Wikipedia

Hughes Allison

Hughes Allison (1908–1974), was an African American author, playwright, and journalist.[1][2]

Hughes Allison
Born(1908-03-29)March 29, 1908
Greenville, North Carolina
Died(1974-08-26)August 26, 1974
Newark, NJ

Early life

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Hughes Allison was born in North Carolina and moved to Newark with his family in 1919.[3] His father was in life insurance, and his mother was a teacher.[4] He attended Bergen Street Grammar School, Barringer High School, and Upsala College.[1][5] He was married to Elitea ("Lee") Bulkley, a librarian, in 1919.[1][6]

Published works

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Allison's first published story was in Challenge Magazine in 1935.[7] He regularly contributed to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and True Story; he was the first African American to have a short story published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine with the story Corollary.[2][7][8][9] His most famous character in his mysteries was African American detective Joe Hill, who Allison said was "equipped to think with his skin".[8][10][11] Some of his mystery stories featured characters inspired by real Newark policemen.[5]

Allison wrote the 1937 Broadway play "The Trial of Dr. Beck," which was originally produced by the Federal Theatre.[2][12][13] The Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote, "[it] is a vigorous and entertaining sample of its kind".[14] The New York Daily News called it a "well-written, well-acted drama" and said "when the Federal Theatre Project can present an evening's entertainment of this type for 55 cents, the Broadway producers better look to their box offices".[15]

Allison also wrote "It's Midnight Over Newark", which was produced by the Mosque Theatre (now Symphony Hall) in 1941.[16][13] The play centered around the lack of African-American doctors and nurses in Newark hospitals.[16][13]

Allison also wrote over 2,000 radio scripts.[7][2] In the 1950s, he wrote a series of articles on school segregation for the Newark Evening News, which inspired court cases by the federal government.[17]

Later life

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The home of Allison and his wife, at 15 Wallace St in Newark, was threatened in the 1970s by urban renewal, when the entire neighborhood was slated for demolition. Though the Allisons protested the decision, they were unsuccessful and the house was demolished.[18] In his later years his writing was limited due to failing health and he died in 1974.[17][19]

Allison's papers are held at the Newark Public Library.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Cummings, Charles. "Author Hughes Allison Tackled Racial Stereotypes, Prejudices". Knowing Newark. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Case of the Disappearing Black Detective Novel". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  3. ^ "Hughes Allison, Author born". African American Registry. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  4. ^ Penzler, Otto (2009). Black noir : mystery, crime and suspense stories by African-American writers. Internet Archive. New York : Pegasus Books. ISBN 978-1-60598-057-7.
  5. ^ a b Scott, Geraldine (July 18, 1948). "Three Newark cops dramatized in fiction". Star Ledger. pp. 13–14.
  6. ^ "New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  7. ^ a b c Longendyck, Catherine (2016). Newark's Literary Lights (PDF).
  8. ^ a b Bailey, Frankie Y. (2014-01-10). African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-5233-0.
  9. ^ Negro Digest. Negro Digest Publishing Company. 1948.
  10. ^ Rzepka, Charles J.; Horsley, Lee (2020-07-13). A Companion to Crime Fiction. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-67577-8.
  11. ^ Brunsdale, Mitzi M. (2006-04-30). Gumshoes: A Dictionary of Fictional Detectives. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-04088-7.
  12. ^ "The Trial of Doctor Beck". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  13. ^ a b c Jr, Bernard L. Peterson (2000-10-30). Profiles of African American Stage Performers and Theatre People, 1816-1960. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-06503-3.
  14. ^ "Trial of Dr Beck WPA Offers New Courtroom Drama". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Aug 10, 1937. p. 17.
  15. ^ Reynolds, Ruth (August 11, 1937). "Murder Trial Play by WPA Is Thriller". Daily News. p. 49.
  16. ^ a b Prentiss, Craig R. (2014). Staging Faith: Religion and African American Theater from the Harlem Renaissance to World War II. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-0795-1.
  17. ^ a b "Hughes Allison, Newark Writer, 66". Star Ledger. August 27, 1974. p. 40.
  18. ^ a b "Collection: Hughes Allison Collection | Welcome to the Newark Public Library". newarkpubliclibrary.libraryhost.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  19. ^ Thompson, Robert B. (Jun 21, 1967). "Author Awaits Ironic Ending: Author's Unblighted Home Due to be Razed". Newark Evening News. p. 28.
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