Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments

Explore the radical social transformation of black intimate life in early 20th century Philadelphia and New York with Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments. Author Saidiya Hartman examines the sweeping changes that challenged traditional Victorian beliefs about courtship, love, and marriage. Through the stories of young black women who desired a different existence than domestic service and respectable poverty, Hartman shows how they shaped a cultural movement that transformed the urban landscape. This deeply researched and beautifully written book recovers their radical aspirations and insurgent desires.