Product Description
Welcomed on publication as "brilliant, definitive, and a joy to teach from," (Russ Castronovo, University of Miami) The Norton Anthology of African American Literature was adopted at more than 1,275 colleges and universities worldwide. Now, the new Second Edition offers these highlights:

Nine new writersThe Second Edition includes nine new writers spanning three centuries: Jupiter Hammon, Venture Smith, Martin Delany, Elizabeth Keckley, Gayl Jones, Caryl Phillips, Edwidge Danticat, Colson Whitehead, and Harryette Mullen.

Strengthened Vernacular TraditionBuilding on the editors' view that vernacular expression lives in performance, the original Audio Companion CD has been expanded to a two-CD set; Disc 1, Music, includes vocal and instrumental pieces-from ragtime to Motown. Disc 2, Spoken Word, offers 24 speeches, readings, and performances, from Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois to Amiri Baraka and Rita Dove.

11 complete longer worksVenture Smith, A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, A Native of Africa: But Resident Above Sixty Years in the United States of America (new); Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave; James Weldon Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man; Nella Larsen, Quicksand (new); Richard Wright, The Man Who Lived Underground; Gwendolyn Brooks, Maud Martha; Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun; Amiri Baraka, Dutchman; Ed Bullins, Goin'a Buffalo: A Tragifantasy; Adrienne Kennedy, A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White; August Wilson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone (new).

Strengthened Apparatus and a More Readable Format

• An extensive, new Selected General Bibliography
• Revised—some entirely rewritten—period introductions, headnotes, footnotes, and updated author bibliographies
• Updated timeline
• A new trim size and bolder typeface for easier reading

Thoroughly Revised "Literature Since 1975"Succeeding the late Barbara Christian, new editor Cheryl A. Wall has included 5 new writers-poet Harryette Mullen and fiction writers Gayl Jones, Caryl Phillips, Edwidge Danticat, and Colson Whitehead. In addition, Wall has rewritten the period introduction and many headnotes in their entirety and updated all apparatus.

Course Guide by Joycelyn A. Moody, University of Washington Thoroughly revised, the Course Guide is now a more helpful resource. It provides a wealth of thematic approaches to teaching with The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, teaching suggestions for individual works, questions and research projects, bibliographic resources for all authors, and a special section on teaching the vernacular traditions. Throughout, the Guide suggests ways to integrate the content of the Audio Companion CDs with the printed texts.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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Class Act2
I was truly amazed at the content of the stories in this anthology. Some are brutal and graphic, but they are not lacking for truth. It was painful to read some of the stories and accounts of slave life. I had to wonder what type of people could implement such a vile and dehumanizing institution, and force a race of human beings to submit to such treatments that they themselves would not, and could not endure. The authors deserve an incredible amount of credit, not only for their contributions, but for their bravery in writing and ultimately allowing the publishing of these stories. No telling how much is still out there that has not been, and probably won't be published.

good cheap
book arrived on time in the condition it said it would and it was very cheap!

Great for college course
This book was "required" reading for my college English course - African American Literature. It is full of amazing works that in my lifetime were hidden from view (I am a senior, that is in age, not as in school level). It is a rather large book for just casual reading. However, it is a wonderful book to use as a reference. I know it will stay on our bookshelf until the pages turn yellow and crumble. As far as Amazon is concerned, the price was good and the delivery time great.

Surprised
Currently taking "Introduction To African American Literature" and I thought this book was going to some boring standarized book like the rest but I was surprised how well the editors chose the content. The content is just perfect for the course. Being an avid listener of the blues I loved the selection used in the "vernacular" chapter. great book.

The Perfect Anthology on African American Literature
I first bought this book for a class in college. Some of the excerpts, poems, and novels in this book I read in other classes, but I found that having all of them together in one anthology is perfect. Its progression from slave narratives that begin in Africa up to early hip-hop of the 1990's keeps the reader intrigued, moving along, following the struggle in America. There is simply too much to go over in a little review, but I can definitely say that this is a must have if you are interested in reading African American Literature...I just wish I kept my cheaper college copy! Oh well, at least I have a new copy this time ; )

Richard Beckham II, author of the coming of age novel, "Frog in the Pot" and fantasy novel, "The Tale of Mu" available on Amazon.com. Frog in the Pot The Tale of Mu ... Read more

