James Baldwin (Modern Critical Views)

Bloom, H. (ed.)

ISBN 10: 0791093654 / ISBN 13: 9780791093658

Published by Chelsea House Publishers, 2007

About this Item

This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. In good all round condition. No dust jacket. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,600grams, ISBN:9780791093658.

Seller Inventory # 8733164

Bibliographic Details

• Title: James Baldwin (Modern Critical Views)
• Publisher: Chelsea House Publishers
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0791093654
• ISBN 13: 9780791093658
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good
• Weight: 600 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Social Sciences

About this title

Synopsis

Having true international appeal, James Baldwin was as well known in Istanbul and Paris as he was in Harlem. His reputation was made on incendiary and eloquent essays written and published to mass acclaim in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as a trio of early novels dealing with racism, sexuality, violence, and religion. Among his lauded works are Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, and the controversial Giovanni's Room. Students will benefit from this updated volume from the Bloom's Modern Critical Views series; it provides an academic yet accessible overview of this boundary-breaking writer that is ideal for research papers.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-A comprehensive look at Baldwin's life and times. Kenan begins with a chapter-long description of a significant incident in his subject's life-a 1963 trip to Selma to aid in the black voter registration drive. Unfortunately, the author's conscientious provision of background information on the civil rights movement ultimately obscures Baldwin's part in that drama; thus, what should have been an interest-stimulating picture of a defining moment becomes an 11-page introduction. In chapter two, readers finally begin to get a picture of the world-renowned writer, political activist, and black gay man. The text is based on a wealth of published sources and includes frequent quotes drawn from Baldwin's works and his other biographers. This wealth (plus the absence of footnotes, which dictates that all source citations be made within the text itself) results in a dense narrative that may daunt some readers. The book's attractive format, however, reflects good choices for a YA audience, with numerous black-and-white photos, a list of Baldwin's works and a list for further reading, and a fairly detailed index. While the series title might suggest an exclusive focus on his sexual identity, this biography simply adds that perspective to the existing mosaic of his life with a candor that reflects Baldwin's own self-presentation. Previous studies written for young people make no mention of his sexual orientation. Kenan's book acts as a corrective, and libraries that already stock Lisa Rosset's James Baldwin (Chelsea, 1989) may want to acquire this one as well. It introduces young people to this eloquent witness to an individual and collective American minority experience.
Christine Jenkins, University of Illinois, Champaign
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.