Conversations with Chester Himes (Literary Conversations) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0878058192 ISBN 13: 9780878058198

Publisher: University Press of Mississippi, 1995

Synopsis

The late African American novelist Chester Himes (1909-1984) is well known both in America and Europe for his moving depictions of black men destroyed by a pervasive racism and for darkly humorous stories of Harlem's underworld. His novels and stories are all the more striking because they are infused with his own varied experiences as a petty criminal, convict, writer, and expatriate. Himes was equally revealing in the many interviews he granted during his long and tumultuous career in America and France.

Himes displays a remarkable candor in all his interviews. Although he never involved himself in any of the black political movements of his lifetime, he did not flinch from speaking his mind about racial politics in America. He was straightforward, as well, in speaking about his relationships with other black writers. As a contemporary of Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Ralph Ellison, he could be brutally direct in his opinions of them and their work. He leavens such criticism by being equally frank about himself and his shortcomings.

Compiled here for the first time and drawn from many sources, these interviews span Himes's career and present a bold picture of a proud, brilliant, and combative man who commands both attention and respect.

About this title

About the Author

Michel Fabre is author of Richard Wright: Books and Writers and The World of Richard Wright, coauthor (with Edward Margolies) of The Several Lives of Chester Himes, and coeditor (with Robert E. Skinner) of Conversations with Chester Himes and (with Keneth Kinnamon) of Conversations with Richard Wright, all published by University Press of Mississippi.

Edition details

• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0878058192
• ISBN 13: 9780878058198
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 277
• Editor: Fabre Michel, Skinner Robert