Chester Bomar Himes (July 29, 1909 – November 12, 1984) was a famous African American writer. His works include If He Hollers Let Him Go and a series of Harlem Detective novels. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... A pseudonym (Greek pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons true name. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State Missouri Counties Cole and Callaway Government  - Mayor John Landwehr Area  - City  28. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Moraira is a small coastal town in the La Marina Alta district lying 80km north of the city of Alicante and 100km south of Valencia. ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or content. ... Hardboiled crime fiction is a uniquely American style pioneered by Dashiell Hammett, refined by Raymond Chandler, and endlessly imitated since by writers such as Mickey Spillane. ... Sherlock Holmes, pipe-puffing hero of crime fiction, confers with his colleague Dr. Watson; together these characters popularized the genre. ... Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centers upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... A novel by Chester Himes published in 1946 about a black shipyard worker in Los Angeles during World War II. Bob Jones lives in a culture so steeped with racism that his every word and action has to be carefully thought out. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... A novel by Chester Himes published in 1946 about a black shipyard worker in Los Angeles during World War II. Bob Jones lives in a culture so steeped with racism that his every word and action has to be carefully thought out. ... The Harlem Detective series of novels by Chester Himes comprises 9 Hardboiled novels set in the 1950s and early 1960s: For Love of Imabelle, AKA A Rage in Harlem The Crazy Kill The Real Cool Killers All Shot Up The Big Gold Dream The Heats On Cotton...

Life

Chester Himes was born in Jefferson City, Missouri on July 29, 1909. He grew up in a middle-class home in Missouri and in Ohio. Chester's parents were Joseph Sandy Himes and Estelle Bomar Himes. Alternate uses: see Jefferson City (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Himes attended East High School in Cleveland Ohio. While he was a freshman at Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio, he was expelled for a prank. Years later, he entered prison for armed robbery. In prison, he wrote short stories and had them published in national magazines. Himes stated that writing and publishing was a way to earn respect from guards and fellow inmates, as well as avoid violence.^{[citation needed]} Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Ohio. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Ohio Counties Franklin, Delaware, and Fairfield Government  - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area  - City  212. ...

By the 1950s Himes had decided to settle in France permanently, a country he liked in part due to his critical popularity there. In Paris Himes was the contemporary of the political cartoonist, Oliver Harrington, and fellow writers, Richard Wright and James Baldwin. This does not cite any references or sources. ... Oliver Wendell Harrington (February 14, 1912 – November 2, 1995) is considered by many to be the greatest African-American cartoonist. ... Richard Wright (September 4, 1908 – November 28, 1960) was an American author of novels, short stories and non-fiction. ... James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – November 30, 1987) was an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet, and essayist, best known for his novel Go Tell It on the Mountain. ...

Some regard Chester Himes as the literary equal of Dashiell Hammett^{[citation needed]} and Raymond Chandler^{[citation needed]}. Ishmael Reed says "[Himes] taught me the difference between a black detective and Sherlock Homes" and it would be more than 30 years until another Black mystery writer, Walter Mosley and his Easy Rawlins and Mouse series, had even a similar effect. ^[1] Himes was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. [1] Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. ... Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an author of crime stories and novels. ... Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans. ... The Greek alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Greek language since about the 9th century BCE. It was the first alphabet in the narrow sense, that is, a writing system using a separate symbol for each vowel and consonant alike. ... The terms fraternity and sorority (from the Latin words and , meaning brother and sister respectively) may be used to describe many social and charitable organizations, for example the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Rotary International, Optimist International, or the Shriners. ...

The first biographical treatment of Himes's life is "The Several Lives of Chester Himes," by long-time Himes scholars Edward Margolies and Michel Fabre, published in 1997 by University Press of Mississippi. Later, novelist and Himes scholar James Sallis published much more deeply detailed biography of Himes called Chester Himes: A Life (2000).

A detailed examination of Himes's writing and what has been written about him in both America and Europe can be found in "Chester Himes: An Annotated Primary and Secondary Bibliography" compiled by Michel Fabre, Robert E. Skinner, and Lester Sullivan (Greenwood Press, 1992)

Mike Davies in "City of Quartz: Excavating the Future of Los Angeles", describes the prvalence of racism in Hollywood in the 40s and 50s, cites Himes' brief career as a screen-writer for Warner Brothers, terminated when Jack Warner heard about him and said "I don't want no niggers on this lot." (Davies, City of Quartz, pg 43, Verso 2006). Himes later wrote in his biography:

Up to the age of thirty-one I had been hurt emotionally, spiritually and physically as much as thirty-one years can bear. I had lived in the South, I had fallen down an elevator shaft, I had been kicked out of college, I had served seven and one half years in prison, I had survived the humiliating last five years of Depression in Cleveland; and still I was entire, complete, functional; my mind was sharp, my reflexes were good, and I was not bitter. But under the mental corrosion of race prejudice in Los Angeles I became bitter and saturated with hate."

