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James Baldwin (US writer and poet)

  • James Arthur Baldwin
Sort Name
Baldwin, James
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Type
Person
Gender
Male
Date of birth
1924-08-02
Place of birth
Harlem
Date of death
1987-12-01
Place of death
Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Wikipedia

James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an African American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain has been ranked by Time magazine as one of the top 100 English-language novels. His 1955 essay collection Notes of a Native Son helped establish his reputation as a voice for human equality. Baldwin was an influential public figure and orator, especially during the civil rights movement in the United States.

Baldwin's fiction posed fundamental personal questions and dilemmas amid complex social and psychological pressures. Themes of masculinity, sexuality, race, and class intertwine to create intricate narratives that influenced both the civil rights movement and the gay liberation movement in mid-twentieth century America. Baldwin's protagonists are often, but not exclusively African American; gay and bisexual men feature prominently in his work (as in his 1956 novel Giovanni's Room). His characters typically face internal and external obstacles in their search for self- and social acceptance.

Baldwin's work continues to influence artists and writers. His unfinished manuscript Remember This House was expanded and adapted as the 2016 documentary film I Am Not Your Negro, winning the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary. His 1974 novel If Beale Street Could Talk was adapted into a 2018 film of the same name, which earned widespread praise.

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Annotation

American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.

Last modified: 2020-08-09 (revision #19241)

Editions

NameFormatISBNRelease Date
Eine andere Welt (rororo 4103, Hannes Jähn design)Paperback3-499-14103-51981-04
Eine andere Welt (rororo 4103, Walter Hellmann design)Paperback3-499-14103-51993-03
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Identifiers

Goodreads Author ID
10427
ISNI
0000 0001 2144 6704
LibraryThing Author
baldwinjames-1
MusicBrainz Artist ID
1c0dfc5c-f850-43fe-bc5f-5b057180481b
OpenLibrary Author ID
OL391839A
VIAF
97644708
Wikidata ID
Q273210

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Last Modified
2023-01-22