James Baldwin

James Baldwin was a writer born in Harlem, New York, on August 2, 1924. He was the oldest out of 9 children and had a tough relationship with his stepfather. Baldwin knew he was smart and, when he was fourteen, found himself spending a lot of time in libraries. His love for writing began here.

James Baldwin's first job was as a preacher, preaching at the Fireside Pentecostal Church in his hometown. But in the 1940s, he turned away from his preaching job and focused on his writing career.

He moved to Greenwich Village, where he met Richard Wright, a famous writer at the time. Baldwin hadn't yet written a novel, only focusing on writing book reviews. Wright helped him to get a document to support himself while writing in Paris. Baldwin left for Paris in 1948, distancing himself from the society he came from.

Baldwin's first novel was Go Tell it on the Mountain, written in 1953. He had moved to Switzerland to finish it.

After writing his first novel, Baldwin moved from Paris to Istanbul, Turkey. His second novel was Giovanni's Room, published in 1956.

About 27 years ago on November 12, Baldwin made an appearance at the University of North Carolina as a speaker for the university's Human Rights Week. The Daily Tar Heel, a school newspaper at UNC, quoted a portion of Baldwin's speech he made at the university that said, “It was not true that I was waiting to be discovered, it was not true that my discovery was by Christians who wanted to save my soul. It’s not true that I came here in chains, the happy darkie; it’s not true that I picked cotton for free out of love.”

James Baldwin wrote many other books along with different works of art including essays, plays, and poetry. He became well-known for being a social critic and for speaking out about gay and lesbian rights, being an openly gay man himself. Baldwin died in 1987.

1. What brought your person to France? Was there a particular reason he or she left America to pursue their work in France?

James Baldwin moved to Paris to pursue his work in France because he wanted to get far enough away from America so he could write about his childhood in Harlem, New York. That's where he published his first book. He once said that, “Once you find yourself in another civilization, you’re forced to examine your own.” He had grown up in poverty and thought it was worth writing about. Go Tell it on the Mountain became a popular book, respected by many.

2. Why France? What did your person find appealing or inspiring about France? How did this show up in their work?

James Baldwin moved to France because he became inspired by Richard Wright who also had moved to France to pursue his writing. His second book, Giovanni's Room, was set in Paris, France.

3. What do you think of your person's work? Does it appeal to you? Why or why not?

I think James Baldwin's work is one-of-a-kind. It's also empowering, his talk of liberty and human rights. Reading some of the summaries and passages of books, I found some of them to be interesting and books I may read in the future. James Baldwin was definitely interesting to learn and research about.

4. Based on what you know about the person and the samples you've found, would you be interested in more of their work? Why or why not?

Yes, I would, to see how things have changed over the years and if maybe some of Baldwin's work affected the racial issues. The way he spoke out about gay and lesbian rights proves that he was a strong-willed man. And to read his opinion about these rights would be interesting.