As a longtime fan of James Baldwin, I've had this book in my sights for a long time but didn't get down to actually read it until a little before now last year.
While I don't remember it really hitting me, I found it to be a great refresher of the life of Malcolm X whose autobiography I read so many years ago as a freshman/sophomore in high school (I think I actually read it for my 10th grade AP US History course with Dr. Paul Dickler, one of my greatest early teachers, over the summer before th
As a longtime fan of James Baldwin, I've had this book in my sights for a long time but didn't get down to actually read it until a little before now last year.
While I don't remember it really hitting me, I found it to be a great refresher of the life of Malcolm X whose autobiography I read so many years ago as a freshman/sophomore in high school (I think I actually read it for my 10th grade AP US History course with Dr. Paul Dickler, one of my greatest early teachers, over the summer before the start of sophomore year).
I also remember being struck by Baldwin's skill as a writer of scenes and thought it would be a great read for any aspiring playwright/screenwriter.
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James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.
James Baldwin offered a vital literary voice during the era of civil rights activism in the 1950s and '60s. The eldest of nine children, his stepfather was a minister. At age 14, Bal
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See this thread for more information.
James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.
James Baldwin offered a vital literary voice during the era of civil rights activism in the 1950s and '60s. The eldest of nine children, his stepfather was a minister. At age 14, Baldwin became a preacher at the small Fireside Pentecostal Church in Harlem. In the early 1940s, he transferred his faith from religion to literature. Critics, however, note the impassioned cadences of Black churches are still evident in his writing.
Go Tell It on the Mountain
, his first novel, is a partially autobiographical account of his youth. His essay collections
Notes of a Native Son
,
Nobody Knows My Name
, and
The Fire Next Time
were influential in informing a large white audience.
From 1948, Baldwin made his home primarily in the south of France, but often returned to the USA to lecture or teach. In 1957, he began spending half of each year in New York City. His novels include
Giovanni's Room
, about a white American expatriate who must come to terms with his homosexuality, and
Another Country
, about racial and gay sexual tensions among New York intellectuals. His inclusion of gay themes resulted in a lot of savage criticism from the Black community. Eldridge Cleaver, of the Black Panthers, stated the Baldwin's writing displayed an "agonizing, total hatred of blacks." Baldwin's play, Blues for Mister Charlie, was produced in 1964.
Going to Meet the Man
and
Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone
provided powerful descriptions of American racism. As an openly gay man, he became increasingly outspoken in condemning discrimination against lesbian and gay people.
On November 30, 1987 Baldwin died from stomach cancer in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.He was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, near New York City.