I think I made a strange decision when I decided to start reading

Fiction: Go Tell it on The Mountain
Non-fiction: Notes of a Native Son

>>9870224
Do you know what might contain Sonny's Blues? Is that the same as Jimmy's Blues? I read that story once and dearly loved it.

Can anyone clarify what Baldwin means by this? This is sincere:

"*Protect your women*: a difficult thing to do in a civilization sexually so pathetic that the white man's masculinity depends on a denial of the masculinity of the blacks. *Protect your women*: in a civilization that emasculates the male and abuses the female, and in which, moreover, the male is forced to depend on the female's bread-winning power."

I don't understand what this may refer to, and it seems pretty weird.

>>9871212
he was a mega fag who always had a white bf so it was probably just projecting his own self-loathing for sucking the peens of publishing industry jews in order to get fame and money

love me some baldwin, but it's 4chan we can speak honestly

I liked Go Tell It on the Mountain. Is Giovanni's Room as good?

>>9871212
I believe the second part refers to American blacks in the early 20th century, tho it does seem misleading to refer to it as a civilization instead of a society. I think the unemployment rates for black men are historically higher than for black women, so their masculinity is precarious in Tha it isn't rooted in providing for a family. The first part is odd to me also, I can see how black masculinity shows insecurities in white masculinity, just see the million cuck threads on here daily, but I don't see how one is predicated on the other.

>>9870217
during his lifetime Baldwin was known as an essayist more than a novelist; this was back when essays were a relevant thing. Also his novels were often not very well received, unlike this guy >>9871268 seems to think. American publishers not only refused to publish Giovanni's Room, but said they were doing him a favor by doing so. Baldwin sought publication of G'sR in Europe after leaving America because he was tired of the racial tension in the US.
Today he's better known for his novels because when they were being published he'd get flak from every direction. whites hated him because he was black, blacks hated him because he was gay, political groups didn't like that he didn't write about their struggles. The French liked him, but they knew him as an essayist. Today we can approach his work without going full autism before ever opening the actual book(one would hope) and give them the appreciation they deserve.

Check out Giovanni's Room and Mountain
>>9871212
Baldwin was very critical of American culture. If you read or watch interviews with him and understand his views of America at that time it would make sense.

>>9871278
Most consider it his best work. It's easily one of the best books I've read this year.

>>9871337
>American publishers not only refused to publish Giovanni's Room, but said they were doing him a favor by doing so.

that's because baldwin's brand was "muh racism" and giovanni's room was about white faggots in europe, it made no sense from a commercial perspective, duh.

>>9871349
It was salacious as fuck for back then. Look how many people bought Peyton Place, Giovanni's Room shoulda been a best seller with it's interracial homo escapades.

>>9871349
>baldwin's brand was "muh racism"
>GI was his second book
>His first wasn't about racism either
It definitely had a lot more to do with content/audience than branding the artist.

>>9871400
well ok "muh racism" obviously over the top, but people were reading baldwin for the black experience not the gay experience

>>9871404
Yeah I can get behind that. He finished GI before ever approaching any publishers and I couldn't imagine them being very thrilled to see that there were zero black characters and it was gay as hell, especially given the era.

I prefer E.L. Doctrow. much less preachy

start with The March

>>9871334
I agree that must be what the second part was talking about. Thanks for mentioning that.

>>9871337
Woah, thanks for the background. I'll have to look into ...Mountain or G's Room, so many people have mentioned those.

>>9871439
I don't appreciate you suggesting things like this.