Baldwin's Harlem : A Biography of James Baldwin

Baldwin's Harlemis an intimate portrait of the life and genius of one of our most brilliant literary minds: James Baldwin.Perhaps no other writer is as synonymous with Harlem as James Baldwin (1924-1987). The events there that shaped his youth greatly influenced Baldwin's work, much of which focused on his experiences as a black man in white America.Go Tell It on the Mountain,The Fire Next Time,Notes of a Native Son, andGiovanni's Roomare just a few of his classic fiction and nonfiction books that remain an essential part of the American canon.In Baldwin's Harlem, award-winning journalist Herb Boyd combines impeccable biographical research with astute literary criticism, and reveals to readers Baldwin's association with Harlem on both metaphorical and realistic levels. For example, Boyd describes Baldwin's relationship with Harlem Renaissance poet laureate Countee Cullen, who taught Baldwin French in the ninth grade. Packed with telling anecdotes,Baldwin's Harlemilluminates the writer's diverse views and impressions of the community that would remain a consistent presence in virtually all of his writing.Baldwin's Harlemprovides an intelligent and enlightening look at one of America's most important literary enclaves.

HERB BOYD is an award-winning author and journalist who has published eighteen books and countless articles in national magazines and newspapers. Among his most popular books are We Shall Overcome and The Harlem Reader. Currently he is managing editor for The Black World Today and teaches at The City College of New York and the College of New Rochelle in the Bronx. He lives in Harlem with his wife.