Product Description
African-American Literature is thematically arranged, comprehensive survey of African-American Literature.The unique thematic organization of the anthology allows for a concise and coherent assessment of African American literature. The thematic approach gives readers a better sense of the intertextuality that binds a literary tradition together rather than a chronological approach that organizes material strictly on the basis of an author's birth date. Those interested in African-American literature. ... Read more

Product Description
These brief anthologies of ethnic American literature are ideal for ethnic, multicultural and American literature courses. They are designed to introduce undergraduates to the rich but often neglected literary contributions of established and newer ethnic writers to American literature. Each text is organized chronologically by genre and represent a wide range of literature. An introduction provides an historical overview and a celebration of the diversity within each ethnic group. It also addresses the general literary concerns students are likely to encounter in their readings. A seperate thematic table of contents provides the instructor with more flexibility in the classroom. ... Read more

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Encompassing Pulitzer Prize winners Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Rita Dove, national icons Maya Angelou and Nikki African Giovanni, and prominent cult figures Zora Neale Hurston and Octavia Butler, African American women's literature is the one of the fastest growing areas of American literature today. This is the first comprehensive anthology of African American women's literature. This is the only book that covers all historical periods, from the 18th century up through the early years of the 21st century; and all genres: from poems, essays, journal entries, and short stories to novels and black feminist criticism. An exciting and interested reader for anyone who wants a comprehensive package of African-American women's writings.

Customer Reviews (2)

LYING IN ADVERTISING!
I THOUGHT THIS BOOK HAS 600 PAGES BUT IT HAS ONLY 400 PAGES AMAZON NEEDS TO LOOK OVER THE STUFF THEY SELL BEFORE THEY SELL IT.THIS BOOK COST ME WAY TOO MUCH MONEY!TRUTH IN ADVERTISING AMAZON!

About Time!
This book is certainly a first of its kind. The number of authors included in this anthology is unprecedented, covering the literature of slavery all the way to the 21st-century. Substantively, it is very engaging and beautifully produced. I found the map to be very useful, as were the well-crafted bibliographies. ... Read more

Product Description

African American literature is over. With this provocative claim Kenneth Warren sets out to identify a distinctly African American literature—and to change the terms with which we discuss it.

Rather than contest other definitions, Warren makes a clear and compelling case for understanding African American literature as creative and critical work written by black Americans within and against the strictures of Jim Crow America. Within these parameters, his book outlines protocols of reading that best make sense of the literary works produced by African American writers and critics over the first two-thirds of the twentieth century.

In Warren’s view, African American literature begged the question: what would happen to this literature if and when Jim Crow was finally overthrown? Thus, imagining a world without African American literature was essential to that literature. In support of this point, Warren focuses on three moments in the history of Phylon, an important journal of African American culture. In the dialogues Phylon documents, the question of whether race would disappear as an organizing literary category emerges as shared ground for critical and literary practice. Warren also points out that while scholarship by black Americans has always been the province of a petit bourgeois elite, the strictures of Jim Crow enlisted these writers in a politics that served the race as a whole.

Finally, Warren’s work sheds light on the current moment in which advocates of African American solidarity insist on a past that is more productively put behind us.

Product Description
This is the first anthology to bring together the key texts of African literary theory and criticism.

• Brings together key texts that are otherwise hard to locate
  
• Covers all genres and critical schools
  
• Provides the intellectual context for understanding African literature
  
• Facilitates the future development of African literary criticism

Product Description
A breathtaking achievement, this Concise Companion is a suitable crown to the astonishing production in African American literature and criticism that has swept over American literary studies in the last two decades. It offers an enormous range of writers-from Sojourner Truth to Frederick Douglass, from Zora Neale Hurston to Ralph Ellison, and from Toni Morrison to August Wilson. It contains entries on major works (including synopses of novels), such as Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Richard Wright's Native Son, and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. It also incorporates information on literary characters such as Bigger Thomas, Coffin Ed Johnson, Kunta Kinte, Sula Peace, as well as on character types such as Aunt Jemima, Brer Rabbit, John Henry, Stackolee, and the trickster. Icons of black culture are addressed, including vivid details about the lives of Muhammad Ali, John Coltrane, Marcus Garvey, Jackie Robinson, John Brown, and Harriet Tubman.
Here, too, are general articles on poetry, fiction, and drama; on autobiography, slave narratives, Sunday School literature, and oratory; as well as on a wide spectrum of related topics. Compact yet thorough, this handy volume gathers works from a vast array of sources--from the black periodical press to women's clubs--making it one of the most substantial guides available on the growing, exciting world of African American literature.Amazon.com Review
This important sourcebook for information about black writersand their craft is a welcome companion to the recently issuedNorton Anthology of African American Literature. More to thepoint, it shows how much black literature, once relegated to themargins, has become mainstream. Here are brief biographies of morethan 400 black writers, entries on some 150 works, and a host ofentries on characters from novels, stories, and plays. In addition,there are entries on topics such as Afrocentricity (as well as ontopics of more general interest, such as the novel), that make thisessential for anyone who cares about black literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

