Harlem (New York Triptych)

Stephanie St. Clair, better known as Madame St. Clair or Queenie, was a significant voice in Harlem during the tumultuous years following the Harlem Renaissance. Born and raised in Martinique, Stephanie immigrated to New York, where she eventually set up her numbers game, becoming the Queen of the Streets. With her small army of friends and associates, including Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, Queenie took on mob boss Dutch Schultz and the corrupt New York City Police. Ultimately, her testimony helped clean up her beloved streets and gave Harlem a new voice.

Harlem by graphic novelist Mikaël is a work of historic fiction centered around Stephanie “Queenie” St. Clair. Though many of the characters are real and the significant events of this graphic novel happened mostly as told in this book, the story that plays out is a work of Mikaël’s imagination. That does not take away from Queenie’s importance to the Harlem neighborhood. Mikaël’s artwork throughout this novel does an excellent job of portraying hopping jazz club or the cold winter streets of New York. Even as a work of fiction, Mikaël’s story tells of this important woman going up against a corrupt system as Madam St. Clair rules Harlem as its Queen.