First published 2009
The rooms of Paul Robeson's house hold memories that refuse to stay silent. Stewart creates fictional voices from within the walls where the legendary singer, actor, and activist lived with his family. Each story captures a different moment in the domestic life behind Robeson's public fame. The kitchen table bears witness to heated political discussions. The living room echoes with rehearsals and visiting artists. Upstairs bedrooms shelter private doubts and dreams. Through invented conversations and intimate scenes, Stewart explores how Robeson's commitment to civil rights and international solidarity shaped his family's daily existence. The stories reveal the weight of living under government surveillance, the strain of blacklisting on household finances, and the complex dynamics between a father devoted to global justice and the people who shared his private world. Stewart gives voice to family members, friends, and visitors who moved through these domestic spaces during some of the most turbulent decades of the twentieth century.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, african-american, biography-memoir, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intimate-portrait
Setting: Paul Robeson House
Period: 20th Century
72 pages · Paperback · West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance