Product Description

A comprehensive collection of African-American literature features more than 120 writers with works covering more than two hundred years and encompassing the genres of fiction, poetry, short stories, drama, autobiography, journals, and letters.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60521 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 2665 pages

Amazon.com Review
A whopping 2,665 pages, The Norton Anthology of African American Literature was 10 years in the making, and it proves to have been well worth the wait. Beginning with vernacular forms such as the spirituals and the blues, it encompasses the whole history of black writing from the poems of Phillis Wheatley to the work of contemporary writers such as Terri McMillan, Toni Morrison, and Charles Johnson. Each section includes an introductory essay, and there is a brief biographical essay for each writer.

From Publishers Weekly
Collaborating on The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, editors Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay have compiled what may be the definitive collection of its kind. Organized chronologically, the massive work gathers writings from six periods of black history: slavery and freedom; Reconstruction; the Harlem Renaissance; Realism, Naturalism and Modernism; the Black Arts Movement and the period since the 1970s. The work begins with the vernacular tradition of spirituals, gospel and the blues; continues through work songs, jazz and rap; ranges through sermons and folktales; and embraces letters and journals, poetry, short fiction, novels, autobiography and drama.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
A classic of splendid proportions. -- Cornel West

My Arkansas by Maya Angelou
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
Black Art by Amiri Baraka
I Don't Love You by Amiri Baraka
In Memory Of Radio by Amiri Baraka
The Invention Of Comics by Amiri Baraka
A Poem For Black Hearts by Amiri Baraka
Preface To A Twenty Volume Suicide Note by Amiri Baraka
Sos by Amiri Baraka
Three Movements And A Coda by Amiri Baraka
We Have Awaited The Coming Of A Natural by Amiri Baraka
Parker's Mood by Clarence Beeks
Hatred by Gwendolyn B. Bennett
Heritage by Gwendolyn B. Bennett
Sonnet: 2 by Gwendolyn B. Bennett
To A Dark Girl by Gwendolyn B. Bennett
Of The Black Belt by Bible
A Black Man Talks Of Reaping by Arna Bontemps
Golgotha Is A Mountain, A Purple Mound by Arna Bontemps
Miracles by Arna Bontemps
Nocturne At Bethesda by Arna Bontemps
Southern Mansion by Arna Bontemps
The House Of Falling Leaves by William Stanley Braithwaite
Quiet Has A Hidden Sound by William Stanley Braithwaite
Sic Vita by William Stanley Braithwaite
The Watchers by William Stanley Braithwaite
The Chicago Defender Sends A Man To Little Rock, Fall, 1957 by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Chicago Picasso, August 15, 1967 by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Children Of The Poor by Gwendolyn Brooks
Kitchenette Building by Gwendolyn Brooks
A Lovely Love by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Lovers Of The Poor by Gwendolyn Brooks
Malcolm X by Gwendolyn Brooks
Maxie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Preacher: Ruminates Behind The Sermon by Gwendolyn Brooks
Riot by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Rites For Cousin Vit by Gwendolyn Brooks
Sadie And Maud by Gwendolyn Brooks
A Song In The Front Yard by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Sundays Of Satin-legs Smith by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Third Sermon On The Warpland by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Vacant Lot by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Wall by Gwendolyn Brooks
We Real Cool; The Pool Players. Seven At The Golden Shovel by Gwendolyn Brooks
When You Have Forgotten Sunday: The Love Story by Gwendolyn Brooks
Young Heroes: 1. Keorapetse Kgositsile (willie) by Gwendolyn Brooks
Young Heroes: 2. To Don At Salaam by Gwendolyn Brooks
Young Heroes: 3. Walter Bradford by Gwendolyn Brooks
Cabaret by Sterling Allen Brown
Long Gone by Sterling Allen Brown
