One of the most prolific African American authors of his time, John
A. Williams (1925-2015) made his mark as a journalist, educator,
and writer. Having worked for Newsweek, Ebony, and Jet magazines,
Williams went on to write twelve novels and numerous works of
nonfiction. A vital link between the Black Arts movement and the
previous era, Williams crafted works of fiction that relied on
historical research as much as his own finely honed skills. From
The Man Who Cried I Am, a roman a clef about expatriate African
American writers in Europe, to Clifford's Blues, a Holocaust novel
told in the form of the diary entries of a gay, black, jazz pianist
in Dachau, these representations of black experiences marginalized
from official histories make him one of our most important writers.
Conversations with John A. Williams collects twenty-three
interviews with the three-time winner of the American Book Award,
beginning with a discussion in 1969 of his early works and ending
with a previously unpublished interview from 2005. Gathered from
print periodicals as well as radio and television programs, these
interviews address a range of topics, including anti-black
violence, Williams's WWII naval service, race and publishing,
interracial romance, Martin Luther King Jr., growing up in
Syracuse, the Prix de Rome scandal, traveling in Africa and Europe,
and his reputation as an angry black writer. The conversations
prove valuable given how often Williams drew from his own life and
career for his fiction. They display the integrity, social
engagement, and artistic vision that make him a writer to be
reckoned with.
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