Why Did Langston Hughes's "Troubled Lands" Go Unpublished for Nearly a Century?: A Conversation with Ricardo Wilson

In this episode of the New Books Network, host Caleb Zachron speaks with Ricardo Wilson, editor of *Troubled Lands: Stories of Mexico and Cuba*, a long-lost collection of translations by Langston Hughes that remained unpublished for nearly a century. Wilson traces Hughes' deep but underappreciated connections to Latin America, particularly Mexico and Cuba, where he spent time in 1934–1935 translating over 30 stories from prominent and emerging writers. Despite Hughes' fame and prolific output, the collection was suppressed by his agent, Maxim Lieber, likely due to fears of political repercussions during the rising anti-communist climate, especially given Hughes' known leftist affiliations. Wilson reveals how Lieber’s skepticism—framed as protective but ultimately obstructive—along with complex copyright issues, delayed publication for decades. The episode explores Hughes’ multifaceted identity beyond the Harlem Renaissance, emphasizing his commitment to translation, fiction, and global literary exchange. Wilson also discusses the cultural and racial dynamics in the stories, Hughes’ subtle editorial interventions (such as adding 'brownness' to a race-neutral text), and the significance of including writers like Nelly Campobello and Lino Novoscalvo, whose early works reveal radical literary potential. The publication of *Troubled Lands* marks a crucial reclamation of Hughes’ broader intellectual and political legacy. Wilson reflects on how this project deepened his own interdisciplinary work as a scholar and founder of the Outpost Foundation, which supports writers of color from the U.S. and Latin America. He emphasizes the need to move beyond simplified narratives of Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, advocating for a more expansive, global understanding of Black literary history. He also shares his current projects, including translating Lino Novoscalvo’s 1932 novel *El Negreiro*, a pioneering work in the neo-slave narrative genre, and writing a contemporary novel about fugitive communities in Vermont. The episode concludes with a call to educators and readers to engage more deeply with Hughes’ fiction and translation work, challenging the narrow canon that has long defined him.