Nigger Heaven (1926) is a book by Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) set during the Harlem renaissance in the United States in the 1920s. The book has been controversial since its publication for its title. However, the title refers to the balconies of movie theaters. During Jim Crow years, the balconies were reserved for African Americans, while the white audience sat below. One pejorative term for the balcony, therefore, was "nigger heaven."
The novel, on the other hand, was a portrayal of life in the "great black walled city" of Harlem. It shows a world full of intellectuals, political activists, and bacchanalian workers all mixed in together. The plot of the novel concerns two people, a quiet librarian and an aspiring writer, who try to keep their love alive as racism denies them every opportunity.
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