Discover insightful analysis of some of the most prominent voices of the Black Arts Movement, including Amiri Baraka and James Baldwin. Learn how each narrative interprets common themes of identity, racism, liberation, and celebrating the Black experience.
Publication year 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race
Tags LGBTQ, Black Arts Movement, Poverty
Publication year 1996
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, History: U.S., Black Arts Movement, Afrofuturism
Publication year 1960
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Classic Fiction, Black Arts Movement, Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, Food, Education, Education, African American Literature, History: World
Gwendolyn Brooks stands among the foremost American poets of the 20th century. A master of poetic form and portraiture, she explored black life in Chicago, where she lived for the majority of her life. The poem “We Real Cool,” Brooks’s most famous work, appeared in her 1960 collection The Bean Eaters.As a fledgling writer, Brooks combined early influences from the literary era of modernism, defined by poets like Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, T.S. Eliot, and... Read We Real Cool Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality
Tags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Black Arts Movement, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Race / Racism, Classic Fiction, Biography
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is a biomythography concerning the coming-of-age of poet Audre Lorde (1934-1992). This work of creative nonfiction conflates the author’s memoir—which spans from the time of her birth to her early twenties—with West Indian mythology and stories, as well as the author’s own poetry. In this way, the work exists as something other than a simple autobiography, as it emphasizes the importance of dreams, stories, and songs within the... Read Zami: A New Spelling of My Name Summary