OUTSTANDING RESOURCE
Everything that you wanted to know or needed to know about African American Literature is contained in this eight hundred page volume. This comprehensive volume covers the historical and cultural contexts of African American literature that has been too long neglected.

Oxford's Companionencompasses thetraditional genres of poetry, fiction and drama but goes beyond them. It gives the same analysis to special genres such as Slave Narratives, Oratory, Folk Literature, etc. that you don't normally find in reference works of this kind. These special features and others give this book a unique spot in reference works of literature.

From the moment I got this volume in my hands, I couldn't put it down. Its numerous essays, brief biographies and analysis of the various hues of African American Literature was overwhelming and enjoyable. A referance guide such as this should be in every home. It is user friendly, informative and entertaining. Most of all it will give you a deeper appreciation of the vast types of African American literature produced throughout the years.

An English Graduate Student in Nashville
I purchased this anthology to assist me in my African-American literature class. This book has given me great insight about the literature of African-Americans. Not only does it give great details about the many authors, but it also explains the nature of their many works. I strongly recommend this book to anyone taking an African-American literature course - regardless of the time period. ... Read more

Product Description
Africa's strong tradition of storytelling has long been an expression of an oral narrative culture. African writers such as Amos Tutuola, Naguib Mahfouz, Wole Soyinka and J. M. Coetzee have adapted these older forms to develop and enhance the genre of the novel, in a shift from the oral mode to print. Comprehensive in scope, these new essays cover the fiction in the European languages from North Africa and Africa south of the Sahara, as well as in Arabic. They highlight the themes and styles of the African novel through an examination of the works that have either attained canonical status - an entire chapter is devoted to the work of Chinua Achebe - or can be expected to do so. Including a guide to further reading and a chronology, this is the ideal starting-point for students of African and world literatures. ... Read more

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"With interest in African American literature now happily a fact of our cultural life, it is time for us to turn our attention to African literature, which is as rich and various, as diverse and compelling, as the continent of Africa itself. This superb anthology will bring African literature front and center, where it belongs."
--Henry Louis Gates, Harvard University

"This excellent anthology is to be welcomed, both for the quality of its material and for the fact that it will fill a growing need. I congratulate Anthonia Kalu and all whose work is in the volume for their contributions."
--Dennis Brutus. University of Pittsburgh and University of KwaZulu-Natal

"Dr. Kalu has assembled the best of the oral and written traditions of African literature into an anthology comprehensive in scope.... The Rienner Anthology is great news for African literature, and a boon to literature lovers."
--Tanure Ojaide, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

"Hongera to Professor Kalu and the publisher for accomplishing the important task of making African literature more accessible to more people.... This very good and wide-ranging collection brings together a valuable sampling of classic African works. It occupies a uniquely definitive position in the field."--Simon Lewis, College of Charleston

Ranging from ancient cultures to the present century, from Africa's rich oral traditions to its contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama, this long-awaited comprehensive anthology reflects the enduring themes of African literature.

The selections, drawn from the length and breadth of the continent, reveal the richness of African creativity. Readers will find myths and epics; works by such well-known figures as Chinua Achebe, Mariama B , Bessie Head, Tayeb Salih, Wole Soyinka, and Ngugi wa Thiong'o; and fiction and poetry by myriad new writers.

