James Baldwin Intro Article

his life

• oldest child of nine, worked with mother to care for siblings

  • especially after his step-father died to the Harlem race riots

• didn’t know his bio father, lived with step-father who he called dad

• authoritarian preacher father → complex relationship with faith

• preached at church as a teen → what led to his rejection of religion (anti-theist)

• after his father’s death, he gave up college and worked menial jobs + played guitar at a cafe where he wrote a lot

• moved to Paris to escapse racist/homophobic persecution, traveled Europe especially Turkey

• “transatlantic commuter” → he’d constantly go back to the US to keep fighting for civil rights

• moved back to California, civil rights + literary events

• died to stomach cancer

mentors

• Cullen - French teacher, poet of Harlem renaissance, inspired him to pursue same high school

• Wright - fellowship for 1st novel but broke up due to opinions (didn’t like his protest art), regretted when he died

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