Ma Rainey by Sterling Allen Brown
Memphis Blues by Sterling Allen Brown
Odyssey Of Big Boy by Sterling Allen Brown
Sam Smiley by Sterling Allen Brown
Slim Greer by Sterling Allen Brown
Southern Road by Sterling Allen Brown
Sporting Beasley by Sterling Allen Brown
Strong Men by Sterling Allen Brown
Tin Roof Blues by Sterling Allen Brown
13. Of The Coming Of John by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
9. Of The Sons Of Master And Man by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How Long Blues by Leroy Carr
Within The Veil by Michelle Cliff
The Bodies Broken On by Lucille Clifton
Homage To My Hips by Lucille Clifton
If Mama by Lucille Clifton
Kali by Lucille Clifton
The Lost Baby Poem by Lucille Clifton
Malcolm by Lucille Clifton
Move by Lucille Clifton
Prayer by Lucille Clifton
What Spells Raccoon To Me by Lucille Clifton
Wishes For Sons by Lucille Clifton
American Sonnet (10) by Wanda Coleman
At The Record Hop by Wanda Coleman
Bedtime Story by Wanda Coleman
Emmett Till by Wanda Coleman
Mastectomy by Wanda Coleman
Today I Am A Homicide 1n The North Of The City by Wanda Coleman
Voices by Wanda Coleman
At The Closed Gate Of Justice by James David Corrothers
An Indignation Dinner by James David Corrothers
Me 'n' Dunbar by James David Corrothers
Paul Laurence Dunbar by James David Corrothers
The Snapping Of The Bow by James David Corrothers
How Long Has Trane Been Gone by Jayne Cortez
From The Dark Tower by Countee Cullen
Heritage by Countee Cullen
Incident by Countee Cullen
Saturday's Child by Countee Cullen
The Shroud Of Color by Countee Cullen
Tableau by Countee Cullen
To John Keats, Poet, At Spring Time by Countee Cullen
Yet Do I Marvel by Countee Cullen
A Parody by Frederic Douglass
David Walker (1785-1830) by Rita Dove
Daystar by Rita Dove
Demeter Mourning (from Mother Love) by Rita Dove
Demeter's Prayer To Hades by Rita Dove
The Event by Rita Dove
History by Rita Dove
Mother Love by Rita Dove
Motherhood by Rita Dove
The Oriental Ballerina by Rita Dove
Parsley by Rita Dove
Pastoral by Rita Dove
Persephone Abducted by Rita Dove
Receiving The Stigmata by Rita Dove
Statistic: The Witness (from Mother Love) by Rita Dove
A Litany Of Atlanta by William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
The Song Of The Smoke by William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
An Ante-bellum Sermon by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Black Samson Of Brandywine by Paul Laurence Dunbar
A Cabin Tale; The Young Master Asks For A Story by Paul Laurence Dunbar
The Colored Soldiers by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Dinah Kneading Dough by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Douglass by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Ere Sleep Comes Down To Soothe The Weary Eyes by Paul Laurence Dunbar
The Haunted Oak by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Her Thought And His by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Little Brown Baby by Paul Laurence Dunbar
A Negro Love Song by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Not They Who Soar by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Ode To Ethiopia by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Philosophy by Paul Laurence Dunbar
The Poet by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Sympathy (2) by Paul Laurence Dunbar
We Wear The Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar
When Malindy Sings by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Worn Out by Paul Laurence Dunbar
April Is On The Way by Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar-nelson
I Sit And Sew by Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar-nelson
Sonnet by Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar-nelson
It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing by Duke Ellington
I Am A Black Woman by Mari E. Evans
Status Symbol by Mari E. Evans
Lines, Suggested On Reading 'an Appeal' By A.e. Grimke by Sarah Louisa Forten
Beautiful Black Men by Yolande Cornelia Giovanni
For Saundra by Yolande Cornelia Giovanni
Nikki-rosa by Yolande Cornelia Giovanni
The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
