The Artist as Outsider: James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues"

 

James Baldwin was a writer, speaker, activist, and many other things. He is also, in my opinion, the most important and greatest American writer of the second half of the twentieth century. As a class, we're going to focus on two of his texts: "Equal in Paris," an essay written in 1955; and "Sonny's Blues," a long short story written in 1957.

Read both of these texts for our next class on Tuesday, November 7. There will be a reading quiz.

Feel free to explore the many free online resources about Baldwin and his writing. The movie I Am Not Your Negro is available on NetFlix. You'll also find countless interviews, profiles, and reviews of his work.

Your next writing assignment will be on James Baldwin and Nnedi Okorafor is due on Tuesday, November 19. Details to follow.