This anthology—the first of its kind—considers the poetry, critical analysis of literature and language, personal narrative, dialogue and political speech by African American, Asian American, and European American authors. Racing and (E)Racing Language explores genres in American literature from the 1850s through the 1990s—from work songs to poetry; from fiction to theater. This book sheds light on many kinds of American language and throws into relief the written word as a shifting common ground—a charged and unpredictable space—where different voices, ethnic groups, and classes exert different kinds and varying degrees of influence on one another.
Ellen J. Goldner is associate professor of English at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York. She has contributed to many publications including MELUS and Studies in American Fiction.
Safiya Henderson-Holmes is associate professor of English at Syracuse University where she teaches poetry and creative writing. She is the author of Madness and a Bit of Hope and Daily Bread.