jessie hasn’t made time for their planned writing partnership, and she blames Will for overworking Jessie. Jessie vows to do better and admits that she wants to be the editor-in-chief of The Crisis, swearing Nella to secrecy. Nella agrees that Jessie has been working as the editor without the credit but doesn’t think that Will will promote her. She warns Jessie to be careful.

After Jessie’s first writing session with Nella, she goes to the Civic Club to meet with Claude McKay. Will is there at another table with Georgia, and Jessie has trouble paying attention to Claude. She goes to Will’s table, telling him that she was unaware he was back in town. He says that they’ll talk in the office the following day, and Jessie goes back to her table. She discusses Claude’s achievements and argues that being published in The Crisis will only increase his readership. When Jessie mentions her editing skills, Claude says that he won’t need much editing.

Will comes over to their table, visibly upset that Jessie is with Claude. Jessie is surprised that the two men don’t get along. Will leaves abruptly while touching Georgia’s back in the way he has touched Jessie’s in the past. Jessie is heartbroken but asks Claude about the tension between him and Will. Claude believes that “art must be about art [and] truth” (235), while Will believes that art should be propaganda for social justice. Claude refers to Will’s affair with Georgia as one of many. Jessie denies that Will is so liberal with his affections. Claude apologizes, saying that Will’s actions are an insult to his wife and his coworkers, like Jessie.

Jessie seethes in her office until Will shows up. He compliments her work on The Crisis. With the door shut, Jessie asks Will if he is sleeping with Georgia. Will refuses to answer definitively, saying that she is asking more questions than Nina. However, he clearly states that he can’t be limited to only two women. Jessie decides to stop sleeping with him. Will asks about her lunch with Claude. Jessie says that it was a business lunch to discuss Claude submitting to The Crisis. Will rejects this idea because Claude works at a rival publication. Jessie says that she is done for the day, and Will leaves her office.

Pocahontas is impressed with Jean Toomer’s poem “Song of the Son” after he makes the edits that Jessie suggests. Jessie assures Pocahontas that she is improving as a writer, and Pocahontas thanks her. When Pocahontas leaves, Jessie thinks about the poem Langston gave her earlier that week and their latest conversation about Columbia. Will has been busy, and Jessie is glad that she hasn’t seen him, but he suddenly appears in her office. They talk about Jessie’s novel, and Will offers to distribute some of Jessie’s responsibilities so that she has more time to work on her own writing.

Then, Will tells Jessie that he wants her to review Georgia’s new book. Nina arrives at that point and thanks Jessie for the anniversary party. After Will and Nina leave, Jessie writes a poem about herself and Will.

Jessie arrives at the home of Countee Cullen and asks to speak with Countee privately. She surprises him with a copy of the June issue of The Crisis that contains his poem. He reads it aloud and thanks her. Countee is excited to show his parents, and Jessie has brought copies of the magazine for them as well. She thinks about how she has been avoiding romantic encounters with Will for the past several weeks.

Reverend Cullen invites Jessie to join the party upstairs and asks where Will is. Jessie tells the reverend that Will is running late. She sees Walter White; his wife, Gladys; Grace Johnson; and writer and former NAACP secretary James Weldon Johnson at the party. She hurries out, only to encounter Will at the door. He asks to speak with her privately, and they go to the reverend’s library.

Will asks Jessie about her review of Birthright, and she stands by her criticisms of it. Will condemns Jessie for reviewing Harlem Shadows by Claude McKay after he told her not to associate with Claude. Jessie defends her complimentary review, and Will says that she only wrote it to upset him. He says that her review is embarrassing because it challenges his opinions about the function of art. She says that she only wrote what she truly thought and has every right to publish the review. Will says that her opinion doesn’t matter because The Crisis belongs to him, subtly threatening her job.

Jesse tells Mary-Helen about her disagreement with Will and clarifies that he has been out of town for the third Pan-African conference since their conversation. Mary-Helen suggests that Jessie leave The Crisis. Jessie says that she doesn’t want to leave Langston, Countee, and her other mentees. Mary-Helen argues that Will is more likely to fire her than promote her. Jessie says that she’s gotten ahold of information about when the NAACP board members will visit New York and plans to speak with them to secure her position. Jessie also assures Mary-Helen that her affair with Will has ended.

Maman returns home with Langston, who asks to speak with Jessie alone. He says that he is leaving Columbia, and Jessie is dismayed. Langston says that he wants to focus on his writing and get an entry-level job in a club or factory. Jessie offers to help him find work. After he leaves, Maman says that she overheard the conversation and knows someone who would like to be Langston’s benefactor: Charlotte Osgood Mason.

Maman brings Jessie to Charlotte’s Park Avenue penthouse and warns her that Charlotte is “eccentric” (259). Jessie is surprised that Maman hasn’t mentioned Charlotte earlier and learns that Charlotte regularly visits the library. Jessie is impressed with Charlotte’s collection of African art but surprised to learn of Charlotte’s interest in the supernatural. Except for these beliefs, Charlotte says, she and Maman are very similar: Both are white women who strongly support Black people.

