The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

by James Weldon Johnson

Overview

Remarkable novel relates, through an anonymous narrator, events in the life of an American of mixed ethnicity whose exceptional abilities allow him to move freely in society—from the rural South to the urban North and eventually, Europe. A revolutionary work which not only probes the psychological aspects of 'passing for white' but also examines the American caste and class system.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504067898
Publisher:	Open Road Media
Publication date:	08/31/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	134
Sales rank:	7,778
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) was an African American poet, composer and civil rights activist during the Harlem Renaissance. He was raised in the South and educated at Atlanta Universitywhere he received a bachelor’s degree. Johnson was a multitalented figure in and outside of the Black community. Over the course of his illustrious career he worked as a principal, lawyer, and a United States consul for President Theodore Roosevelt. He was also a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and helped compose "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black national anthem.

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