Frank Garvin Yerby (September 05, 1916 – November 29, 1991) was an
African American historical novelist. He is best known as the first African American to write a best-selling novel and to have a book purchased by a Hollywood studio for a film adaptation. Born in
Augusta,
Georgia to Rufus Garvin Yerby, an African American, and Wilhelmina Smythe, who was caucasian, Yerby was originally noted for writing romance novels set in the
Antebellum South. In mid-century, Yerby embarked on a series of best-selling historical novels ranging from the
Athens of
Pericles to
Europe in the
Dark Ages. Yerby took considerable pains in research, and often footnoted his historical novels. In all, he wrote 33 novels. In 1946, he became the first African-American to publish a best-seller with
The Foxes of Harrow. That same year he also became the first African-American to have a book purchased for screen adaptation by a Hollywood studio, when
20th Century Fox optioned
Foxes. Ultimately, the book became a 1947
Oscar-nominated film starring
Rex Harrison and
Maureen O'Hara.
Yerby left the United States in 1955 in protest against racial discrimination, moving to Spain (then under the Franco regime), where he remained for the rest of his life. Frank Yerby died from congestive heart failure in Madrid and was interred there in the Cementerio de la Almudena.
Partial bibliography
The Foxes of Harrow (1946)
The Vixens (1947)
The Golden Hawk (1948)
Pride's Castle (1949)
Floodtide (1950)
A Woman Called Fancy (1951)
The Saracen Blade (1952)
The Devil's Laughter (1953)
Bride of Liberty (1954)
Benton's Row (1954)
The Treasure of Pleasant Valley (1955)
Captain Rebel (1955)
Fair Oaks (1957)
The Serpent and The Staff (1958)
Jarrett's Jade (1959)
Gillian (1960)
The Garfield Honor (1961)
Griffin's Way (1962)
The Old Gods Laugh (1964)
An Odor of Sanctity (1965)
Goat Song (1967)
Judas, My Brother (1968)
Speak Now (1969)
The Dahomean (1971, later published as The Man from Dahomey)
The Girl From Storeyville (1972)
The Voyage Unplanned (1974)
Tobias and the Angel (1975)
A Rose for Ana Maria (1976)
Hail the Conquering Hero (1977)
A Darkness at Ingraham's Crest (1979)
Western: A Saga of the Great Plains (1982)
Devilseed (1984)
McKenzie's Hundred (1985)
Film adaptations
The Foxes of Harrow (1947)
The Golden Hawk (1952)
The Saracen Blade (1954)
Further reading
Jarrett, Gene Andrew, Deans and Truants: Race and Realism in African American Literature (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007)
Lowe, J., "Subversive Romanticism, Haitian Specters, in Yerby’s The Golden Hawk" (Unpublished manuscript of conference paper) http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/1/4/2/6/p114260_index.html
Smiles, Robin V., "Uncovering Frank Yerby" in Black Issues in Higher Education, November 4, 2004 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_19_21/ai_n8964649/
Williams, John A. "Negro In Literature Today" in Ebony magazine issue of September 1963 http://books.google.fr/books?id=WF2MuN467ZIC&source;=gbs_navlinks_s
References
External links
Frank Yerby Renaissance Project Tribute/research site
Category:African American writers
Category:American historical novelists
Category:1916 births
Category:1991 deaths
Category:Deaths from congestive heart failure
Category:People from Augusta, Georgia
Category:People of the New Deal arts projects
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![[ Meine Bücherwelt ] Das Haus der Jarretts von Frank Yerby ( Videorezension )](http://web.archive.org./web/20110508130717im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Iz9jfWUybzI/0.jpg "[ Meine Bücherwelt ] Das Haus der Jarretts von Frank Yerby ( Videorezension )")
