James Baldwin (1) (1924–1987)

So good. Baldwin takes up Christianity, Islam, communism, and the thread of American racism woven into it all. A cris de cours for conscientious people, of all ‘colors.’ To band together and stay strong. Beautifully written. Smart as hell. The warning is to avoid the fire next time—the bill due for utter lack of love all three philosophies (Christianity, Islam, communism) practice.
“It is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless." P 101 “ in any event, the sloppy and fatuous nature of American god will can never be relied upon to deal with hard problems. These have been dealt with, when they have been dealt with at all, out of necessity —and in political terms, anyway, necessity means concessions made in order to stay on top.”
P 106 “it seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death—ought to decide, indeed, to earn one’s death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life.”… (mer)

David is desperately trying to find himself in the years following the Second World War. As a young American man who is confused about so many things—his professional future, a strained relationship with his father, his sexual orientation—he has escaped to Paris where he meets Hella, another ex-pat from the United States. David proposes to Hella despite not really loving her; she responds by leaving for Spain to think things over. In her absence, David makes the acquaintance of Giovanni, a young Italian man working in a prominent gay bar. The two men strike up a friendship and, soon enough, they become lovers, although David’s confusion over his identity prevents him from fully committing to the relationship. As he has no other financial means, David moves into Giovanni’s small one-room apartment, where he allows himself to explore his true feelings and attitudes for the first time. However, when Hella returns from Spain to accept his marriage proposal, David leaves Giovanni in a cruel and heartbreaking way, which sets the latter on a destructive path that ultimately leads him to commit a tragic act. The story ends with David being a lot sadder but not any wiser, while Giovanni awaits his final fate.

In Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin has crafted a taut, masterful examination of the myriad pitfalls that befall someone on their journey to personal enlightenment. The author was justly celebrated for developing themes of race, class, and sexual orientation in his writing and this book stands out for its focus on the dilemmas and introspections of an all-white cast of characters. That becomes a powerful stylistic choice that allows the story to concentrate on David’s struggle to come to grips with his own definition of masculinity and the shame that drives his daily behaviors without conflating those subjects with issues of racial identity. In a novel written about seven decades ago, I can only imagine that these were extremely controversial topics that were neither vogue nor comfortable to confront. The tale is told from David’s first-person perspective, in both flashbacks and the present tense, which is frequently the choice of a writer who wants to present the reader with an unreliable narrator. And, to be sure, David is a very unreliable narrator, if only because he knows—or is willing to accept—so little about himself. The gritty realism and melancholy tone of Giovanni’s Room make it a difficult novel to read at times, but it is rightly considered a classic and one that has definitely stood the test of time.… (mer)

Written during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, James Baldwin’s biographical essays teach Americans what it’s like to be a black man in our society as it emerged from Jim Crow. Even sixty years later, it still resonates with me as I seek to understand my African-American young mentee. Certainly, much progress has been made as reading these essays shows, but Baldwin shows even then what progress we can still make now.

This short book consists of two parts. First, a memoir details how American religion has failed the black man. On the one hand, you have a Christian church which, too often, has become a trumpet for subservience to whites. He describes his life as a pastor’s son and his early flirtation with a ministerial career. On the other, militant Islam inaccurately makes all white people into “devils.” He describes meeting Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed in Chicago and why he didn’t convert. He tries to tease out a more moderate middle way.

In the second essay, Baldwin writes a personal essay on the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. He describes the unheralded benefits African Americans bring to society. He highlights how black voices often show shortcomings of whites and the willful ignorance of white culture. Even sixty years later, these views continue to be controversial, but hard to argue against.

In a contemporary world where the Black Lives Matter continues to teach us of systemic inequities, this book reminds us that prophets like Baldwin saw many problems in the 1960s. The pace of change is, unfortunately, slow, but the promise of a more just society makes the struggle worth it. Baldwin’s command of both the English language and social conditions surpasses almost every other voice except luminaries like Dr. King. Baldwin’s words, though piercing, resonate with me as deeply true and reliable. If only white Americans would listen better!… (mer)