Being and Race (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Johnson
- First Published: 1988
- Type of Work: Literary criticism
- Genres: Criticism, Nonfiction, Arts
- Subjects: African Americans, Blacks, Race, Twentieth century, Authors or writers, Literature, Minorities, Literary criticism
The epigraph to Being and Race: Black Writing Since 1970 is a statement by French dramatist and playwright Prosper Mérimée that highlights the relationship between theory and practice: “In fiction there must be a theoretical basis to the most minute details. Even a single glove must have its theory.” Charles Johnson demonstrates his belief in this idea by applying what he calls “the method of ’phenomenology’” to fiction written by black writers since about 1970. Acknowledging that the term “phenomenology” is often misunderstood, Johnson describes, rather than...
[The entire page is 1649 words long]
