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2026-01-03 22:33:30 UTC

Jonathan Emmesedi on Nostr: I read some of Baldwin's essays a while ago, but I'm a mite embarrassed to say that I ...

I read some of Baldwin's essays a while ago, but I'm a mite embarrassed to say that I have only just finished my first Baldwin novel, "Go Tell It on the Mountain".

Did I love it? No.

Did I admire it? Yes, there is some powerful writing there. I was particularly impressed by Baldwin';s ability to encompass both African American vernacular and elevated biblical cadences without ever descending into hokiness. The psychological insight and narrative organization shown in the account of Esther's liaison with Gabriel struck me as brilliant.

The book also interested me as a document of midcentury US culture -- a social history approach that I'm sure Baldwin would have despised as reductive and unliterary!

I wonder if I might enjoy "Giovanni's Room" more, in part because I want to explore sexual rather than spiritual identity.

#Literature #JamesBaldwin #USLiterature #AfricanAmericanLiterature #Books #Fiction #Novel