Get to know James Baldwin
By Amy Wright
“James Baldwin was born for truth. It called upon him to tell it on the mountains, to preach it in Harlem, to sing it on the Left Bank in Paris. His honesty and courage would lead him to see truth and to write truth in poetry, drama, fiction, and essay. He was a giant.” - Maya Angelou
The fact that he was cited as an inspiration to the greats like Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, Langston Hughes, Toni Morrison, Nina Simone, and Zadie Smith is what initially drew me to James Baldwin’s work.
Known for his novels, essays, poetry, plays, and activism Baldwin was a significant influence on both
the civil rights and gay liberation movements in 20th century America.
His writing often explores themes of race, sexuality, masculinity, and class with beautiful lyricism, power, and unflinching morality. He has been cemented as a cornerstone of the literary canon and is a writer that has helped shape my personal moral imagination.
Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
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More of Baldwin’s fiction
Baldwin’s first novel, published in 1953, is regarded as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.
It tells the semi-autobiographical story of a young man in Harlem. Taking place over a 24-hour period, Baldwin employs masterful non-linear storytelling to explore familial relationships, sexuality, race, and religion.
Unpacking both the repression and hope people receive from the church and their parents, this novel would be great to read alongside Notes of a Native Son.
“And his mind could not contain the terrible stretch of time that united twelve men fishing by the shores of Galilee, and black men weeping on their knees tonight, and he, a witness.”
More of Baldwin’s fiction
Giovanni’s Room with its poetic and evocative prose is a stirring exploration of love and identity. If Beale Street Could Talk and Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone bring new striking characters into Harlem while Another Country dives into the jazz scene. Going to Meet the Man is a short story collection and would be a great introduction into Baldwin’s work.
The Harlem Ghetto: Essays by James Baldwin
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Three essays originally published between 1948 and 1955.
In the first essay, The Harlem Ghetto, Baldwin uses reflections on his hometown of Harlem to unpack systemic oppression, specifically within Black communities in the mid-20th century.
In Journey to Atlanta, Baldwin employs the story of his brother’s trip to Atlanta to explore African Americans’ distrust of politicians and the failings of their political parties.
The last essay is the seminal Notes of a Native Son, an extended essay that uses deeply personal narratives for expansive social and political criticism. This essay goes into ideas of identity, community, the church, and the portrayal of Black people in literature and the media.
As with most of his work, Baldwin's unrelenting honesty shines through within this collection.
I Am Not Your N**** by James Baldwin
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In 2016 Raoul Peck directed the documentary film I Am Not Your N**** based on Baldwin's writings including his accounts of the Civil Rights Movement and leaders such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, and Medgar Evers.
In this book Raoul Peck weaves pieces of Baldwin’s writing together into an impactful collection of social critique and American history as analyzed by one of its greatest writers.
As with most of his work, Baldwin's unrelenting honesty shines through this collection.
More Non-Fiction
Notes of a Native Son is a must read essay collection that cemented Baldwin as the voice of his generation, a title he made good on in The Fire Next Time and Nobody Knows My Name. No Name in the Street takes more of a memoir form as Baldwin reflects on becoming an activist. A great introduction to Baldwin’s non-fiction would be Dark Days, a small book of three searing essays.
After Baldwin
These titles build on the legacy of James Baldwin’s writing and activism.
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race, by Jesmyn Ward
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Begin Again: James Balwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
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