The pieces are organized chronologically within geographic region and enhanced by both introductory material and biographical notes on each writer. An author/title index and suggestions for further reading are also included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Great Resource
I teach an World Literature course. This resource is an extensive and enjoyable collection of African literature that enriched the unit I taught. ... Read more

Product Description
B> Tracing African American literary and artistic contributions from the 1700s to the 1990s, this anthology presents a diverse collection that includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, speeches, songs, paintings and photography.Readers learn about historical context, literary content, and rhetorical strategies while exploring sections on The Colonial Period (1746-1800), The Reconstruction Period (1865-1900), The Harlem Renaissance Period (1900-1940), The Protest Movement (1940-1959), The Black Aesthetics Movement (1960-1969), The Neo-Realism Movement (1970-Present), and Literary Criticism.For those interested in African American literature, art, and history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Loved that cd!
I loved my order.The book and cd arrived on time and although the book wasn't in perfect condition, the cd was.I've been playing it out.I'm happy with the service and would definitely order again.It's filled with all the stories from my past and both my childhood and I were escorted down memory lane by the Anthology of African American Literature!Thanks for the fantastic trip!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anthology for Arican American Literature
The seller did not indicate that the CD normally included inside the book was not included upon receipt of the book. There was no note to indicatethat the CD would be forthcoming. The CD is an important part of the book, and I may have chosen another seller had I been aware prior to making my purchase.

Anthology of African American Literature
This book was in wonderful shape when it arrived. I am very pleased with the purchase and shipping process.I have no complaints...GREAT way to buy textbooks!

Just as Described
Although this product took longer to ship than expected, I am extremely pleased.This textbook (for my class next semester) is extremely expensive so I was happy to find it for such a great price.Most of the other sellers didn't have the cd that goes with it but this seller did.There are NO markings in the book.I would definitely purchase from this seller again.

Great resource
Excellent anthology.Very good for teachers who want to take a thematic approach to teaching African American Literature.The introduction to each period gives a nice look into what the period focused on.Excellent companion CD. ... Read more

Product Description
Although the American Academy of Arts and Letters is best known for the awards and prizes it grants artists, writers, and musicians, the organization itself remains as little-understood as its awards are acclaimed. John Updike has brought together eleven current members-including Cynthia Ozick, Norman Mailer, and Louis Auchincloss--to raid the Academy's archives. With each writer taking on a decade of the Academy's history, they have created an eye-opening documentary of an organization central to the arts in America for the past century. R. W. B. Lewis writes of the admission of Julia Ward Howe in 1907 (at the age of 86) as the first woman in the Academy, and the intense debate about the very consideration of female members. Lewis also recounts the humorous saga of the feuding James brothers, with William declining membership and decrying the election several months prior to the nomination of his "younger and shallower and vainer brother" Henry. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., tells of the Academy's struggle against modernism in the 1930s--largely a one-man war waged by its feisty septuagenarian secretary, Robert Underwood Johnson-that resulted in a perennial failure to nominate F. Scott Fitzgerald and H. L. Mencken, among others. And composer Jack Beeson notes Gore Vidal's droll telegram declining an honorary membership on the grounds that he was already a member of the Diners Club. ... Read more

Product Description
This ground-breaking volume provides scholars with a sustained exploration of human sexuality as an integral part of gender studies. The book s theoretical, interpretative, and analytical approaches document the state of present knowledge on homoeroticism in African literature and film.The editors and eminent contributing scholars to this volume Ada Uzoamaka Azodo, Maureen Ngozi Eke, Christiane P. Makward, Miriam C. Gyimah, Keith M. Harris, and Chukwuma Okoye draw attention to the paucity of homosexuality as an abiding theme in African creative and artistic activities, emphasizing the need to separate sex from gender, investigate the correlation between gender and sex as categories of human identities, and between gender and creative artistic practices. They look at characterization, textual and filmic structure and plot in terms of identification, and this not always traditionally.The contributors raise major questions and also provide background information on the prevailing views on gender and sexuality, differences of viewpoint between literature and film, men and women, males and females, the evolution of human sexuality throughout African history, and what genre and race have got to do with it.This book, therefore, urges the reader to explore how literature and film interact with political, economic, and social life in Africa, and to challenge cultural biases that predominate about Africa and its diaspora the world over. ... Read more

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In this vital and inspiring volume, John Edgar Wideman has brought together the first truly representative sampling of literature by African-American writers in the early centuries of our history. Reaching across periods, styles, and regional borders, Wideman has selected twelve works of genius–some of them celebrated literary icons, others neglected or forgotten masterpieces– and reprinted them in their entirety. The result is a book as thrilling in its passion as it is vast in scope.

Though these selections come from a range of genres (verse, memoir, historical, and personal narrative), they are all, fundamentally, stories of strength and survival. Frederick Douglass’s frank narrative of escape from slavery and Paul Laurence Dunbar’s classic verse take their place beside lesser-known works like Nat Love’s stirring account of life as a black cowboy, Ida B. Wells’s haunting descriptions of lynchings, and the crisp, compelling adventures of Olaudah Equiano. Wideman prefaces each selection with an illuminating biographical essay.

