Download or read book The Autobiography of An Ex Colored Man written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in the year 1912, 'The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man' by James Weldon Johnson is the fictional account of a young biracial man, referred to as the "Ex-Colored Man", living in post-Reconstruction era America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Download or read book New Perspectives on James Weldon Johnson s The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man written by Noelle Morrissette and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2017-07-15 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) exemplified the ideal of the American public intellectual as a writer, educator, songwriter, diplomat, key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and first African American executive of the NAACP. Originally published anonymously in 1912, Johnson’s novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is considered one of the foundational works of twentieth-century African American literature, and its themes and forms have been taken up by other writers, from Ralph Ellison to Teju Cole. Johnson’s novel provocatively engages with political and cultural strains still prevalent in American discourse today, and it remains in print over a century after its initial publication. New Perspectives contains fresh essays that analyze the book’s reverberations, the contexts within which it was created and received, the aesthetic and intellectual developments of its author, and its continuing influence on American literature and global culture. Contributors: Bruce Barnhart, Lori Brooks, Ben Glaser, Jeff Karem, Daphne Lamothe, Noelle Morrissette, Michael Nowlin, Lawrence J. Oliver, Diana Paulin, Amritjit Singh, Robert B. Stepto
Download or read book The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Standard Ebooks. This book was released on 2020-08-17T23:42:12Z with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The protagonist of this fictional autobiography wrestles with race in America from the perspective of someone who learns that he is considered black but also that he can pass as white if he wants to. His personal ambitiousness and racial ambivalence makes him a sort of American Hamlet: undone by indecision. Will he be “a credit to his race” by advancing an African-American heritage he loves and appreciates in the face of a hostile culture, or will he retreat into the mediocrity of a safe, white, middle-class family life? Along the way, he shares his penetrating observations about race relations in the American north and south, about the “freemasonry” of subterranean black American culture, about the emerging bohemian jazz subculture in New York City, and about traditions of African American religious music and oratory. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.
Download or read book The Autobiography of an Ex colored Man written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Binker North. This book was released on 1912 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912/1927) by James Weldon Johnson is the fictional account of a young biracial man, referred to only as the "Ex-Colored Man," living in post-Reconstruction era America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He lives through a variety of experiences, including witnessing a lynching, that convince him to "pass" as white to secure his safety and advancement, but he feels as if he has given up his dream of "glorifying" the black race by composing ragtime music. Johnson originally published The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man anonymously in 1912, via the small Boston publisher Sherman, French, & Company. He decided to publish it anonymously because he was uncertain how the potentially controversial book would affect his diplomatic career. He wrote openly about issues of race and discrimination that were not common then in literature. The book's initial public reception was poor. It was republished in 1927, with some minor wording changes, by Alfred A. Knopf, an influential firm that published many Harlem Renaissance writers, and Johnson was credited as the author. Despite the title, the book is a novel. It is drawn from the lives of people Johnson knew and from events in his life. Johnson's text is an example of a roman à clef The novel begins with a frame tale in which the unnamed narrator describes the narrative that follows as "the great secret of my life." The narrator notes that he is taking a substantial risk by composing the narrative, but that it is one he feels compelled to record, regardless. The narrator also chooses to withhold the name of the small Georgia town where his narrative begins, as there are still living residents of the town who might be able to connect him to the narrative. Throughout the novel, the adult narrator from the frame interjects into the text to offer reflective commentary into the events of the narrative. Born shortly after the Civil War in a small Georgia town, the narrator's African-American mother protected him as a child and teenager. The narrator's father, a wealthy white member of the Southern aristocracy, is absent throughout the narrator's childhood but, nevertheless, continues to provide financial support for the narrator and his mother. Because of that financial support, she had the means to raise her son in an environment more middle-class than many blacks could enjoy at the time. The narrator describes learning to love music at a young age as well as attending an integrated school. It is through his attendance at this school that the narrator first realizes he is African-American and thus subject to ridicule and mistreatment for his racial heritage. This "discovery" occurs when he is publicly corrected by his teacher and the headmaster when he stands when "the white scholars" (schoolchildren) are asked to stand. Returning from school, the distraught narrator confronts his mother, asking her if he is a "nigger." His mother reassures him, however, noting that while she is not white, "your father is one of the greatest men in the country--the best blood of the South is in you." The narrator notes that this event became a racial awakening and loss of innocence that caused him to suddenly begin searching for--and finding--faults in himself and his mother, setting the stage for his eventual decision (though far in the future) to "pass" as a white man.
