The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

by James Weldon Johnson

Overview

James Weldon Johnson's The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man takes place in post Reconstruction era America and follows the story of a young biracial male. Johnson poses a complex dilemma: because the "Ex-Colored Man," which is the only name by which the protagonist is referred, represents what, at the time was, a social contradiction of race and culture, he is forced to choose which aspect of his heritage to publicly express. His options are to embrace his black heritage and culture, or to pass as a white man cloaked in middle-class, mediocre obscurity. Johnson's novel explores racial tensions in late nineteenth and early twentieth century culture through this poignant coming of age story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781456314880
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	10/27/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	92
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.19(d)
Lexile:	1100L (what's this?)

About the Author

James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) was a prolific writer and legendary civil rights activist who produced several novels, a pioneering work of cultural history, the first major anthology of black poetry, and numerous treatises on race relations. He served as U.S. consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua and as secretary of the NAACP.

Table of Contents

Introduction Suggestions for Further Reading A Note on the Text Preface to the Original Edition of 1912

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN EX-COLORED MAN

Explanatory Notes

Editorial Reviews

The fictional account of an ambiguously black man’s expedition into America’s hard heart . . . . The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a revolutionary text. It takes as its core understanding that racism is first a way of seeing the world . . . . Recognized today as one of the cornerstones of the Harlem Renaissance, [Johnson’s novel] still proves itself to be as forward-thinking and ambitious as any of its successors.” —from the Introduction by Gregory Pardlo

From the Publisher

Written anonymously in 1912, this civil rights classic tells the story of a biracial man who has to choose whether to embrace his black half or live a more comfortable life as a white man. Initially, the book was of little note, but after being rereleased in 1927 by a major publisher and with Johnson’s name on the cover, it became a popular Harlem Renaissance work. Narrator Richard Allen has a formal, deep voice that is reminiscent of radio announcers of the 1920s. He overemphasizes diction, pace, and affect, a style that sounds forced and stilted now but would sound perfectly at home in the early twentieth century. In a sense, he performs the book rather than simply reading it, and for the most part it works as a historical curiosity. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2013 - AudioFile