As lunch is served, Charlotte says that she’s a patron of the arts and wants to work with Black writers. She has been helping Alain Locke financially, and Maman told her about Langston needing a patron. Charlotte hopes to assist Langston because his writing has helped her understand how Black people feel. Jessie argues that Black people have the same feelings as white people, and Charlotte laughs. Maman warns Jessie not to continue the argument for Langston’s sake. Charlotte demands to meet Langston right away and will send her driver to pick him up. Jessie worries that Langston won’t get into a car with a white man, and she writes a note for the driver to deliver.

When Langston arrives, he is confused. Jessie introduces him to Charlotte and tells him that Charlotte wants to be his benefactor. Charlotte asks about his long-term aspirations, and he says that he wants to be a full-time writer. He has ideas for a novel titled Not Without Laughter. Charlotte believes that this novel will be important and offers to pay for all his expenses while he works on it. He is stunned as Charlotte takes his hands. Charlotte assures him that he is a gift to the world.

Jessie arranges to be at 70 Fifth Avenue as the NAACP president, Mr. Storey, arrives. They appear to run into each other by accident, and Mr. Storey praises Jessie’s work on The Crisis. She says that she’d like to write about the NAACP for the next children’s issue of The Crisis. Mr. Storey says that he will help with this and asks her to have lunch with him the next time he is in New York. After Jessie finishes her work at the office, she runs into Will and tells him that she is going home to work on her novel. He offers to help with her writing and then asks her to have dinner with him. She agrees to meet at the Civic Club, but he says it’s closed for a private event and asks her to go to the Hotel Olga. Jessie refuses, not wanting to be tempted to sleep with Will at the hotel. He assures her that it is only a business meeting, and she agrees.

At the hotel, Will and Jessie run into Charlotte and Langston. Jessie introduces Charlotte and Will. Charlotte compliments Will and then says that she and Langston are going to see Shuffle Along, the first all-Black Broadway musical. Jessie says that she and Will went to the opening night. After Charlotte and Langston leave, the waiter notes that Will and Jessie haven’t visited in a while. Jessie tells Will that Langston is leaving Columbia and that Charlotte is financially supporting him. However, Jessie thinks that Charlotte might be “mad as a hatter” (274), which causes her and Will to laugh. Jessie thinks of Langston, and her other mentees, as her children.

Will pulls out a clipping with Jessie’s poem about their relationship. She denies that it’s about them. He says that he’s concerned because the last line is “I wish that I were dead” (274). Will says that Jessie is special and that he will always care about her. She asks how this is possible when he is with other women. He says that he thought he explained this, but Jessie tells him that she believed it would only be her and Nina. Will says that he misses and needs Jessie. Jessie tries to resist, but she eventually allows Will to lead her to a room upstairs.

Over the past two months, Will has been kind and loving. Jessie remains guarded but has been enjoying their time together. The rumors about their affair have been halted by the anniversary party. In the present moment, Jessie struggles to decide which baby’s picture will appear in the children’s issue of The Crisis. Will comes into her office, and they agree on the picture of Valdora Turner. He tries to reach for her, and she pulls away.

Langston comes in, and Will leaves her office. Langston tells Jessie that Charlotte asks to be called Godmother when they are together but doesn’t want him to speak about her when they are apart. He is enjoying Charlotte’s company, as well as the life that her money affords him and Alain. However, Charlotte has some problematic views, like wanting Langston to write that Black people are superior to white people. Langston shows Jessie a poem that he showed Charlotte. Jessie loves the poem, but Charlotte thinks that it should represent Africa in a completely positive way. Langston feels like Charlotte is trying to take his soul. Jessie encourages him to write from his heart and trust his soul to God.

Jessie visits a diner in Greenwich Village, near New York University, to check on Countee. As she waits for him to arrive, she reads a newspaper article about the racist massacre of Black people and destruction of Black-owned homes in Rosewood, Florida. Countee arrives and apologizes for being late. His professor suggested that he submit to the Witter Bynner poetry contest. Jessie contrasts Countee’s experience in higher education with Langston’s and encourages Countee to submit to the contest. He worries that he doesn’t stand a chance of winning, and Jessie offers to edit his work. Countee refuses, as he feels like this would be cheating, but he still wants her to edit everything he sends into The Crisis.

They discuss Langston and how he is looking out for Countee like Jessie is. Jessie reveals that she is the one who introduced Charlotte and Langston, and Countee shares that Charlotte is interested in his work. However, he wants to finish school. Countee and his father think that Jessie should be the editor of The Crisis. Jessie is shocked to hear this, and Countee assures her that everyone considers her the real editor already. Jessie keeps her ambition secret and simply says that she wants to help the publication in whatever way she can. Countee takes this to mean that she wants the job.