The contemporary African American novel

Description:

This book begins with a personal essay in which Bell traces the evolution of his thinking about sociohistorical and sociocultural approaches to literature. He goes on to apply these approaches to the work of hundreds of black novelists whose work has been published since 1853. His primary focus, however, is on some forty novels and romances published between 1983 and 2001, including works by Gayl Jones, Toni Cade Bambara, Toni Morrison, Paule Marshall, Albert Murray, Gloria Naylor, Al Young, David Bradley, Leon Forrest, and Charles Johnson, as well as the neo-Black Aesthetic novelists Nathaniel Mackey, Trey Ellis, Percival L. Everett, and Colson Whitehead. In acknowledging the diversity of the tradition of the novel, Bell also examines the science fiction of Samuel Delany and Octavia Butler, the gay novels of E. Lynn Harris, Larry Duplechan, and Randall Kenan, and the detective narratives of Barbara Neely and Walter Mosley. The result is a book of impressive scope and accomplishmentan essential work for any serious student of African American literature.

subjects: African American authors,  African Americans,  African Americans in literature,  American fiction,  Folklore,  Folklore in literature,  History and criticism,  Intellectual life,  Literature and folklore,  Noirs américains,  Littérature et folklore,  Amerikaans,  Roman,  Histoire et critique,  Folklore dans la littérature,  Auteurs noirs américains,  Roman américain,  Noirs américains dans la littérature,  Romans,  Vie intellectuelle,  Negers,  American fiction, african american authors, history and criticism,  American fiction, history and criticism, 20th century,  African americans, intellectual life,  African americans, folklore

Places: United States

Times: 20th century