In 1969,fleeing oppression, Himes moved to Moraira, Spain, where he died in 1984 from Parkinson's Disease. Moraira is a small coastal town in the La Marina Alta district lying 80km north of the city of Alicante and 100km south of Valencia. ...

Works

A recent edition of If He Hollers Let Him Go

Himes's novels encompassed many genres including the crime novel/mystery and political polemics, exploring racism in the United States. Image File history File links If_he_hollers_let_him_go. ... Image File history File links If_he_hollers_let_him_go. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Racism is a belief or concept that inherent differences between people (such as those upon which the concept of race is based) determine cultural or individual achievement, and may involve the idea that ones own race is superior. ...

Chester Himes wrote about African Americans in general, especially in two books that are concerned with labor relations and African American workplace issues. If He Hollers Let Him Go — contains many autobiographical elements—is about a black shipyard worker in Los Angeles during World War II struggling against racism as well as his own violent reactions to racism. Lonely Crusade is a longer work that examines some of the same issues. Cast the First Stone is based on Himes's experiences in prison. It was Himes's first novel but was not published until about 10 years after it was written. One reason may have been Himes' unusually candid treatment — for that time — of a homosexual relationship. A novel by Chester Himes published in 1946 about a black shipyard worker in Los Angeles during World War II. Bob Jones lives in a culture so steeped with racism that his every word and action has to be carefully thought out. ... Small shipyard in Klaksvík (Faroe Islands), reparing fishing vessels Fish ladder and shipyard in Grave, the Netherlands Construction hall of Schichau Seebeck Shipyard, Bremerhaven Gdynia Shipyard Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

Himes also wrote a series of Harlem Detective novels featuring Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones, New York City police detectives in Harlem. The novels feature a mordant emotional timbre and a fatalistic approach to street situations. Funeral homes are often part of the story, and funeral director H. Exodus Clay is a recurring character in these books. The Harlem Detective series of novels by Chester Himes comprises 9 Hardboiled novels set in the 1950s and early 1960s: For Love of Imabelle, AKA A Rage in Harlem The Crazy Kill The Real Cool Killers All Shot Up The Big Gold Dream The Heats On Cotton... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The titles of the series include A Rage In Harlem, The Real Cool Killers, The Crazy Kill, All Shot Up, The Big Gold Dream, The Heat's On, Cotton Comes to Harlem, and Blind Man With A Pistol; all written in the period 1957-1969.

Cotton Comes to Harlem was made into a movie in 1970, which was set in that time period, rather than the earlier period of the original book. A sequel, Come Back, Charleston Blue was released in 1972. And For Love of Imabelle was made into a film under the title A Rage in Harlem in 1991. Cotton Comes to Harlem is a 1970 blaxploitation film starring Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. ... Come Back, Charleston Blue is a 1972 film starring Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. ... A Rage in Harlem is a 1991 film starring Forest Whitaker, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines based on Chester Himes novel of the same name. ...

Novels and Stories

1. If He Hollers Let Him Go, 1945
2. The Lonely Crusade, 1947
3. Cast the First Stone, 1952
4. The Third Generation, 1954
5. The End of a Primitive, 1955
6. For Love of Imabelle, alternate title A Rage in Harlem, 1957
7. The Real Cool Killers, 1959
8. The Crazy Kill, 1959
9. The Big Gold Dream, 1960
10. All Shot up, 1960
11. Run Man Run, 1960
12. Pinktoes, 1961
13. The Heat's on, 1966
14. Cotton Comes to Harlem, 1965
15. Blind Man with a Pistol, 1969
16. Black on Black, 1973
17. A Case of Rape, 1980
18. The Collected Stories of Chester Himes, 1990
19. Plan B, 1993
20. Yesterday Will Make You Cry, 1998

A novel by Chester Himes published in 1946 about a black shipyard worker in Los Angeles during World War II. Bob Jones lives in a culture so steeped with racism that his every word and action has to be carefully thought out. ... Plan B is an unfinished novel by Chester Himes, which despite its incomplete status is often considered the final volume in the Harlem Cycle. ...

Autobiography

1. The Quality of Hurt (1973)
2. My Life of Absurdity (1976)

A useful companion to the two volumes of autobiography is "Conversations with Chester Himes," edited by Michel Fabre and Robert E. Skinner, published by University Press of Mississippi in 1995.

See also

• African American literature

African American literature is the body of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. ...

References

• Lipsitz, George. Rainbow at Midnight: Labor and Culture in the 1940s. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1994.
• Margolies, Edward, and Michel Fabre. The Several Lives of Chester Himes. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1997.
• Franklin, H. Bruce. “Self-Mutilations.” Rev. of Yesterday Will Make You Cry, by Chester Himes. Nation 16 Feb. 1998: 28-31.

External links

• Biography
• Review of The Collected Short Stories Of Chester Himes
• Overview and Review of Himes's Work
• (French) Audiobook (mp3) : Face in the moon, short story translated in french
• Friends of Chester Himes website
• [2]