The Black Finger by Angelina Weld Grimke
For The Candle Light by Angelina Weld Grimke
Tenebris by Angelina Weld Grimke
When The Green Lies Over The Earth by Angelina Weld Grimke
A Winter Twilight by Angelina Weld Grimke
A Parting Hymn by Charlotte L. Forten Grimke
Beale Street Blues by William Christopher Handy
St. Louis Blues by William Christopher Handy
Yellow Dog Blues by William Christopher Handy
An Appeal To My Countrywomen by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Aunt Chloe's Politics by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Bury Me In A Free Land by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
A Double Standard by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Eliza Harris by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Ethiopia by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Learning To Read by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
The Slave Mother by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Songs For The People by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Vashti by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Words For The Hour by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
Br'er Sterling And The Rocker by Michael S. Harper
Dear John, Dear Coltrane by Michael S. Harper
Deathwatch by Michael S. Harper
The Ghost Of Soulmaking: For Ruth Oppenheim by Michael S. Harper
Goin' To The Territory by Michael S. Harper
Grandfather by Michael S. Harper
Here Where Coltrane Is by Michael S. Harper
In Hayden's Collage by Michael S. Harper
A Ballad Of Remembrance by Robert Earl Hayden
The Diver by Robert Earl Hayden
El-hajj Malik El-shabazz by Robert Earl Hayden
Frederick Douglass by Robert Earl Hayden
Homage To The Empress Of The Blues by Robert Earl Hayden
A Letter From Phillis Wheatley by Robert Earl Hayden
Middle Passage by Robert Earl Hayden
Mourning Poem For The Queen Of Sunday by Robert Earl Hayden
O Daedalus, Fly Away Home by Robert Earl Hayden
Runagate Runagate by Robert Earl Hayden
Soledad by Robert Earl Hayden
Conditions: 21 by Essex Hemphill
Conditions: 22 by Essex Hemphill
Conditions: 24 by Essex Hemphill
Fine And Mellow by Eleanora Holiday
The Creditor To His Proud Debtor by George Moses Horton
Division Of An Estate by George Moses Horton
George Moses Horton, Myself by George Moses Horton
The Lover's Farewell by George Moses Horton
On Hearing Of Intention .. To Purchase The Poet's Freedom by George Moses Horton
Bad Man by James Langston Hughes
Ballad Of The Landlord by James Langston Hughes
Danse Africaine by James Langston Hughes
Dream Boogie by James Langston Hughes
Dream Variations [or, Variation] by James Langston Hughes
Gal's Cry For A Dying Lover by James Langston Hughes
Gypsy Man by James Langston Hughes
Hard Daddy by James Langston Hughes
Harlem by James Langston Hughes
Homesick Blues by James Langston Hughes
A House In Taos by James Langston Hughes
I, Too by James Langston Hughes
Jazzonia by James Langston Hughes
Juke Box Love Song by James Langston Hughes
Lament Over Love by James Langston Hughes
Mother To Son by James Langston Hughes
Motto by James Langston Hughes
The Negro Speaks Of Rivers by James Langston Hughes
Po' Boy Blues by James Langston Hughes
Red Silk Stockings by James Langston Hughes
Song For A Dark Girl by James Langston Hughes
Sylvester's Dying Bed by James Langston Hughes
The Weary Blues by James Langston Hughes
When Sue Wears Red by James Langston Hughes
John Pearson's Sermon by Zora Neale Hurston
Sunnyland by Elmore James
My God In Heaven Said To Me by Fenton Johnson
The Scarlet Woman by Fenton Johnson
Song Of The Whirlwind by Fenton Johnson
Spiritual: Singing Hallelujia by Fenton Johnson
Spiritual: The Lonely Mother by Fenton Johnson
Tired by Fenton Johnson
The Heart Of A Woman by Georgia Douglas Johnson
I Want To Die While You Love Me by Georgia Douglas Johnson
Lost Illusions by Georgia Douglas Johnson
My Little Dreams by Georgia Douglas Johnson
Youth by Georgia Douglas Johnson
Invocation by Helene Johnson
Poem by Helene Johnson
Remember Not by Helene Johnson
Sonnet To A Negro In Harlem by Helene Johnson
Brothers by James Weldon Johnson
