Baldwin continued to write and publish work up until he died in 1963. The novel was not received well at first but now remains a significant work. The book has tones of bitterness, cruelness, and sadness riddled throughout it. вЂњIf Beale Street Could TalkвЂќ is a direct response to the agony that Baldwin experienced at the time. He left for France to write his next book. The assassinations of his friends put Baldwin in a reflective depression. James Baldwin was friends with both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Baldwin had many influential friends and connections. The FBI was tipped off about the influence and esteem Baldwin was gaining. BaldwinвЂ™s eloquence and brilliance were his most potent weapons, and his unique way of dismantling opponents was fascinating to witness. He held several dazzling debates on talk shows and at Cambridge University. The novel placed Baldwin on the cover of TIME Magazine. Baldwin was already considered a prominent figure in the movements for justice. The book expands on black identity and the struggle for civil rights. He published his novel вЂњThe Fire Next Time,вЂќ based on his travels through the Deep South. In his return to the US, Baldwin did not waste any time in making his mark. Baldwin did not want to return but had to because of the movement and the need to help his country. The 1960s were a time of social distress. BaldwinвЂ™s published works always had heavy and evocative themes of justice and racism in America.Д«aldwin returned to America amid political upheaval. These were his most formidable years, Baldwin wrote famous works such as вЂњNotes of a Native SonвЂќ and вЂњNobody Knows My Name.вЂќ The distance from America brought Baldwin closer to the reality of the society he was born into he was able to examine the morality of America without the feeling of paranoia infiltrating his work. After the completion of his first novel, Baldwin jumped around Europe, writing and gaining new perspectives. The novel did not receive praise right away, but it has solidified itself as one of the most important pieces of American literature ever written. The story was not over-bearing, but forcefully cut your emotions into pieces. The book follows Baldwin through his childhood and teen years in Harlem. Richard Wright helped Baldwin financially, and with the backing of his new friend, Baldwin left to Europe to finish up his first novel, вЂњGo Tell It on the Mountain.вЂќ It was published in 1953.Д«aldwinвЂ™s first novel is an eye-opener to the world of pain and anguish that African Americans experience. His work caught the attention of another writer, Richard Wright. In Greenwich Village, Baldwin worked as a freelance writer to make a living. Baldwin left Harlem at the age of eighteen to work for a railroad company, then moved back to Greenwich Village. He was a preacher for several years those years of religious experience are reflected in his work. His early exposure to the church had a substantial influence on his development as a writer. Baldwin discovered his passion for writing early on he was always reading in libraries. He played the big brother role not only to his siblings but also to the likes of leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. He was the oldest child out of nine kids. James Baldwin was born in Harlem in the year 1924. Baldwin is a hero to people who are looking for justice and redemption. They showed that while the law has changed, attitude and approach to race relations remain perverse. BaldwinвЂ™s words inspired me and at the same time scared me.

James BaldwinвЂ™s genius in the documentary was extensive and moving. It is an observation of American society and its fraught relationship with African Americans. The documentary is based on BaldwinвЂ™s last unfinished novel. There are moments when genius hits you in the face with a hammer of recognition examples of this include hearing Dave Chappelle do stand-up, listening to вЂњgood kid, m.A.A.d cityвЂќ for the first time, and reading James Baldwin's first novel, вЂњGo Tell It on the Mountain.вЂќ The other night I watched вЂњI Am Not Your NegroвЂќ the documentary brought me to tears. The story introduced me to one of the most influential and important men of the last century. From the first line up to the last, I was entranced by the emotionally vivid world James Baldwin had built. The first time I read вЂњSonnyвЂ™s Blues,вЂќ I was in a reading and composition class. James Baldwin Allan Warren via Wikimedia Commons

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