Conjure Tales and Stories of the Color Line

Unlike the popular "Uncle Remus" stories of Joel Chandler Harris, Charles W. Chesnutt's tales probe psychological depths in black people unheard of before in Southern regional writing. They also expose the anguish of mixed-race men and women and the consequences of racial hatred, mob violence, and moral compromise.

This important collection contains all the stories in his two published volumes, The Conjure Woman and The Wife of His Youth, along with two uncollected works: the tragic "Dave's Neckliss" and "Baxter's Procustes," Chesnutt's parting shot at prejudice.

Charles Waddell Chesnutt (1858-1932) was a lawyer and distinguished writer of fiction whose books include The House Behind the Cedars, The Marrow of Tradition, and The Colonel's Dream. He received the Spingarn gold medal for his pioneering work depicting the struggles of black Americans.
William Andrews is the author of To Tell a Free Story: The First Century of Afro-American Autobiography, 1760-1865, and the editor of Sisters of the Spirit: Three Black Women's Autobiographies of the 19th Century and Three Classic African-American Novels.