Download or read book The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man International Student Edition Norton Critical Editions written by James Weldon Johnson and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2016-04-04 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Norton Critical Edition of this influential Harlem Renaissance novel includes related materials available in no other edition. Known only as the “Ex-Colored Man,” the protagonist in Johnson’s novel is forced to choose between celebrating his African American heritage or “passing” as an average white man in a post-Reconstruction America that is rapidly changing. This Norton Critical Edition is based on the 1912 text. It is accompanied by a detailed introduction, explanatory footnotes, and a note on the text. The appendices that follow the novel include materials available in no other edition: manuscript drafts of the final chapters, including the original lynching scene (chapter 10, ca. 1910) and the original ending (chapter 11, ca. 1908). An unusually rich selection of “Backgrounds and Sources” focuses on Johnson’s life; the autobiographical inspirations for The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man; the cultural history of the era in which Johnson lived and wrote; the noteworthy reception history for the 1912, 1927, and 1948 editions; and related writings by Johnson. In addition to Johnson, contributors include Eugene Levy, W. E. B. Du Bois, Carl Van Vechten, Blanche W. Knopf, and Victor Weybright among others. The four critical essays and interpretations in this volume speak to The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man’s major themes, among them irony, authorship, passing, and parody. Assessments are provided by Robert B. Stepto, M. Giulia Fabi, Siobhan B. Somerville, and Christina L. Ruotolo. A chronology of Johnson’s life and work and a selected bibliography are also included, as well as six images.
Download or read book Black Manhattan Classic Reprint written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2018-11-11 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Black Manhattan To the julius rosenwald fund and its presi dent, mr. Edwin R. Embree, I wish to express my especial thanks for the grant of the Fellowship which has made possible the writing of the book. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Download or read book The Portable Harlem Renaissance Reader written by David Levering Lewis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1995-06-01 with total page 818 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gathering a representative sampling of the New Negro Movement's most important figures, and providing substantial introductory essays, headnotes, and brief biographical notes, Lewis' volume—organized chronologically—includes the poetry and prose of Sterling Brown, Countee Cullen, W. E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, and others.
Download or read book The Blacker the Berry written by Wallace Thurman and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A source of controversy upon its 1929 publication, this novel was the first to openly address color prejudice among black Americans. The author, an active member of the Harlem Renaissance, offers insightful reflections of the era's mood and spirit in an enduringly relevant examination of racial, sexual, and cultural identity.
Download or read book Quicksand written by Nella Larsen and published by Wildside Press LLC. This book was released on 2022 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harlem Renaissance author Nella Larsen (1891 –1964) published just two novels and three short stories in her lifetime, but achieved lasting literary acclaim. Her classic novel Quicksand first appeared in 1928.
Download or read book The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-10-16 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man: Large Print By James Weldon Johnson This vivid and startlingly new picture of conditions brought about by the race question in the United States makes no special plea for the Negro, but shows in a dispassionate, though sympathetic, manner conditions as they actually exist between the whites and blacks to-day.
Download or read book James Weldon Johnson written by James Weldon Johnson and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2009-05-06 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Books for All Kinds of Readers. ReadHowYouWant offers the widest selection of on-demand, accessible format editions on the market today. Our 7 different sizes of EasyRead are optimized by increasing the font size and spacing between the words and the letters. We partner with leading publishers around the globe. Our goal is to have accessible editions simultaneously released with publishers' new books so that all readers can have access to the books they want to read.
Download or read book God s Trombones written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Penguin Group. This book was released on 1927 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inspirational sermons of the old Negro preachers are set down as poetry in this collection -- a classic for more than forty years, frequently dramatized, recorded, and anthologized. Mr. Johnson tells in his preface of hearing these same themes treated by famous preachers in his youth; some of the sermons are still current, and like the spirituals they have taken a significant place in black folk art. In transmuting their essence into original and moving poetry, the author has also ensured the survival of a great oral tradition. Book jacket.
Download or read book The Essential Writings of James Weldon Johnson written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Modern Library. This book was released on 2011-06-22 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A canonical collection, splendidly and sensitively edited by Rudolph Byrd.” –Henry Louis Gates, Jr. One of the leading voices of the Harlem Resaissance and a crucial literary figure of his time, James Weldon Johnson was also an editor, songwriter, founding member and leader of the NAACP, and the first African American to hold a diplomatic post as consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua. This comprehensive volume of Johnson’s works includes the seminal novel Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, poems from God’s Trombones, essays on cultural and political topics, selections from Johnson’s autobiography, Along This Way, and two previously unpublished short plays: Do You Believe in Ghosts? and The Engineer. Featuring a chronology, bibliography, and a Foreword by acclaimed author Charles Johnson, this Modern Library edition showcases the tremendous range of James Weldon Johnson’s writings and their considerable influence on American civic and cultural life. “This collection of poetry, fiction, criticism, autobiography, political writing and two unpublished plays by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) spans 60 years of pure triumph over adversity. [….Johnson’s] nobility, his inspiration shine forth from these pages, setting moral and artistic standards.” —Los Angeles Times
Download or read book Along This Way written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2000-01-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is, to quote the eminent historian Nathan Irvin Huggins, “one of the finest American autobiographies written in this century.” Born in 1871 in Jacksonville, Florida, James Weldon Johnson began his career as a high-school principal. He went on to attain success as a songwriter on Broadway and as the compiler of the definitive Book of American Negro Spirituals. But he achieved one of his greatest triumphs in 1912, when, under a pseudonym, he published The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man—a classic novel about a musician who rejects his black roots, a novel that is still in print today in multiple paperback editions. Johnson went on to be, from 1920 to 1930, the first African-American head of the NAACP, fighting tirelessly for the passage of a federal anti-lynching law. His life story is that of a truly remarkable man who triumphed over a system of institutionalized racism to become one of black America's leading educators, men of letters, and reformers.
