James Baldwin: The Legacy - Hardcover

JAMES BALDWIN

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0671676504 ISBN 13: 9780671676506

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd, 1990

Synopsis

From inside the dust jacket: In shining memories - and in his own words - here is a profoundly moving portrait of "one of the few genuinely indispensable American Writers" (Saturday Review). For the first time since his passing, his renowned peers assess and celebrate the legacy of James Baldwin. In this one volume is the measure of his enormous influence on the literary and intellectual history of our time. When Mr. Baldwin died in 1987, the tremendous feeling of loss and grief throughout the world was accompanied by an outpouring of memorials. Included in this book are the tributes given at his funeral in New York City by Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka, and Maya Angelou. Baldwin's close friend, the poet Quincy Troupe, has also brought together critical essays by Baldwin's peers and intensely penetrating interviews that illuminate his impact as a civil rights and human rights champion. To discover the personal, private spirit of the man, Troupe has also gathered reflections from friends. They share memories ranging from his mother's love to his Parisian haunts to his final hours in the south of France. The book also includes the essay "Notes of a Native Son," key selections from other major writings, many previously unpublished photographs, a complete bibliography, and Mr. Baldwin's last interview, which was conducted two weeks before his death. With a Foreword by the Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and with contributions by Mary McCarthy, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and many more, James Baldwin is not only a lasting tribute to the man but will remain an invaluable resource and guide as long as Mr. Baldwin's work is read.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Baldwin, mentor to a generation of black artists and writers, is eulogized through essays and interviews as well as speeches delivered at his memorial service. Maya Angelou calls Baldwin her brother, in a time when "black women had a crying need for brothers." Mary McCarthy remembers Baldwin's "elegance" and William Styron describes the year that he, grandson of a slave owner, offered the use of his Connecticut studio to Baldwin, grandson of a slave: "He left a silence that to this day somehow resonates through the house." Journalist Mel Watkins introduces a vigorous discussion of Baldwin's craft, evidence of which is amply provided by "Notes of a Native Son" and other writings gathered here. The variety of texts is chaotic, but collectively the pieces demonstrate the power and influence of a major literary figure. Troupe, whose interview with his close friend Baldwin is included, won the American Book Award for poetry with Snake-Back Solos. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0671676504
• ISBN 13: 9780671676506
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272