Birth
Nella Larsen was born in a mostly white, working-class neighborhood in Chicago.
Nursing School
Larsen enrolled in the nursing school at New York City's Lincoln Hospital and Nursing Home.
Head Nurse
Larsen went to work at the Tuskegee Institute Alabama and soon became the head nurse at its hospital and training school.
Head Nurse
Larsen returned to New York and worked for two years as a nurse at Lincoln Hospital.
Marriage
Larsen married Elmer Imes, a prominent physicist; he was the second African American to earn a PhD in physics.
"Negro art" Exhibit
Larsen worked nights and weekends as a volunteer with librarian Ernestine Rose, to help prepare for the first exhibit of "Negro art" at the New York Public Library (NYPL).
Graduation from NYPL Library School
Larsen became the first black woman to graduate from the NYPL Library School.
Resigning
Larsen gave up her work as a librarian as she made friends with important figures in the Negro Awakening (which became known as the Harlem Renaissance).
Quicksand
Larsen published Quicksand. It received significant critical acclaim and financial success.
Passing
Larsen published Passing, her second novel, which was also critically successful.
Sanctuary
Larsen published "Sanctuary", a short story for which she was accused of plagiarism. "Sanctuary" was said to resemble the British writer Sheila Kaye-Smith's short story, "Mrs. Adis", first published in the United Kingdom in 1919. Kaye-Smith wrote on rural themes, and was very popular in the US. Some critics thought the basic plot of "Sanctuary," and some of the descriptions and dialogue, were virtually identical to Kaye-Smith's work. However, it is clear that her intention was to depict the absurdity of Kaye-Smith’s work, yet her voice is diminished by her identity as a Black woman.
Stopped Writing
Struggling with depression, Larsen stopped writing.
Divorced
When her divorce had been completed, Larsen returned to New York.
Passing Away
Larsen passed away in her Brooklyn apartment at the age of 72.