Download or read book The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man written by James Weldon Johnson and published by Josh James. This book was released on 2024-07-06 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In James Weldon Johnson’s “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man,” the line between black and white blurs into an unforgettable story of identity and survival. This electrifying and timeless classic takes you on a journey through the complexities of race, identity, and the human spirit in early 20th century America. Born to a black mother and a white father, the protagonist embarks on an extraordinary journey from the segregated South to the sophisticated North, experiencing both the privileges of passing as white and the profound connection to his African American heritage. Johnson’s powerful storytelling vividly captures the complexities of racial identity, the courage to live authentically, and the resilience required to confront societal norms. This seminal work, celebrated for its historical significance and literary brilliance, has captivated readers and scholars alike. A bestseller in its time and a cornerstone in African American literature, “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” continues to inspire and provoke thought. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, memoirs, and social justice narratives, this novel remains a vital and relevant read in today’s discussions about race, privilege, and identity. Whether you’re a longtime admirer or encountering this classic for the first time, prepare to be moved and challenged by Johnson’s unflinching examination of the American experience. Experience the enduring power of “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man”—a compelling, insightful, and unforgettable story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.
Download or read book Black No More written by George Samuel Schuyler and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2012-02-14 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would happen to the race problem in America if black people could suddenly become white?
Download or read book The Autobiography of an Ex Colored Man written by James Weldon Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2021-07-06 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotations. James Weldon Johnson Biography About The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Summary Character List Glossary Themes Quotes and Analysis Summary And Analysis Chapters I-II Chapters III-IV Chapters V-VI Chapters VII-IX Chapters X-XI Ragtime Related Links Essay Questions James Weldon Johnson's The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is one of the most significant works of fiction by an African American author and one of the preeminent works of the Harlem Renaissance (although it was published first in 1912 and reissued in 1927). As it was published anonymously, many readers assumed it was a true story. Autobiography has been a mainstay in courses on African American literature because of its layered description of racial tensions and the conflicting nature of identity in the early 20th century. Johnson was an avid reader and a student at Columbia University when he started working on the novel. He showed it to his professor, Bernard Matthews, in 1906, and the older man encouraged him to keep working on it. Johnson finished Autobiography in 1912 when he was working as a diplomat in Corinto, Nicaragua. The Boston firm of Sherman, French, and Company published Autobiography in 1912, but Johnson requested that his name remain anonymous. There were few novels published by African- American writers during this time. Soon after iAutobiography] came out, Charles W. Chestnutt's The House Behind the Cedars (1900), Paul Laurence Dunbar's The Sport of the Gods (1902), and W.E.B. DuBois's collection of essays The Souls of Black Folk (1903) were published. In his own autobiography, Along This Way (1933), Johnson wrote about debating whether or not to publish Autobiography anonymously in addition to using the word "Autobiography" in the title. He wrote, "When I chose the title, it was without the slightest doubt that its meaning would be perfectly clear to anyone; there were people, however, to whom it proved confusing." He also commented that he was pleased that readers thought Autobiography was a true story, for he "had done the book with the intention of its being so taken." Some critics also speculated that he chose the title and format for economic reasons, as the aforementioned novels by African Americans were not particularly financially successful in comparison to more traditional non-fictional slave narratives. Regardless, Johnson's novel received favorable reviews but it did not sell well when it was released. In 1927, Alfred Knopf reissued The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man but changed the spelling of "colored" to "coloured" and identified Johnson as the author. Unlike the first printing, the sales were very strong this time around. The novel's popularity was no doubt due to Johnson's respected standing as a man of letters and as the leader of the NAACP during the Harlem Renaissance. An introduction by Carl Van Vechten, another Renaissance luminary, addressed the intersection of the real author and the fictional narrator: "The Autobiography, of course, in the matter of specific incident, has little enough to do with Mr. Johnson's own life, but it is imbued with his personality and feelings, his views of the subjects discussed, so that to a person who has no previous knowledge of the author's own history, it reads like a real autobiography." Contemporary criticism of the novel focuses on whether or not the narrator is self-loathing and racist, the complicated nature of racial identity and "passing"at the turn of the century, and the relationship between the author and the narrator.
