The Richard Wright Encyclopedia

(Hardback)

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Description

Richard Wright is one of the most important African American writers. He is also one of the most prolific. Best known as the author of Native Son, he wrote 7 novels; 2 collections of short fiction; an autobiography; more than 250 newspaper articles, book reviews, and occasional essays; some 4,000 verses; a photo-documentary; and 3 travel books. By attacking the taboos and hypocrisy that other writers had failed to address, he revolutionized American literature and created a disturbing and realistic portrait of the African American experience. This encyclopedia is a guide to his vast and influential body of works.

Reviews

[R]ecommended to academic libraries. * Catholic Library World *
In addition to all of the author's work, entries include a wide range of places, people (from Peter Abrahams and H.L. Mencken to Emile Zola), and events (including the Chicago Renaissance, the Great Depression, and the Scottsboro Trials) . . . . useful for anyone with an interest in American literature, political history, and twentieth-century cultural movements. * ARBA *
350 short entries by a variety of scholars on all aspects of the author's life and times, with a number of surprises along the way. Anyone interested in delving further into Wright's milieu will find this volume extremely handy Highly recommended for all university literature collections. * MultiCultural Review *
This book is an important work for students of American studies. * Reference Reviews *

Author Bio

Jerry W. Ward, Jr. is Professor of English and African American Studies at Dillard University and was previously the Lawrence Durgin Professor of Literature at Tougaloo College. His previous books include Redefining American Literary History (1990), Black Southern Voices (1992), and Trouble the Water: 250 Years of African-American Poetry (1997). His work has also appeared in such journals as Southern Quarterly, Obsidian, and Callaloo. Robert J. Butler is Professor of English at Canisius College. His books include The Critical Response to Ralph Ellison (Greenwood, 1998), The Critical Response to Richard Wright (Greenwood, 1995), The City in African American Literature (1995), and Richard Wright's Native Son: The Emergence of a New Black Hero (1991). His articles have been published in The Centennial Review, The Dreiser Newsletter, CLA Journal, MELUS, and other journals.