10
African-American Authors Everyone Should Read
by Forbes.com
.jpg)
Frederick Douglass (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The majestic Maya Angelou, whom I
met years ago at San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church, once remarked, “There is
no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Sadly, this agony
was once common to millions of African-Americans, whose stories often went
untold or unheard, let alone published and read by the world.
Nevertheless, many inspiring and
irreplaceable voices heroically surfaced over the years. They belong in the
canon of great American authors not solely because of their race, but because
they deftly address the perennial concerns of all humanity.
It’s Black History
Month, in case you forgot. Not Taiwanese-American
NBA Basketball Player Appreciation Month (read: Linsanity), as it
might appear from news reports. In that spirit, below find ten African-American
authors whose works should rest prominently on every educated American’s
bookshelf (or Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, or Apple iPad). Moreover, please
consider these authors for great books
discussion groups, not just in February, but also every month
of the year.
A special shout-out to my friends at Questia, the online research tool
for students. Questia compiled this list based on the most-read
African-American authors in their library (a list of most influential
African-American authors might also include fellow Omahan, Malcolm X, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis, and President Barack Obama).
To punctuate their support of Black History
Month, Questia is offering a reference work about each author below completely
free for a month. See the link after each description.
The Ten Most-Read African-American Authors:
1. Langston Hughes was an
American poet, novelist and playwright. He is best known for his work during
the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. With famous poems such as “The Negro Speaks of
Rivers,” and Crotty fave, “Let America
Be America Again,” Hughes proudly depicted the lives of poor
blacks through the invention of what was called “jazz poetry.” Factoid: my Monk Media client,
jazz label Motema Records, was formerly located
inside Harlem’s Langston Hughes House. Free reference work: [Arnold Rampersad, ed. The Collected Works of Langston
Hughes. Donald B. Gibson, Author.]
2. Richard Wright authored
what were considered “controversial” novels in his time, including Crotty fave Native
Son. In 1945, Wright penned the best-seller Black Boy, a seminal portrayal
of one black man’s search for self-actualization in a racist society. It paved
the way for other successful black writers. Free Reference Work: [“Shouting Curses”: the politics of “bad” language in
Richard Wright’s ‘Black Boy.’ Jennifer H. Poulos,
Author.]
3. Toni Morrison is a
Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist. She is celebrated for
novels with epic themes and richly detailed characters, such as in The
Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. Though, for better
or worse, Ms. Morrison is best known for her memorable, though misunderstood, quote, “Bill
Clinton is our first black president.” Free Reference Work: [Toni Morrison’s World of Fiction. Karen
Carmean, Author.]
4. Zora Neale Hurston was an
American folklorist, anthropologist, and author of four novels and over fifty
short stories, plays and essays. Her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God
was written during her fieldwork in Haiti with the Guggenheim Foundation, which
provides grants to professionals in the creative arts. Free Reference Work: [Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life. Lori
Robison, Author.]
5. Frederick Douglass was a
strong public speaker and, after escaping from slavery, prominent leader in the
abolitionist movement. Douglass also authored several compelling
autobiographies that detailed his experiences in slavery. He served as a
striking counter-example to slaveholders’ claims that blacks did not have the
intellectual capacity to function as free and independent citizens. Free
Reference Work: [Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: His Early Life as a
Slave, His Escape from Bondage, and His Complete History.
Frederick Douglass, Author.]
6. Alice Walker is an
author and activist, best known for the critically acclaimed novel The Color
Purple, for which she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. It was turned into a
successful Steven Spielberg film co-starring Oprah Winfrey, and later into an
excellent Broadway musical. Walker was involved in the Civil Rights movement
and participated in the 1963 March on Washington. Free reference work: [Alice Walker: 'Color Purple' Author Confronts Her Critics
and Talks about Her Provocative New Book. Charles Whitaker,
Author.]
7. W.E.B. Du Bois was the
first African-American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. He was a member of the
early 20th century African-American intellectual elite and helped increase
black political representation. He was a co-founder of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and served as editor for its
magazine, The Crisis, to which he contributed many essays. Free
reference work: [The Souls of W.E.B. Du Bois: New Essays and Reflections. Lawrence A. Burnley, Author.]
8. Ralph Ellison was a
literary critic, scholar and writer. He wrote Shadow and Act, a
collection of political, social and critical essays. He served as a professor
at Rutgers University and Yale University. In addition, he received
a National Book Award in 1953 for his book Invisible Man, which was
chosen in 1998 by the Modern Library Association as one of the top 100 Best
English-language Novels of the 20th Century. Invisible
Man ranked 19th, ahead of Richard Wright’s Native Son at
20th. Free Reference Work: [Heroism and the Black Intellectual- Ralph Ellison,
Politics, and Afro-American Intellectual Life. Jeffrey
Gaffio Watts, Author.]
9. August Wilson is an
American playwright best known for The Pittsburgh Cycle (often
referred to as his “Century Cycle”), which consists of ten plays set in
different decades highlighting the black experience throughout the 20th
century. Free Reference Work: [Raising the Curtain Again. Phil W.
Petrie, Author.]
10. James Baldwin was a
novelist, poet and essayist. He explored the unspoken intricacies of racial,
sexual and class distinctions in Western societies throughout 20th century
America. His novel, Go Tell It On the Mountain, ranked 39th
on the MLA list. Free Reference Work: [Contemporary African American Novelists: A
Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Emmanuel S. Nelson,
Editor.]
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2012/02/18/10-african-american-authors-everyone-should-read/
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário