Rilla Askew, Fire in Beulah

Ken Hada (East Central University)

Ed. by Patrick Chura, University of Akron
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 2001

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Recommended Reading

Published in 2001,

Fire in Beulah

, Rilla Askew’s second novel, is preceded by a collection of stories,

Strange Business

(1992), and the novel

The Mercy Seat

(1998).

Fire in Beulah

was a recipient of the American Book Award, and it continues to be a relevant text read due to a skillful combination of history and fiction. The novel was one of the first fictional accounts drawing on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Askew followed this work with the novels

Harpsong

(2007),

Kind ofKin

(2013), and a collection of essays,

Most American

(2017). To date, all of her works offer a clear understanding of various social concerns blended with historical insight, voiced in penetrating narration and credible characterization.

Fire in Beulah blends history and fiction and is set in early twentieth century

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1995 words

Citation: Hada, Ken. "Fire in Beulah". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 March 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40100, accessed 20 April 2024.]

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