Nigger Heaven

Year Published: 1926
Author: Carl Van Vechten
Edition: January 1928, 14th Printing
Publisher: Gross & Dunlap
Condition: Overall condition is very good. The dustcover is mostly intact with some tears and staining from age. There is an inscription written in pencil on the inside first page.
ISBN: None

Controversy: The backdrop of the novel is set in Harlem, New York City's African-American community, and became controversial for its name, and the method of writing, which phonetically spelled out how the author, who was Caucasian, believed that people of color spoke in his day.

The term itself is a 19th century reference to the chuch balconies where African-Americans were segretated.

The obvious controversy is of course the name of the book, which even at the time of publication drew criticism from the public-at-large, Van Vechten's own father, several of his friends, and other noted figures of the time such as W.E.B. Du Bois, the NAACP, and author, Ralph Ellison.

Despite the controversy the novel went on to become a national bestseller.

DISCLAIMER: The Paper Dinosaur understands that the title of this book is a racial epithet and is used here only for the purposes of listing the book's title. We attach no political, ehtical, social, or other definitions to it derogatory or otherwise.