Great African American Novelists
The Whine-Wine Blog
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In honor of Black History Month, I would like to pay homage to some of our great African American writers. They were the brave souls who dared to write words that resonated in our souls. They stayed true to themselves and the written word to create some of the best literature of all time.
I want to give honor to Toni Morrison, who we lost last year. Her works include The Bluest Eye, Beloved, The Song of Solomon, and Sula. We'll miss her.
Another prolific author was Zora Neal Hurston. Associated with the Harlem Renaissance, her works included vivid depictions of life in the south. Her works include Their Eyes Were Watching God, Jonah's Gourd Vine, Mules, and Men Tell My Horse and Moses, Man of the Mountain.
Other greats who paved the way for writers like me were James Baldwin, Alice Walker, Ralph Ellison, Octavia Butler, and Richard Wright. I thank every one of them who dared to write from the heart and share it all with us.
Now I love our greats, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite authors and my all-time favorite books. I'm a huge Eric Jerome Dickey fan. He burst on the scene in the '90s with his books: Sister, Sister; Friends and Lovers; Milk in My Coffee; Cheaters; and Liar's Game. But my favorite Eric Jerome Dickey book is Thieves' Paradise. This book showed me that I didn't have to stick with just one genera or style of writing. It gave me the courage to explore genera's, different tones, and character development.
My second all-time favorite book is Brothers and Sisters by Bebe More Campbell. In this book, she weaves a witty tale of classism and racism. The book explores the relationships between the haves and the have nots. It also looks at one African American woman's drive to succeed at the expense of her loyalties to her African American community.
Well, I hope you check out some of these books as well as support your local independent authors. We have so many amazing authors out there that you will not be disappointed.
Until the next time – Enjoy the Journey!
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