By Howard Rambsy II 1976: Patternmaster1977: Mind of My Mind1978: Survivor 1979: Kindred1980: Wild Seed1984: Clay’s Ark1987: Dawn1988: Adulthood Rites1989: Imago1989: Xenogenesis (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago)1993: Parable of the Sower1995: Bloodchild and Other Stories 1998: Parable of the Talents2000: Lilith’s Brood (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago)2005: Fledgling 2007: Seed to Harvest (Wild Seed, Mind … A Checklist of Octavia Butler’s books
By Howard Rambsy II 1953: Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) – National Book Award for Fiction1978: James Alan McPherson’s Elbow Room* (1977) – Pulitzer Prize for Fiction1983: Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1982) – Pulitzer Prize for Fiction1983: Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1982) – National Book Award for Fiction1988: Toni Morrison’s Beloved (1987) – … Award-winning fiction
By Elizabeth Cali When Toni Morrison’s writing comes up in conversation, the subject is commonly one or more of her novels. But what if students enter Toni Morrison’s novels by way of her nonfiction writings, interviews, and public talks? Beginning with Morrison’s nonfiction works offers students a pathway and frame for approaching the challenging material … Teaching Morrison Beyond Fiction
By Howard Rambsy II Afrofuturism (AF), as it was thought of in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is a critical approach that examines convergences between technology or speculative narratives and Black culture. The term “afrofuturism” was coined in 1993 by Mark Dery, and in 1998, Alondra Nelson founded and facilitated a listserv that explored … Afrofuturism
By Elizabeth Cali and Howard Rambsy II What are the benefits and challenge of reading fiction by black writers? And what is gained by covering novels with students? We do not have nearly enough information about the intrinsic experiences of reading novels. We need more narratives about the sense of wonder or puzzlement folks experienced … Reading & Teaching Fiction
By Howard Rambsy II Lists seem simple enough, right? They still have a long history in the study of African American literature and book in general. We are indebted to early collectors, bibliographers, librarians, list-makers such as Daniel Murray, Arthur Schomburg, Dorothy Porter, and countless others. Their catalogues and checklists were instrumental in shaping fields … Lists
By Elizabeth Cali and Howard Rambsy II Vernacular, dialogue, diction, detail, syntax, rhythm, punctuation. Style has a direct impact on how it feels to read and hear the sentences on the page. From distinct and recurring expressive patterns to the formation of certain moods and tones such as humor, reflection, and mystery, writers’ stylistic choices … Style & structure
By Howard Rambsy II Every year, if not every month, someone releases one of those lists. “25 Great Novels by African Americans to Read.” “30 books by Black Women.” “45 Books by Contemporary African American authors.” Then there are the timelines charting publications produced during a given span of years. These timelines and lists constitute … Literary Data Work
By Elizabeth Cali and Howard Rambsy II African American novels have been a pillar of Black storytelling since the turn of the 20th century. But what about the stories about how those novels came to be? Book and literary histories include the surrounding creation, circulation, and reception stories related to the novel in one’s hands. … Book & Literary History
By Elizabeth Cali and Howard Rambsy II The transformation of novels into movies, television films, streaming service series, and audiobooks represent important moments in literary history. At this point, these moments have become recurring features of artistic production. Every year, we can expect novels by black writers to appear on big and small screens, and … Novel Adaptations