About the book
Although they have written in various genres, African American writers as notable and diverse as W. E. B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker have done their most influential work in the essay form. The Souls of Black Folk, The Fire Next Time, and In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens are landmarks in African American literary history. Many other writers, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, and Richard Wright, are acclaimed essayists but achieved greater fame for their work in other genres; their essay work is often overlooked or studied only in the contexts of their better-known works. Here Cheryl A. Wall offers the first sustained study of the African American essay as a distinct literary genre.
Beginning with the sermons, orations, and writing of nineteenth-century men and women like Frederick Douglass who laid the foundation for the African American essay, Wall examines the genre’s evolution through the Harlem Renaissance. She then turns her attention to four writers she regards as among the most influential essayists of the twentieth century: Baldwin, Ellison, June Jordan, and Alice Walker. She closes the book with a discussion of the status of the essay in the twenty-first century as it shifts its medium from print to digital in the hands of writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brittney Cooper. Wall’s beautifully written and insightful book is nothing less than a redefinition of how we understand the genres of African American literature.
Editions of On Freedom and the Will to Adorn
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469646893
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469646909
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469646923
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890854599
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469646916
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890854582
Read an Excerpt
Although they have written in various genres, African American writers as notable and diverse as W. E. B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker have done their most influential work in the essay form. The Souls of Black Folk, The Fire Next Time, and In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens are landmarks in African American literary history. Many other writers, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, and Richard Wright, are acclaimed essayists but achieved greater fame for their work in other genres; their essay work is often overlooked or studied only in the contexts of their better-known works. Here Cheryl A. Wall offers the first sustained study of the African American essay as a distinct literary genre.
Beginning with the sermons, orations, and writing of nineteenth-century men and women like Frederick Douglass who laid the foundation for the African American essay, Wall examines the genre’s evolution through the Harlem Renaissance. She then turns her attention to four writers she regards as among the most influential essayists of the twentieth century: Baldwin, Ellison, June Jordan, and Alice Walker. She closes the book with a discussion of the status of the essay in the twenty-first century as it shifts its medium from print to digital in the hands of writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brittney Cooper. Wall’s beautifully written and insightful book is nothing less than a redefinition of how we understand the genres of African American literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is On Freedom and the Will to Adorn about?
Although they have written in various genres, African American writers as notable and diverse as W. E. B. Du Bois, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker have done their most influential work in the essay form. The Souls of Black Folk, The Fire Next Time, and In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens are landmarks in African American literary history. Many other writers, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, and Richard Wright, are acclaimed essayists but achieved greater fame for their work in other genres; their essay work is often overlooked or studied only in the contexts of their better-known works. Here Cheryl A. Wall offers the first sustained study of the African American essay as a distinct literary genre.
Beginning with the sermons, orations, and writing of nineteenth-century men and women like Frederick Douglass who laid the foundation for the African American essay, Wall examines the genre’s evolution through the Harlem Renaissance. She then turns her attention to four writers she regards as among the most influential essayists of the twentieth century: Baldwin, Ellison, June Jordan, and Alice Walker. She closes the book with a discussion of the status of the essay in the twenty-first century as it shifts its medium from print to digital in the hands of writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brittney Cooper. Wall’s beautifully written and insightful book is nothing less than a redefinition of how we understand the genres of African American literature.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in On Freedom and the Will to Adorn?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity
Where can I read a sample of On Freedom and the Will to Adorn?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469646893
How long is On Freedom and the Will to Adorn and how many pages does it have?
On Freedom and the Will to Adorn has 288 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book On Freedom and the Will to Adorn?
Cheryl A. Wall
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
On Freedom and the Will to Adorn is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469646893) and paperback(ISBN 9781469646909) and ebook(ISBN 9781469646923) and ebook(ISBN 9798890854599) and ebook(ISBN 9781469646916) and pdf(ISBN 9798890854582)
Where can I buy On Freedom and the Will to Adorn online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy On Freedom and the Will to Adorn from below
Where can I buy On Freedom and the Will to Adorn?