The Blues I'm Playing | Essays and Criticism

  • Conflicting Perspectives on Art Represented by the Two Main Characters in the Story

    Brent has a Ph.D. in American Culture, specializing in cinema studies, from the University of Michigan. She is a freelance writer and editor and teaches courses in American cinema. In the following essay, she discusses the conflicting perspectives on ‘‘art’’ represented by the two main characters in the story.

  • Overview of The Blues I'm Playing

    Le Blanc has taught at the University of Michigan and is currently an editor and free-lance writer. In the following essay, she discusses the subtle ways in which Hughes conveys his social message in the story.

  • Blues to Live by: Langston Hughes's The Blues I'm Playing

    Tracy leads a blues band and has published books on the blues and on Langston Hughes. In the following essay, he offers his interpretation of the conflict between Dora Ellsworth and Oceola Jones, focusing on the significance of the blues in the story and on the meaning of Oceola’s name.

  • The Ways of White Folks

    In the following excerpt, Bone discusses the conflict between Oceola Jones and Dora Ellsworth and the significance of the blues to the story.