Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle Book Discussion of "Harlem Rhapsody" with guest author, Victoria Christopher Murray
Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle Book Discussion of "Harlem Rhapsody" with guest author, Victoria Christopher Murray Online
Join us on February 19th via Zoom, for a special Reading Circle with New York Times best selling author, Victoria Christopher Murray! We will discuss her latest historical fiction book, Harlem Rhapsody, named a "Best Book of the Year" by NPR, and a 2026 NAACP Image Award nominated book in the Outstanding Literary Work category!
"In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.
W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, but he’s also her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives…every African American writer in the country wants their work published there."
Connect with us the entire year of 2026 as we celebrate The Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle's 10th year of lively book discussions!
- Date:
- Thursday, February 19, 2026
- Time:
- 6:30pm - 7:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Online:
- This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
- Audience:
- CofC Faculty and Staff CofC Students Friends of the Library General Public
- Categories:
- Dr. Conseula Francis Reading Circle