James Baldwin

[Lenox Lounge]

james baldwin, writer (1924-1987)

i was reading some of his work.... its still sum pretty appurtenant sh1t

"no name in the street" i read sum other stuff too

[Forté]

also check out "the amen corner" and "the fire next time", he's got a host of great books and works...

[Lenox Lounge]

go tell it on the mountain is great aswell

it is hard to find his stuff

[Flipper_Purify]

I read "The Fire Next Time". Pretty innovative, provocative book for its time.

[LikeYou]

only nerds read

[Flipper_Purify]

only nerds read
smh @ this crab-in-a-bucket muhfukka

[Lenox Lounge]

only nerds read

well ur mother likes the bed-time stories i read to her :weirdo:

[AskariSTL//So]

Ever peeped out Eldridge Cleaver's criticisms of James Baldwin? Specifically in the essays in Soul on Ice?

Not saying I agree with what he says about old boy, but its certainly interesting

[Lenox Lounge]

Ever peeped out Eldridge Cleaver's criticisms of James Baldwin? Specifically in the essays in Soul on Ice?
Not saying I agree with what he says about old boy, but its certainly interesting

well he hated on baldwin cause well you know ...

plus cleaver has a shady past aswell

[AskariSTL//So]

well he hated on baldwin cause well you know ...
plus cleaver has a shady past aswell
Yeah the homophobia in his critiques is pretty palpable, but that aside its pretty articulate. I respect Baldwin and in terms of literature, Cleaver is certainly not his equal. But as far as tackling the issues of negative black self-image, Cleaver is an important voice, and I feel as though he made his case that Baldwin displays a good deal of it. I cant remember what chapter its from but I will try to find some of the specific things he says if you care to see them quoted.

This is in no way a slam of Baldwin btw, it is the Book Club though, I cant picture much heavy discussion going on in a thread like this otherwise. And it is on topic...

[Lenox Lounge]

Yeah the homophobia in his critiques is pretty palpable, but that aside its pretty articulate. I respect Baldwin and in terms of literature, Cleaver is certainly not his equal. But as far as tackling the issues of negative black self-image, Cleaver is an important voice, and I feel as though he made his case that Baldwin displays a good deal of it. I cant remember what chapter its from but I will try to find some of the specific things he says if you care to see them quoted.
This is in no way a slam of Baldwin btw, it is the Book Club though, I cant picture much heavy discussion going on in a thread like this otherwise. And it is on topic...

i think its interesting to hear two very different points of view of black self image. baldwin and cleaver coming from two very different frame of minds
yet fighting against the same struggle. but id like to see those quotes aswell

[Clem]

Ever peeped out Eldridge Cleaver's criticisms of James Baldwin? Specifically in the essays in Soul on Ice?
Not saying I agree with what he says about old boy, but its certainly interesting
What did he say?

[AskariSTL//So]

What did he say?
Hmm...

Tough to sum it up for a single post, he praises Baldwin highly but says that he first was able to put into words what he didnt like about Baldwin after reading Baldwin's critique of Norman Mailer's "The White Negro" from Baldwin's book, "Another Country"

He essentially states that black self hatred is evident in Baldwin's writings, and that Baldwin is at times "fawning" of whites and seems to have a "sycophantic love" of them.

He argues that this is clear in the essay entitled "Princes and Powers" from Baldwin's Nobody Knows My Name

The essay is Baldwin's take on the conference of Black Writers and Artists in Paris in 1956

Theres a whole essay to quote from, but this should sum it up at least partly:

"In his report on the conference, Baldwin, the reluctant black, dragging his feet at every step, could only ridicule the vision and efforts of these great men and heap scorn upon them, reserving his compliments - all of them left-handed - for the speakers at the conference who were themselves rejected and booed by the other conferees because of their reactionary, sycophantic views."

[AskariSTL//So]

I'll post some more quotes later on maybe-- Cleaver really is long winded and has alot to say about the broader subject, Baldwin is just part of a larger point he focuses on in the essay.

The comments about black homosexuals and how they tie in are too carefully made to pick out a single line or two, Im rereading the essay now so I will see if I can find something on the order of a summary in here.


The name of the essay in question is: "Notes on a Native Son" from page 123 of Soul on Ice