Walking in the dark : James Baldwin, my father, and me Cover Image

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Walking in the dark : James Baldwin, my father, and me / Douglas Field.

Field, Douglas, 1974- (author.).

Summary:

"Since James Baldwin's death in 1987, his writing--including 'The fire next time,' one of the manifestos of the Civil Rights Movement, and 'Giovanni's room,' a pioneering work of gay fiction--has only grown in relevance. Douglas Field was introduced to Baldwin's essays and novels by his father, who witnessed the writer's debate with William F. Buckley at Cambridge University in 1965. In 'Walking in the dark,' he embarks on a journey to unravel his lifelong fascination and to understand why Baldwin continues to enthrall us decades after his death. Tracing Baldwin's footsteps in France, the US, and Switzerland, and digging into archives, Field paints an intimate portrait of the writer's life and influence. At the same time, he offers a poignant account of coming to terms with his father's Alzheimer's disease. Interweaving Baldwin's writings on family, illness, memory, and place, 'Walking in the dark' is an eloquent testament to the enduring power of great literature to illuminate our paths"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781526175175 (hardcover)
ISBN: 1526175177 (hardcover)
Physical Description: vii, 213 pages ; 23 cm
Publisher: Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2024.
Copyright: ©2024

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-199) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Prologue: If we are not ourselves, who are we? -- Fathers and illness -- Writing home -- Some who wander are lost -- Mistakes, we'd made a few, too many to mention -- Epilogue: Thou poor ghost.