Rough amusements

by Ben Neihart

"When A'Lelia Walker died in 1931 after a midnight snack of lobster and chocolate cake washed down with champagne, it marked the end of one of the most striking social careers in New York's history. The daughter of rags to riches multimillionaire and philanthropist Madame C. J. Walker, A'Lelia was America's first black poor little rich girl, using her inheritance to throw elaborate, celebrity-packed parties in her Westchester mansion and 136th Street salon.". "Ben Neihart takes us into the heart of A'Lelia's world, exploring mixed-race prostitution, the bachelorization of New York society, sexually audacious French balls, and the Slide, New York's most depraved nineteenth-century bar. Along the way, he introduces us to a mesmerizing cast, including Nancy Cunard, the combative shipping heiress; Langston Hughes, the self-contained poetic genius; and Jennie June, the tragic, castrated sexual addict.". "With Harlem's lavish drag balls as a backdrop, Neihart presents one evening when A'Leli