Delving into the world of mirrored night clubs and their visitors, Columbia University English and comparative literature professor Brent Edwards described African-American expatriates' experiences in 1920s Paris at the annual William Cook Lecture on Thursday afternoon.
Edwards's presentation focused on African-Americans artists, including dancer and singer Ada "Bricktop" Smith and Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay.
Smith, born to an Irish-American father and African-American mother, was nicknamed "Bricktop" for her red hair. She ran an after-hours club in the Grand Duke, where African-American expatriates, American celebrities and European nobility mingled without racial tension.
"Bricktop created a fantasy world, a vision of America as it could or should be," Edwards said.
Smith is often associated with singers Florence Mills, Florence Jones and Josephine Baker, who left few archives other than their business expenses. Smith's small expense notebooks record important visitors, such as Charlie Chaplain, Ella Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso.
Edwards examined the relationship between cabarets and newspapers during the roaring '20s. Both circulated information, albeit in different ways.
"The newspaper and cabaret are not separate spheres," he said. "What is illicit about the cabaret is the unregulated circulation of information."
Edwards concluded with a recording of Smith singing Cole Porter's jazz standard "Miss Otis Regrets."
The event, "More Ways to do the Charleston," honored Cook, a former English and African American Studies professor, who taught at the College for over 30 years.
Edwards said he admired Cook, whose primary interests lie in American poetry and drama. Cook, who has been wheelchair bound since 2008, attended the lecture as well.
"It's an honor not to step into his shoes, but to step into his wake," Edwards said. Before coming to the College, Cook was a legendary teacher at Princeton High School in New Jersey.
"There are people at Princeton High School who remember sitting in his classes as children and will never forget it," said Peter Bien, a former English professor who knew Cook at Dartmouth.
When the English department heard about Cook, they hired him even though he did not have a doctorate. He attended a PhD program at the University of Chicago for two years and eventually became chair of the English department. Bien said Cook's fairness and organizational skills made him a strong department chair.
After retiring from the College, Cook was hired by the American University of Kuwait to help establish its English department. Upon his return to the United States, Cook suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body.
Sanders Davis '14 said he attended the lecture because he is taking a Harlem Renaissance class and wanted to learn more about African American artists.
"Although the lecture was not about what I thought it would be about, I really enjoyed it in part because I am from New Orleans and appreciate jazz," he said.
