Chester Himes
A writer who channeled the brutal poetry of Harlem's streets into groundbreaking, searingly honest crime novels.
1909–1984 (age 75)·American novelist·Birthday: July 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Chester Himes's life was a crucible for his art. Born in Missouri in 1909, his path was violently altered at age 19 when a botched armed robbery led to a 25-year prison sentence. It was behind bars that he began to write short stories, his raw talent earning publication in national magazines. Paroled in 1936, he moved into the WPA era, but his early social realist novels like 'If He Hollers Let Him Go' struggled to find a wide American audience. Disillusioned, he moved to France in 1953, where he found a receptive literary community. There, a French editor's suggestion to try a detective story unlocked his masterpiece: the Harlem Detective series. Featuring the volatile, righteous cops Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson, these books used the pulp framework to deliver a blistering, surreal, and darkly comic portrait of systemic racism and urban chaos. Himes never softened his vision; his work remains a foundational pillar of American noir, celebrated more in Europe during his lifetime but now recognized as a vital and unflinching chronicle of the Black experience.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Chester was born in 1909, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chester Was Born
The biggest hits of 1909
Chester's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1909Born
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1914Started school
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Became a teenager
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Could drive
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1927Could vote
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Turned 21
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1939Turned 30
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 40
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 50
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 60
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 70
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Died at 75
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
Key Achievements
- Won France's prestigious Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in 1958 for his novel 'La Reine des pommes' ('For Love of Imabelle').
- Created the influential Harlem Detective series, featuring detectives Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson.
- Published his first novel, 'If He Hollers Let Him Go,' in 1945, a powerful exploration of racism during World War II.
- Authored a two-volume autobiography, 'The Quality of Hurt' and 'My Life of Absurdity,' detailing his extraordinary life.
Did You Know?
He began writing while serving a sentence for armed robbery in Ohio State Penitentiary.
Several of his novels were adapted into films, including 'Cotton Comes to Harlem' in 1970.
He lived as an expatriate in France and Spain for much of his later career.
His middle name, Bomar, was his mother's maiden name.
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