The Creation (a Negro Sermon) by James Weldon Johnson
Fifty Years (1863-1913) by James Weldon Johnson
Lift Every Voice And Sing by James Weldon Johnson
My City by James Weldon Johnson
O Black And Unknown Bards by James Weldon Johnson
Sence You Went Away by James Weldon Johnson
Hell Hound On My Trail by Robert Johnson
Trouble In Mind by Richard M. Jones
The Female And The Silence Of A Man by June Jordan
I Must Become A Menace To My Enemies by June Jordan
In Memoriam: Martin Luther King, Jr. by June Jordan
Intifada by June Jordan
Poem About My Rights by June Jordan
Poem For Guatemala by June Jordan
Grandfather Was Queer, Too by Bob Kaufman
Jail Poems by Bob Kaufman
Unanimity Has Been Achieved, Not A Dot Less For Its Accident by Bob Kaufman
Walking Parker Home by Bob Kaufman
War Memoir: Jazz, Don't Listen To It At Your Own Risk by Bob Kaufman
For Black Poets Who Think Of Suicide by Etheridge Knight
Hard Rock Returns To Prison From The Hospital For The Criminal Insane by Etheridge Knight
The Idea Of Ancestry by Etheridge Knight
Banking Potatoes by Yusef Komunyakaa
Birds On A Powerline by Yusef Komunyakaa
Facing It by Yusef Komunyakaa
February In Sydney by Yusef Komunyakaa
Sunday Afternoons by Yusef Komunyakaa
Coal by Audre Lorde
The Evening News by Audre Lorde
Father Son And Holy Ghost by Audre Lorde
A Litany For Survival by Audre Lorde
Now That I Am Forever With Child by Audre Lorde
The Winds Of Orisha by Audre Lorde
Careless Seems The Great Avenger; History's Pages But Record by James Russell Lowell
Freedom (2) by James Russell Lowell
Falso Brilhante by Nathaniel Mackey
Song Of The Andoumboulou: 8 by Nathaniel Mackey
America Calling by Haki R. Madhubuti
Back Again, Home by Haki R. Madhubuti
The Long Reality by Haki R. Madhubuti
Malcolm Spoke/who Listened? by Haki R. Madhubuti
A Poem To Complement Other Poems by Haki R. Madhubuti
On Watching A Caterpillar Become A Butterfly by Clarence Major
Round Midnight by Clarence Major
Swallow The Lake by Clarence Major
At Jonestown by Colleen Johnson Mcelroy
Caledonia by Colleen Johnson Mcelroy
The Griots Who Know Brer Fox by Colleen Johnson Mcelroy
Pike Street Bus by Colleen Johnson Mcelroy
Tapestries by Colleen Johnson Mcelroy
A Woman Who Loves by Colleen Johnson Mcelroy
Africa by Claude Mckay
America by Claude Mckay
Enslaved by Claude Mckay
Harlem Shadows by Claude Mckay
If We Must Die by Claude Mckay
My Mother (1) by Claude Mckay
Outcast by Claude Mckay
St. Isaac's Church, Petrograd by Claude Mckay
To The White Fiends by Claude Mckay
The White House by Claude Mckay
8. Of The Quest Of The Golden Fleece by William Vaughn Moody
The Rubaiyat, 1889 Edition: 44 by Omar Khayyam
Don't Believe The Hype by Public Enemy
The Evil That Men Do by Queen Latifah
Prove It On Me Blues by Gertrude Pridgett Rainey
See, See Rider by Gertrude Pridgett Rainey
Chattanooga by Ishmael Reed
Dualism by Ishmael Reed
I Am A Cowboy In The Boat Of Ra by Ishmael Reed
Oakland Blues by Ishmael Reed
Railroad Bill, A Conjure Man; A Hoodoo Suite by Ishmael Reed
For Sistuhs Wearin' Straight Hair by Carolyn M. Rodgers
It Is Deep (don't Never Forget The Bridge That You Crossed) by Carolyn M. Rodgers
Jesus Was Crucified Or: It Must Be Deep (an Epic Poem) by Carolyn M. Rodgers
Good Morning, Blues by Jimmy Rushing
Sent For You Yesterday by Jimmy Rushing
For Our Lady by Sonia Sanchez
Homecoming by Sonia Sanchez
Poem At Thirty by Sonia Sanchez
Present by Sonia Sanchez
Summer Words For A Sister Addict by Sonia Sanchez
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-heron
Bocas: A Daughter's Geography by Ntozake Shange
Lady In Green by Ntozake Shange
Nappy Edges (a Across Country Sojourn) by Ntozake Shange
Dim Face Of Beauty by William Sharp
It's A Low Down Dirty Shame by Ollie Shepard
Backwater Blues by Bessie Smith
In The House Blues by Bessie Smith
Did John's Music Kill Him by Alfred B. Spellman
At The Carnival by Anne Spencer
Before The Feast Of Shushan by Anne Spencer
Dunbar by Anne Spencer
Lady, Lady by Anne Spencer
Letter To My Sister by Anne Spencer
The Wife-woman by Anne Spencer
O Sister, Sister, Thy First-begotten by Algernon Charles Swinburne
Our Spiritual Strivings by Arthur Symons