The fruit of a lifetime’s devotion to the best American writing, My Soul Has Grown Deep will stand as an enduring monument to the depth and beauty of African-American literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Superb!
I have a lot of books, but this is one of the few that I will never part with. Each chapter in this anthology radiates true beauty.If you need a break from superficial entertainment--or an inspiring new role model--this is the book for you.

Wore Me Out
My Soul Has Grown Deep, John Edgar Wideman

I give the book five stars for the simple fact that the author put together a book that contains books I have been intending to read.Thereby, I had no excuse not to read them.I will say that reading this book was a "chore."It sat on my bookshelf for months and every time I looked up it was staring at me, demanding attention.I will give a brief summary of all the books below:

Richard Allen 5 stars

I enjoyed the book.I did learn something I had not known before.

Phillis Wheatley 3 Stars

Unfortunately, Phillis was the Wheatley's pet.I am sorry to say she died impoverished.

Jarena Lee 3 stars

I did not enjoy reading this book at all. The writing was dull.I found myself annoyed at Ms. Lee often.I got the distinct impression that she suffered some form of mental illness.She seemed to be somewhat a religious fanatic.The book mostly covered her extensive travel to preach the gospel.What struck me was her near abandonment of her child to others to raised while she traveled all over the place. However, I appreciate her story and contributions.

Olaudah Equiano 3 Stars

I did not like this book.Olaudah simply annoyed me with his butt kissing and religious ideas.I skipped over his preaching.He kept making the same mistakes over and over.I don't know; maybe I am applying my 21st sensibilities to his story.However, the insights into his capture, enslavement and experiences, particularly in the West Indies, were invaluable.

Sojourner Truth 3 Stars

I know that Mrs. Truth was illiterate, and she arranged for some else to write her story, but I kept getting the feeling that the writer was injecting too much of themselves and ideas into the story.This just doesn't feel like a first person story.

What most impressed me was her fight for her son Peter.She won that battle.Unfortunately, Peter turned out to be a disappointment.I don't know maybe she ran to his rescue too much.

Frederick Douglas 5 Stars

I enjoyed reading this story.I have been intending to read this book for years.Now I can mark it off my list.

Nat Love 5 Stars

Nat Love was a hoot.I absolutely loved reading his story.It was funny.He always seemed to be the hero in all of his tales.He made me smile and laugh.Deadwood Dick aka Nat Love was a true character.

Booker T. Washington 3 Stars

I did not like this book.I found Mr. Washington's butt kissing and non sense philosophy irritating and so unrealistic.However, I also recognize his shrewdness in kissing the white power structure butts.He did get Tuskegee built and funded.

Ida B. Wells 5 Stars

I loved Mrs. Wells' writings.It made for hard reading, but it was worth it.Mrs. Wells was a true activist, often fighting the battle alone, while the so-called leaders of the day sat back resenting her courage and the fame it garnered her.Why does everybody know who Frederick Doughlas and D.E.B Dubois are?She had more guts then both of these men put together.They never put themselves in dangerous situations to get to the truth.

W.E.B Dubois 3 Stars

I did not like this book at all.This is my second time reading it, and it was pure torture.First, Mr. Dubois was an elitist and had high disdain for the regular folk - the masses.Second, he was such a pretentious white wanna be.Third, his language is ornamental, wordy, and laborious, a pure bore. I don't understand what the big ado is all about.

I don't buy into the talented tenth.I believe everyone is there a leader.However, I do appreciate the idea of "double consciousness."Furthermore, any person who does consider himself a leader must live amongst the people he is supposedly leading.Otherwise, you have a self-appointed leader looking to paid.

James Weldon 3 Stars

The book was on my book list and I am glad I finally read it.It did not really have any affect on me.The character just decided to pass into the white world.

Paul Lawrence Dunbar 4 Stars

I liked Mr. Dunbar's poems.I wander what else he could have accomplished had he not died so young.

