Nella Larsen

Who was Nella Larsen?

Nellallitea "Nella" Larsen, born Nellie Walker, was an American novelist of the Harlem Renaissance. First working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novels—Quicksand and Passing —and a few short stories. Though her literary output was scant, she earned recognition by her contemporaries. A revival of interest in her writing has occurred since the late twentieth century, when issues of racial and sexual identity and identification have been studied.