Arthur's Return by Alfred Tennyson
Bars Fight, August 28, 1746 by Lucy Terry
Stand By Me by C. A. Tindley
The Birth Of John Henry by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Dark Symphony: 1. Allegro Moderato by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Dark Symphony: 3. Andante Sostenuto by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Dark Symphony: 4. Tempo Primo by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Dark Symphony: 5. Larghetto by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Dark Symphony: 6. Tempo Di Marcia by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
An Ex-judge At The Bar by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
A Legend Of Versailles by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Libretto For The Republic Of Liberia: Do (2) by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Libretto For The Republic Of Liberia: Mi by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Libretto For The Republic Of Liberia: Re by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Libretto For The Republic Of Liberia: Sol by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Libretto For The Republic Of Liberia: Ti by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Satchmo by Melvin Beaunearus Tolson
Beehive by Jean Toomer
Cane: Her Lips Are Copper Wire by Jean Toomer
Cane: November Cotton Flower by Jean Toomer
Cane: Portrait In Georgia by Jean Toomer
Conversion by Jean Toomer
Cotton Song by Jean Toomer
Evening Song by Jean Toomer
Face by Jean Toomer
Georgia Dusk by Jean Toomer
Harvest Song by Jean Toomer
Nullo by Jean Toomer
Prayer by Jean Toomer
Reapers by Jean Toomer
Song Of The Son by Jean Toomer
Storm Ending by Jean Toomer
Conversation Overheard, The Way They Saw It by Quincy Troupe
Impressions Of Chicago; For Howlin' Wolf by Quincy Troupe
In Texas Grass by Quincy Troupe
14. The Sorrow Songs (from Lay This Body Down) by Anonymous
God by Anonymous
Hellhound On My Trail by Anonymous
Walk Together Children by Anonymous
Another Man Done Gone by Anonymous - African American
Been In The Storm So Long by Anonymous - African American
Black Spiritual: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (1) by Anonymous - African American
Can't You Line It by Anonymous - African American
City Called Heaven by Anonymous - African American
Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel? by Anonymous - African American
Down By The Riverside by Anonymous - African American
Down-hearted Blues by Anonymous - African American
Folk Song by Anonymous - African American
Frankie And Johnny by Anonymous - African American
Freedom In The Air by Anonymous - African American
Go Down, Moses by Anonymous - African American
Go Down, Old Hannah by Anonymous - African American
God's A-gonna Trouble The Water by Anonymous - African American
Goin' To Chicago Blues by Anonymous - African American
Hoochie Coochie by Anonymous - African American
I Been Rebuked And I Been Scorned by Anonymous - African American
I Know Moon-rise by Anonymous - African American
I'm A-rollin' by Anonymous - African American
Jack And Dinah Want Freedom by Anonymous - African American
John Henry (1) by Anonymous - African American
Learn To Count by Anonymous - African American
Many Thousand Gone by Anonymous - African American
Me And My Captain by Anonymous - African American
Oh, Freedom by Anonymous - African American
Peace Be Still by Anonymous - African American
Pick A Bale Of Cotton by Anonymous - African American
Poor Lazarus by Anonymous - African American
Promises Of Freedom by Anonymous - African American
Railroad Bill (1) by Anonymous - African American
Run, Nigger, Run by Anonymous - African American
Shine And The Titanic by Anonymous - African American
The Signifying Monkey by Anonymous - African American
Sinking Of The Titanic by Anonymous - African American
Song by Anonymous - African American
Soon I Will Be Done by Anonymous - African American
Stackolee by Anonymous - African American
Take My Hand, Precious Lord by Anonymous - African American
This Little Light Of Mine by Anonymous - African American
Walk Together Children by Anonymous - African American
