33 Facts About Dorothy West

Dorothy West was an American novelist, short-story writer, and magazine editor associated with the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement in the 1920s and 1930s that celebrated black art, literature, and music.

Dorothy West was one of the few Black women writers to be published in major literary magazines in the 1930s and 1940s.

Dorothy West explored the complexities of the black experience in the United States in short stories and essays that challenged stereotypes and explored themes such as race, class, and gender.

Dorothy West's work paved the way for future generations of African-American writers, and her legacy continues to inspire and influence writers today.

Dorothy West was born on June 2,1907, in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Rachel Benson, one of 22 children, and Isaac Christopher West, a former slave who became a successful businessman.

At the age of seven, Dorothy West's father gained his freedom and by the time he was 10 years old, he had saved enough money in a cigar box to establish his own business.

When Dorothy was born, her family was already the most affluent black household in Boston, thanks to Isaac West's ownership of a wholesale fruit company, which earned him the nickname "Black Banana King" of Boston.

Dorothy West's parents divorced when Dorothy was young, and her mother moved the family to Harlem, New York, in search of better opportunities.

Dorothy West attended Girls' High School in Brooklyn, New York, and then enrolled in Boston University's School of Journalism, but she dropped out after a year to pursue a writing career.

Dorothy West was easing our entry into a world that outranked and outnumbered us.

Dorothy West began her writing career as a teenager, publishing stories in The Boston Post and the Boston Chronicle.

Dorothy West reportedly wrote her first story at the age of seven.

Dorothy West's first published work, a short story entitled "Promise and Fulfillment" appeared in The Boston Post when she was 14 years old.

Dorothy West's mother, seeking to protect her daughter from the news in the magazine, inadvertently inspired West to pursue her passion for writing.

Dorothy West won several local writing competitions and eventually attended Girls' Latin School, from which she graduated at the age of 16.

Dorothy West went on to study at Boston University and at the Columbia University School of Journalism.

In 1926, Dorothy West tied for second place in a writing contest sponsored by Opportunity, a journal published by the National Urban League, with her short story "The Typewriter".

Between 1928 and 1930, some of Dorothy West's other early writings were published in the Saturday Evening Quill, a short-lived annual literary magazine that grew out of a literary club of the same name, of which Dorothy West was a founding member.

Dorothy West took a break from writing to pursue acting for a few years.

The play ran for three months in London, where Dorothy West traveled with the production in 1929.

Shortly before winning the Opportunity writing contest, Dorothy West moved to Harlem with her cousin, the poet Helene Johnson.

Dorothy West became involved in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and was a member of the literary and artistic community centered on the Harlem Writers Guild.

Dorothy West was mentored by Carl Van Vechten, a white writer associated with the Harlem Renaissance.

In 1945, Dorothy West relocated to Martha's Vineyard, where she had many childhood memories.

Dorothy West's written works, including novels, short stories, and periodicals, addressed issues surrounding African-American life and black political and social matters.

Dorothy West's writing was influenced by her experiences with racism during her schooling and work in Harlem, as well as her time spent acting overseas.

In 1995, Dorothy West released her second novel, The Wedding, almost fifty years after her first novel was published.

Dorothy West dedicated it to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who as an editor at Dorothy West's publisher, Doubleday, had encouraged her to complete it.

Two years before she died, Dorothy West won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Dorothy West died on August 16,1998, aged 91, at the New England Medical Center in Boston.

Dorothy West is remembered as one of the most important writers of the Harlem Renaissance and a pioneer for Black women writers.

Dorothy West's work explored the complexities of Black life in America, and her characters often challenged traditional notions of race, gender, and class.

Dorothy West's writing continues to be celebrated for its insight and originality.