a book
Notes of a Native Son
James Baldwin · 1984 · 208 pages
'The story of the negro in America is the story of America ... it is not a very pretty story'
James Baldwin's breakthrough essay collection made him the voice of his generation. Ranging over Harlem in the 1940s, movies, novels, his preacher father and his experiences of Paris, they capture the complexity of black life at the dawn of the civil rights movement with effervescent wit and prophetic wisdom.
'A classic ... In a divided America, James Baldwin's fiery critiques reverberate anew' Washington Post
'Edgy and provocative, entertainingly satirical' Robert McCrum, Guardian
'Cemented his reputation as a cultural seer ... Notes of a Native Son endures as his defining work, and his greatest' Time
recommended by 2 people
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Cory Booker
“@NancyEpstein7 Great book. My favorite is The Fire Next Time.”↗
Elif Shafak
“Istanbul, London, Madrid, Boston…ever since my childhood I lived in numerous countries. One of the downsides of a nomadic life is that you can never keep a proper library. At some point, I had boxes of books in Istanbul, waiting to be shipped, boxes of books in Arizona. You have to let go of even your most beloved possessions when you live a peripatetic life, but there was one author whose voice I could never do without: James Baldwin—the observer, the commuter, the rebel. Notes of a Native Son is a collection of essays about language, racism, hatred, and ultimately, resilience and dignity.”↗