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord by Anonymous - African American
Wild Negro Bill by Anonymous - African American
You May Go But This Will Bring You Back by Anonymous - African American
'good Night, Willie Lee, I'll See You In The Morning' by Alice Walker
On Stripping Bark From Myself by Alice Walker
Outcast by Alice Walker
Women by Alice Walker
For Malcolm X by Margaret Abigail Walker
For My People by Margaret Abigail Walker
Poppa Chicken by Margaret Abigail Walker
Prophets For A New Day by Margaret Abigail Walker
(what Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue by Thomas Waller
His Excellency General Washington by Phillis Wheatley
On Being Brought From Africa To America by Phillis Wheatley
On Imagination by Phillis Wheatley
On The Death Of The Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, 1770 by Phillis Wheatley
To Maecenas by Phillis Wheatley
To S.m., A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works by Phillis Wheatley
To The Right Hon! William Earl Of Dartmouth by Phillis Wheatley
To The University Of Cambridge, In New-england by Phillis Wheatley
America by James Monroe Whitfield
Sefl-reliance by James Monroe Whitfield
Yes! Strike Again That Sounding String by James Monroe Whitfield
Just God! And These Are They by John Greenleaf Whittier
Gulf Coast Blues by Clarence Williams
I Want Aretha To Set This To Music by Sherley Anne Williams
The Peacock Poems: 1. The Trimming Of The Feathers by Sherley Anne Williams
Conjugal Visits by Albert James Young
A Dance For Ma Rainey by Albert James Young
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

The entire black literary canon, according to Gates's scheme, may be understood as an extension of the folk ritual of insult known as "signifying," a form of mock rebellion in which a speaker's meaning is reversed and turned back upon himself for purposes of one-upmanship. But by making a fetish of lower-class culture, Gates ducks the question of how black writers might free themselves to transcend their material, social, and political surroundings. No less importantly, he forfeits the role of the intellectual as critic and judge of his own social order--an order in which, today, the black lower class happens to play a deeply problematic role. This is not to say that the Gates perspective is entirely without merit. It has illuminated the work of writers like Zora Neale Hurston, and has also helped clarify patterns of influence among black writers, including Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and Ishmael Reed. In the end, though, what The Norton Anthology of African American Literature shows is the deep inadequacy of the vernacular model--and, more broadly, of the ideological reductivism that now dominates the field of black literary studies and much of our current discourse on race alike. -- Commentary, Phillip M. Richards

Customer Reviews

An epic panorama of African American literature
Taking upon yourself the task of creating an anthology that represents an entire literary and cultural tradition strikes me as a daunting task. The editors who helm such a project are almost playing god by deciding which authors and which works get into the "canon." Fortunately, the editors of "The Norton Anthology of African American Literature" have approached their duties with an expansive vision and an evident seriousness of purpose. The result is a collection which, although not without flaws, is a comprehensive and powerful sampling of a great tradition.

The editors have chosen a rich selection of works from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. A good balance of male and female authors is struck. I was particularly impressed by the great range of genres. Poetry, essays, autobiography, short fiction, drama, sermons, song lyrics, and even a few complete short novels are included. Science fiction writers (Octavia Butler, Samuel R. Delany), writers also included in the canon of lesbian and gay literature (Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Essex Hemphill) and writers whose works have an experimental edge (Adrienne Kennedy, etc.) are included.