Words that never Expire...History that inspires
True this book is heavy and could make you look like a geek reading it outside the comfort of your home but that is where any criticsm for this extra-ordinary literary compilation ends. The essays that were so assiduously deliberated over, are without a shadow of doubt some of the finest that could have come out of those times. Not some ofthe finest that a black writer of those times could deliver but the finest any thinker or writer could put together and strangely enough i still find the underlining messages very relevant in social issues that face ethnic minorities in the west. Having the unique opportunity read great texts with boigrahical info to preceed the text is just great.
I think most of all, probably because it was my first time of reading it, was the essay and indeed the short biographical introduction of Ida B Wells which just simply blew me away. I could go on and on but you need to get a copy and READ IT - definately a collectors item

Unbeatable Resource For Black History and Culture
It might take all your strength to balance this ten pound book on your chest while you read yourself to sleep, but if you can muster the energy you'll be repaid with some of the best black history available.This collection captures the upbeat hilarity of Nat Love's cowboy experiences, the bittersweet saga of Frederick Douglass's escape to freedom, the positive energy of Booker Washington's philosophy of "lifting up [his] race" and much more.The detail and poignancy of each writer's experience with slavery is the most powerful common element of the writings.It might be too bulky to keep in your purse or backpack, but it's a valuable reference to have in a good personal library.

An outstanding presentation
This thick literary compilation of early Afro-American literary classics should be in the collection of any serious library: My Soul Has Grown Deep draws from both famous and neglected works from colonial days, drawing on narratives, oratory, and verse to sample a strong cross-section of black American literature. The attention to a range of genres and experiences makes this an outstanding presentation. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of essays from eminent scholar F. Abiola Irele provides a comprehensive formulation of what he calls an "African imagination" manifested in the oral traditions and modern literature of Africa and the Black Diaspora. The African Imagination includes Irele's probing critical readings of the works of Chinua Achebe, Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Amadou Hampaté Bâ, and Ahmadou Kourouma, among others, as well as examinations of the growing presence of African writing in the global literary marketplace and the relationship between African intellectuals and the West. Taken as a whole, this volume makes a superb introduction to African literature and to the work of one of its leading interpreters. ... Read more

Product Description
This new book puts together in a single cover, two earlier volumes by the authors, now revised to meet the challenges of a twenty-first century scholarship in African performance and cultural studies. Topics covered range from sources of African oral traditions, relevance of cosmology to African oral performance, fieldwork practice and research methodology, archetypes, folktales, myths and legends, performance and stylistic features, to various areas of poetic performances like praise poetry, religious poetry, topical, occupational and heroic poetry, their performances and more. The central theme of the book is performance, and students, scholars and readers are provided with projects and exercises intended to keep them involved in research and performance experience of the oral forms. Teaching and curriculum development suggestions are given to teachers of African oral performances. Important information is provided to guide researchers into a continued exciting experience in the study of and research into African oral traditions. Materials are included from a good number of languages and cultures of Africa including Yoruba, Hausa, Nupe, among others, so that students would be able to explore these important examples as testimony of the richness of the scholarly and cultural resources in African oral traditions. ... Read more

Product Description
Romance, Diaspora, and Black Atlantic Literature offers a rich, interdisciplinary treatment of modern black literature and cultural history, showing how debates over Africa in the works of major black writers generated productive models for imagining political agency. Yogita Goyal analyzes the tensions between romance and realism in the literature of the African diaspora, examining a remarkably diverse group of twentieth-century authors, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Chinua Achebe, Richard Wright, Ama Ata Aidoo and Caryl Phillips. Shifting the center of black diaspora studies by considering Africa as constitutive of black modernity rather than its forgotten past, Goyal argues that it is through the figure of romance that the possibility of diaspora is imagined across time and space. Drawing on literature, political history and postcolonial theory, this significant addition to the cross-cultural study of literatures will be of interest to scholars of African American studies, African studies and American literary studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

African American Literature - High School Loved It
This book is excellent stand alone and in conjunction with other literature concurrent in time. It dovetails well with 'The Great Gatsby' because of the selections from the Harlem Renaissance in Unit Five. Other periods can supplement this text; and it can be used in Social Studies as well (Unit One - Three touches on ancient Egypt,African Proverbs and exerpts from Olaudah Equiano,Benjamin Banneker.Units Six - Eleven cover writings to the Eighties.I have used this book for years, the students keep asking for more.

Teacher's lifesaver
Let me just tell you this book kept 8th graders loving literature like no other literature could. There is violence, love, jealousy, family, struggle... in practically every story. Lots of great nonfiction, too. A wonderful wonderful item for read aloud even.

Teacher's lifesaver
Let me just tell you this book kept 8th graders loving literature like no other literature could. There is violence, love, jealousy, family, struggle... in practically every story. Lots of great nonfiction, too. A wonderful wonderful item for read aloud even. ... Read more

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