Category Archives: Writing

Fenton Johnson Inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Richard Guzman

On September 14, 2017, I was asked to be one of the speakers at a ceremony inducting Fenton Johnson into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.  Also on the program—co-sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and held at its wonderful John-Ronan-designed … Continue reading →

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Stranger in the Village: Style and Rage

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Richard Guzman

I, like many others, believe that James Baldwin’s “Stranger in the Village” is the greatest essay ever written in English.  It’s scope, for one, is titanic.  It moves from a story of one black man’s experiences in a Swiss village … Continue reading →

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A Low Water Man

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Richard Guzman

—This articles is part of a series on The Arts of the Essay— “Leave the astronauts out of it, or the paratroop teams that free-fall for 10,000 feet…Leave out the six people who have survived the 220-foot fall from the … Continue reading →

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