The extensive author biographies include fascinating information about each writer's life and body of work. Bibliographies and a chronology at the end of the collection are also useful.

Of course, no anthology this ambitious is going to please everybody. As much as I liked the book, I still missed the presence of certain favorite authors (Pat Parker, SDiane Bogus, and others). And of the authors represented, there were those for whom I might have chosen some different or additional selections (Audre Lorde's essay "Man Child" would have made an excellent complement to the work already represented). And what about Afro-Latino/a writers like Jesus Colon? With the exception of Puerto Rican-born Arthur Schomburg, they appear to be almost entirely absent.

I am sure that others with a love for and expertise in African American literature will cite other authors whom they would have liked to have seen included. And perhaps others will find the collection as it is simply too big (more than 2600 pages!) and overwhelming. But all things considered, this anthology is a truly impressive achievement. It is an outstanding resource for teachers, students, and general readers.

Priceless!
This book is a part of my library and a great resource tool. For any writer, researcher, black historian, or literature lover of any kind, this book is a must have. The criticism from the other reviewers is amazing. Must everything thing be analyzed? This book is a reference tool, an anthology of our black writers from the past to the present. If some are threatened by that, then that is their problem. What one may think of a writer's literature his his or her own personal opinion. I, personally would recommend this book to any college student and any college professor teaching literature. This is a keepsake!

Excellent Canon
I noticed that someone asked for a review of this piece, here is something I did when the first edition came out in 1997, for the newspaper I worked for at the time, the Durham Herald-Sun. Published 01/05/97

African-American lit anthology's `heavy' - UNC professor helped as canon was decided for long-awaited book
Byline: ERNIE SUGGS The Herald-Sun
When discussing African-American literature, the name Victor Sejour doesn't stand out as readily as the likes of Harriet Jacobs, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin.
But the work of the expatriate who left New Orleans for Paris at the age of 20 has just rewritten history. His short story, ``Le Mulatre,'' (The Mulatto) published in France in 1837, now is considered the oldest known work of fiction by an African-American writer.
The piece was discovered in 1992 by UNC English Professor William L. Andrews for special inclusion in the new ``Norton Anthology of African American Literature.''
Sejour's work is among dozens by African-American writers, poets, preachers, essayists, singers and even rappers included in the massive tome, which was published Dec. 16.
``Heavy,'' said Duke University's director of Afro-American studies, Karla Holloway, in describing the new anthology.
``This is exactly what we have been waiting for,'' Holloway said. ``It is thorough, the coverage is impressive and it has weight, literally and physically.''
At 2,655 pages, the single, 21/2-pound volume is indeed heavy.
But the weight of what is on the pages may be enough to change the way African-American literature is perceived for generations.
Henry Louis Gates Jr., W.E.B DuBois professor of humanities and chairman of the Afro-American studies department at Harvard University, was one of two general editors for the book. Gates, who also served briefly as head of Duke University's Afro-American studies program, called the anthology a ``canon'' and said that there never would be another excuse for not being able to find African-American literature.
Literary scholars are hailing the text as a breakthrough and calling it revolutionary. College professors are lining up to get it and preparing syllabi to teach it.
``It is the most important anthology of African-American literature that has been published in the 20th century,'' said Andrews, E. Maynard Adams professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ``Not that there haven't been magnificent anthologies -- and this isn't the first one -- but this is the most important because it is the anthology for the second black literary renaissance of the 20th century.''
The anthology is the culmination of 10 years of research by a team of editors and scholars. The team's research dates back to a 1746 poem by Lucy Terry called ``Bar Fights.''
``In North Carolina, it has always been something that people have asked me about. `When is it coming out? When is it coming out?' '' said Steven Hoge, field editor for New York-based W.W. Norton & Co., which published the anthology. ``I would always say, `Any year now.' ''
So diverse is the book that it includes the work of 1993 Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, rap-music godfathers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Phillis Wheatley -- a slave brought to America from Senegal at the age of 8 who became the first African-American to publish a book in English.
``This is trying to establish a canon,'' said Hoge, who works out of Chapel Hill.
