Jazz Discussion Essay

Write a four to five-page paper that responds to on of this prompts:

Focusing on “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” discuss how Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston drew upon jazz and the blues for artistic inspiration during the Harlem Renaissance? How does their work compare to others who were part of this intellectual/cultural movement? What assumptions did they make about the social location of the music and the politics of its reception by different audiences?

Guidelines:

Your answer should be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with page numbers on each page. References must be cited using a recognizable format (e.g., MLA). A bibliography is not required, unless you choose to consult sources from outside the course.

You are expected to demonstrate your familiarity with the relevant course materials and key themes within them. You are also expected to demonstrate your ability to think independently, critically, and creatively.

Please consider the following as you near completion:

Pertinence: Does my paper respond to the assignment? Reread the essay prompt to be certain.
Argument: Do I have a clear thesis statement in my opening paragraph? Is it focused enough to be supported by my evidence?
Development: Do the paragraphs that constitute the body of the paper advance my argument? Is their connection to the central argument clear? Do I have clear topic sentences? Do I support my argument with appropriate evidence?
Conclusion: Does my conclusion correspond to the claims made in the introduction?
Tone/grammar: Read the essay out loud to yourself. Does the tone seem appropriate? Have I made sure there are no words missing or sentences that are hard to follow?