Tag Archives: Black Writing from Chicago: In the World-Not of It?
Clarence Major: Whitman and the Roads That Lead Into Each Others’ Lives
Clarence Major (b. 1936) was born in Atlanta, but grew up on the South Side where, he says, “…the writerly disposition that was then evolving was shaped by my life in Chicago.” His wide-ranging styles—often praised for their mixtures of … Continue reading
Charles Johnson: Lessons Learned and Not Learned
Born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1948, Charles Johnson’s first books were collections of cartoons—Black Humor in 1970, and Half-Past Nation Time in 1972. He also writes screenplays. Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1986) is a collection of stories, and his highly regarded novels … Continue reading
Drake and Cayton’s Black Metropolis
St. Clair Drake (1911-1990) and Horace R. Cayton, Jr. (1903-1970) will forever be bound together for their collaboration on the groundbreaking Black Metropolis: A Study of Negro Life in a Northern City (1945). Drake was born in Suffolk, Virginia, graduated … Continue reading