``As a publisher of anthologies, we've always taken the anthology business very seriously.''
Many anthologies of African-American writing have been published -- including ``Les Cenelles'' in 1845 and ``Black Writers of America'' in 1972 -- but this is the first one W.W. Norton has published.
There are now 10 ``Nortons,'' all of which are among the most widely used college literature texts. But the ``Norton Anthology of African-American Literature'' is accompanied by a compact disc, which includes speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and jazz pieces by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.
Arlene Clift-Pellow, chairwoman of N.C. Central University's department of English, said her department currently is reviewing the book for likely inclusion in students' studies.
Holloway said that she will begin teaching Duke students from the text next fall in her introduction to African-American literature classes, and Andrews said that he will start teaching UNC students from it this semester.
``This is a more exciting time,'' Andrews said. ``I had never used an anthology before and I am looking forward to teaching from this one.''
Sejour story hunted
Andrews' students will be lucky to work closely with someone who worked on the book's production. Andrews, an expert on African-American literature before 1920, was one of nine section or chapter editors.
For his chapter, ``The Literature of Slavery and Freedom: 1746-1865,'' Andrews was responsible for selecting, editing and writing the annotations and introductions for all of the works included.
One of the most fascinating finds, by far, was that of Sejour's story.
``Since I am one of the editors of the volume, I wanted to include Sejour's work,'' Andrews said. ``But it was a question of could I find it.''
Andrews said Sejour's short story was known only by a few scholars, and it never had been translated to English.
``Le Mulatre'' was the only piece of fiction that Sejour had ever written, having devoted the rest of his life to drama. He became famous in Europe and never returned to the United States,'' Andrews said. ``Here he is largely forgotten.''
Andrews said that he and a French-speaking colleague, Philip Barnard of the University of Kansas, traveled to France and found the story in the obscure 1837 journal ``La Revue des Colonies'' at the Bibliotheque National in Paris.
``It wasn't so hard to find because Bibliotheque National is such a magnificent library,'' Andrews said. ``The hardest part was getting the service done.''
Andrews said that until this discovery, it had been assumed that the oldest piece of fiction written by an African-American was Frederick Douglass' ``The Heroic Slave.''
That piece, which was written in 1853, was only part fiction. Part was based on a historical event.
``Sejour's story is wholly a fictional tale, and it pre-dates Douglass' by 16 years,'' Andrews said. ``With this story, it moves the history of African-American literature back to 1837.''
Andrews said that his only concerns about the piece were what it was about and whether the story fit among the other writers of the era.
``Le Mulatre'' is the story of a slave born of the rape of a slave by her master. Later, the master rapes his son's wife, and the slave kills him in revenge.
Andrews describes Sejour's work in ``Le Mulatre,'' as a cross between Douglass and Edgar Allen Poe. Like Poe's work, the story is gruesome and exhibits extreme psychotic states of mind, Andrews said.
``Then, like Douglass, it's profoundly concerned with freedom and slavery,'' said Andrews, who worked at the University of Kansas before coming to UNC four months ago.
Other strengths cited
Holloway, a science fiction buff, said she is most impressed with the book's inclusion of Octavia Butler, whose ``Bloodchild'' appears in the ``Literature Since 1970'' chapter.
``Bloodchild'' is a short work of fiction by Butler that challenges contemporary ideas about gender and race in a futuristic way.
``I also like the inclusion of the Black Arts Movement,'' said Holloway, referring to the chapter focusing on 1960 through 1970.
``We have a hard time finding a coherent, well-integrated discussion on it. Now we have one.''
But Holloway, like the book's co-editor Nellie Y. McKay, a professor of American and Afro-American literature at the University of Wisconsin, feels that the section on rap music doesn't belong.
``It's an interesting discussion,'' said Holloway, who attended the book's coming-out party at the Modern Language Convention. ``I just would have argued against it.''
Holloway said the wait for the book has been well worth it and she looks forward to the publication of more African-American anthologies, which are in the works.
``A lot of people see this as competition, but the more choices that we have as a profession, the clearer the weight and substance,'' she said.