Art of the Black Essay

First Published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

List of contents

I. Introduction

II. W.E.B. DuBois: Ideology and the Hybridity of Intentionality

III. James Baldwin: Voice of Prophesy

IV. Alice Walker: Beyond Race to Creation

V. Casting Stones, Dodging Bullets: Stanley Crouch & the Black Essay

VI. Super-literacy: Transcendence & Beyond

About the author

Cheryl Butler

Summary

The Art of the Black Essay unveils the power of the African American essay to bring about a meditative shift in the minds of readers, to catapult them beyond racial ideology - by immersing them in it - and to elicit in them, ultimately, democratic change. This title outlines the specific tools of the trade, literary techniques through which the democratization process works: the uncanny, meditative moment of transcendency. This title also describes a psychological journey experienced by the essayist him/herself. Essay writing or life-writing is the vehicle to release the pull of ideology - the root of the "hierarchy of race" idea. In this book, the author makes a clear distinction between race as biology and race as ideology in order to align race with the culture, values, traditions and art of a people. The Art of theBlack Essay shows how African American essayists have transcended the pull of two cultural identities and achieved democratic change.

Product details

• Authors: Cheryl Butler, Dr Cheryl Butler
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 17.01.2019
• EAN: 9781138963832
• ISBN: 978-1-138-96383-2
• No. of pages: 166
• Series: Studies in African American History and Culture; Studies in African American History and Culture
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Essays, feuilletons, literary criticism, interviews; Humanities, art, music > History; Essays, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Essays, Literary essays, Black & Asian Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General, Ethnic studies / Ethnicity