Library Tour Shelf 18: Library of America’s editions of African-American writers

The library tour continues!
Editions mentioned:
African-American Poetry 250 Years of Struggle and Song
Slave Narratives, my discussions of Frederick Douglass: • Narrative of the Life ...
William Wells Brown: • Narrative of the Life ...
William and Ellen Craft: • Running a Thousand Mil...
Reporting Civil Rights parts 1-2
Harlem Renaissance, five novels of the 1920s, my discussion of Jean Toomer’s Cane: • Cane by Jean Toomer (e...
Harlem Renaissance, four novels of the 1930s
Zora Neale Hurston: Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings, my discussion of Mules and Men: • Mules and Men by Zora ...
Richard Wright’s Early Works, my discussion of Native Son: • Native Son by Richard ...
Richard Wright’s Later Works, including Black Boy
The Man Who Lived Underground by Richard Wright
James Baldwin’s Collected Essays, my discussion on Notes of a Native Son: • Notes of a Native Son ...
Early Novels and Stories by James Baldwin
Later Novels by James Baldwin
Kindred, Fledgling, Collected Stories by Octavia E. Butler, my discussion of Kindred: • Kindred by Octavia E. ...
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[@NZAnimeManga]

Have you ever done a Library Tour Shelf episode of the rest of your "Library of America" editions (the shelf above your left shoulder, here)? I can't seem to find it 🤔

[@BookishTexan]

Thank you for making me aware of the Library of America’s Slave Narrative volume.

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

Happy to share, Brian. Several of these were new to me, and I have learned an enormous amount from them. Cheers, Jack

[@StephanieJCohen]

I’m currently reading Notes of a Native Son. Every time I read Baldwin, I just marvel at his writing.

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

Absolutely, Stephanie. Has there been a favorite essay in that collection for you? Cheers, Jack

[@travelthroughstories]

This was really interesting - thanks for making it. You've convinced me to finally pull the trigger and buy a few of these. The 250 years of African-American poetry sounds really interesting. You note the problems of Nat Turner's Confessions - I wrote a paper in grad school on Nat Turner and the various "stagings" of him in "his" confession and in various retellings/adaptions through history (there's an incredible play by Robert O'Hara from 1999 called "Insurrection: Holding History" which "re-stages" Nat Turner in some interesting ways). There's a great book by Patrick H. Breen called The Land Shall be Deluged in Blood: A New History of the Nat Turner Revolt which explores this issue of who the "author" of that text really is. From a literary perspective, I think this issue adds a really interesting layer to the text as we are carefully trying to see the "real" Nat Turner as Thomas R Gray is trying to hide him from us. Anyways, great video!

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

I hope you enjoy whichever of these you pick up. There is such a deep misconception of what happened during the Nat Turner revolt. The way that it was “transcribed” by people who then worked to ensure enslaved people could not be educated should have every reader and historian questioning its veracity. That sounds like a fascinating paper! I wasn’t aware of the play “Insurrection”, so thanks for sharing it. Cheers, Jack

[@NielsBohr107]

Great video! I've been eyeing that Harlem Renaissance box set for a bit of time, and hearing your praise for it has definitely sold it for me. Good reading!

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

Happy to share, it is definitely one of our favorites here. I hope you’re having a great weekend. Cheers, Jack

[@GypsyRoSesx]

I’m so pleased that my first ever physical Library of America purchase is the collection of James Baldwin’s “Early Novels and Stories.” I just ordered it today. 🎉 I have the Slave Narratives volume on my kindle. I love all the volumes you have here. I would love to have those too! Edit: I live in New Zealand so subscriptions are not available to me :(

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

The first Baldwin volume is so strong! Have you read any of his works? Those early novels are so genuine, powerful, and wonderfully written. I hope you enjoy it! Cheers, Jack

[@t0dd000]

I was just thinking about picking up the James Baldwin / Zora Neale Hurston collection that comes with the subscription.

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

Those are excellent volumes! Have you read much from either Baldwin or Hurston? Cheers, Jack

[@t0dd000]

@@ramblingraconteur1616 Only excerpts of Baldwin. They are both queued in my massive TBR.